Second-story Rep Pit Band Audition

As some of you know, I took a 27-year hiatus from music. Four years ago I started playing sax again. I play with the Woodinville Community Band and Jazz Ensemble, sometimes sub for the Tsunami Dance Band, and have started my own fledgling xTet that is meeting for the second year in a row for the United Way King County Day of Caring.

The xTet is called the Dissonance and is composed of Microsoft and ex-Microsoft employees. Last year I did it on a lark because I was tired of pulling weeds at Marymore Park or some such. I figured that I had more to offer the community than just minimum-wage labor contributions. So I placed a post in the Musicians at Microsoft public forum.

The turnout was great and the caliber of the musicians phenomenal. There are so many musicians at Microsoft you have to wonder what the connection is between music and programming. I mean these are musicians who studied at prestigious schools like Boston Conservatory, Juilliard or Berkley. As we were playing at senior citizen centers, I thought, I will never get to play with such professionals again. It was a real trip and I am such an amateur.

So imagine my surprise this year when I got an e-mail saying, are you going to do it again? In a heartbeat! We start practice tomorrow for two gigs on Friday. One will be at Crossroads Mall in Bellevue at noon and another will be at Brighton Gardens at 3:30 PM. Stop by if you are in town.

Oh, and this weekend I auditioned for the Second Story Rep pit band production of Anything Goes by Cole Porter. I've never done that kind of thing before so I wanted to give it a shot. Well I made the band and we start practicing in October for a month of Friday and Saturday performances in November.