goofball on a train

Friday morning. My watch sleep app said I'd only gotten about 5 hours of sleep, sounds about right. Always have trouble sleeping after alcohol.

It bears mentioning that the unexpected inconveniences that struck over Christmas Eve Day--having to get a rental car, and my bass trombone arriving damaged--have been resolved only a few days later. The touring company is reimbursing me for about 75% of the rental car cost, and the bass trombone is repaired and working at no cost to me.

I'm taking this as a reminder to be patient and calm when things go "wrong," and not fly off the handle, because sometimes things aren't as bad as they seem and/or solutions are available that just need to be sought out.

Anyway, I walked to a CVS for some water but otherwise it was a nice slow morning.

Show 1 seemed to be kind of an understudy/swing show, which is good because swings and understudies deserve to make at least one appearance in the roles they've worked so hard to cover. It was also a packed house, yay about that. Between shows I spent a little time running through Disney music, and worked on Foodie Finds for my next venture, and had a nice cup of tea as it was cold and rainy out. Show 2 was equally normal. I thought the band played really well, not that my opinion matters.

Upon leaving the building I was startled to see that the sky was PURPLE.
After crossing a few intersections and craning my neck like a tourist for a bit, I discovered that the effect was from the Truist Center, which must have been lit purple, but it was also foggy so you couldn't see the top of the tower. The purple light was being dispersed in the fog, making the sky appear to glow in almost an ultraviolet way.


-------------------------------------------------------------------

Saturday, and because we've been doing two-show days since Thursday it feels like this is Sunday.

I felt restless, but it was rainy and crummy out. The usual breakfast and computer time, then checked on the rental car and took it out to fill with gas so that I can just peel out on Monday morning. Parking is expensive.

Guess I'll take this opportunity to apologize for being pretty lame on this tour. Essentially no Foodie Finds or exploring. This was primarily because
     A) The tour was only two months long
     B) I had to spend 15 hours per week on transcription in addition to the tour schedule, and
     C) I had my Main Street Phil music to maintain and two unexpected auditions during this time.

Losing my job this summer lost me a lot of income, and then unexpectedly having to buy a bass trombone REALLY took a chunk out of the bank account (suddenly needed gear is just a reality of being in music.) I'm extremely grateful that I DID spend time working on this tour, even if it meant missing out on sightseeing and great eats. I badly needed to save money. As it is I'll probably break even, so I must have worked just enough.

Anyway.

The first show was...not our greatest. The audience seemed to enjoy it, but I was embarrassed to make a pretty noticeable mute mistake, and even the actors were struggling a bit. This is sort of the halfway point, with 4 more shows remaining, so perhaps we're all mentally struggling to stay focused and present.

Between shows I practiced some Disney stuff, had some hot tea, and watched part of The Emperor's New Groove to kind of decompress my brain with something silly. Returning for show 2, I found this adorable handmade magnet at my spot!


Lacey (ensemble) made them for us! How nice!
The second show went better for me, I felt unfocused but made a stronger effort to be in the moment and not make dumb mistakes just because my brain is jumping ahead to 2025.

------------------------------------------------------------------

Sunday. The last day of tour.

I AM SO GLAD.

I've never been so happy to be done with a tour, and that's a shame. A lot of factors made this one particularly difficult for me, and rather than gripe about them here I'll just say that there are things that I need to keep in mind in the future before accepting a short holiday tour again. On the positive side, there were many wonderful things about this tour including great hotels, often getting my own dressing rooms, having our travel booked well in advance, and excellent reimbursement options for flights and travel. This is my first NETworks tour since about 2008, and I'm happy to see that they're a good production company to work for overall.

I spent the morning with breakfast, some packing, and making overnight oats to bring on the drive home tomorrow morning. Walked to Whole Paycheck one more time to treat myself to grocery sushi.

There are some familiar sights occurring backstage when a tour closes.
Usually there is a table where people pile "free stuff," which is anything from food to clothing to notebooks to cookware, etc, that people don't want to bring home or can't fit in their luggage. Along with the Free Stuff Table you can usually also find either programs or posters or both that people would like you to sign as a piece of memorabilia. In this case we had a lot of snacks at Free Stuff Table, and some programs, with the posters being lined up outside the production office where there was more room.


The road cases are lined up neatly in the hallways as usual, but shipping boxes and packing materials are all over the place as crew prepares to load out for the final time. A lot of costumes and props will go into storage, and will need to be packaged carefully to protect them in the event that the tour goes out again in the future.


A random picture of the Actual Backstage. A view that the band doesn't see often, but the actors and crew are very familiar with.


My final Trombone Princess dressing room, which is right next to the band boys' dressing room so it feels kind of silly. But I used it to practice this week, and appreciated the privacy of it.


And finally, my spot in the pit here in Charlotte. My mike and Aviom and stand where I like them. Looks pretty much the same on every show with the exception that typically I use my iPad for the music.


Before the final show the band was allowed a photo op on stage with one of the props, a sort of "elf car."
Here we are!


As we were leaving the stage I poked around and quickly found my very favorite prop, the GINGERBREAD FISH.
I politely begged a member of crew for a photo with it. Aaah, gingerbread fish, you brought me joy. I will miss you.


The final show went quite well. We knew that it was being recorded so that may have had something to do with it.
Afterward we packed up quickly, shook hands or hugged, and made our way to the black box for a champagne toast.
Some flowery words about how great this tour has been and what a privlege to work with each other...then, cheers!
(CLICK HERE to see the toast)

It really has been a great group of people to work with, for the most part.
I am grateful for this experience, and for being able to play a really fun show for a lovely short run.
But I am also really, REALLY ready to hit the ground running in 2025.
So I chugged my champagne, said my goodbyes, grabbed my things, and scooted to the hotel to finish packing.

Thus ends Elf the Musical 2024.

----------------------------------------------------------------------

Monday: 8-9 hour drive to Orlando, stopping to pick up bass trombone, get groceries, and return rental car. Unpacking and cleaning before Jameson's surgery.

Tuesday: Jameson's surgery. Getting him there and home safely. Probably more cleaning while he rests. Happy New Year.

Wednesday: New Year's Day, so I haven't been able to make any appointments due to the holiday. Cleaning and probably sending lots of emails to jump-start non-tour life. Maybe even some practice.

After breakfast I got bundled up for the cold and hoofed it over to the nearest Bank of America, about a mile away.

I went there for a "banker's check," because the person I'm buying a bass trombone from would like to be paid that way. He lives in California, so the trombone will have to make it intact all the way across the country to Florida. It's a $,$$$ check and it made me cringe to spend that kind of money. But if I get the gig I'm hoping for, I'll get that money back and then some.

After that, walked to a Salvation Army nearby and had to wait outside for 15 minutes because I got there too early. Stamping my feet in the cold and pacing like an idiot. Finally they opened, and I warmed up and enjoyed browsing for nothing-in-particular. I'm always on the lookout for new khakis (I only have one pair left and they're very old) and black dress shirts, but I never find these things. Instead, look at this FABULOUS shirt that I found!


It's hard to see in the pic, but it's a dark blue stretchy fabric with sparkling stars all over it. The stars sparkle silver or multicolored depending on light. It was only $4 so I bought it, and we'll see if I actually drum up the guts to wear it in public.

Walked back home, and on the way received some ASTOUNDING GOOD NEWS which I can't share yet but if you're an LJ Friend you know what it is! For now I can only say that it's a life-changing job opportunity, and I DO need that bass trombone after all! Overwhelmed with this, I unpacked my things and ate lunch in a daze, then started a load of laundry and spent much of the afternoon trying to gather my thoughts.

The evening show was fine, as far as I could tell. I am in the women's dressing room this week, and while I enjoy having my own space it's also nice to sit with a group of women, chat about this and that, hear everyone's plans and upcoming auditions post-tour, stuff like that.

------------------------------------------------------------------

Friday, I could hardly sleep at all because every time I woke up my heart and brain were racing with this new job opportunity and what lies ahead. I'll tell you this much, it's another tour. And so I had an insomniac sort of night of randomly reading a book or googling this and that to try and lull myself back to sleep.

Breakfast and only a few free hours before we had to commute to the theatre for the first of two shows. I was extra-hungry so ate a Pop Tart. Show was ok but the audience was lame, very lukewarm.

During the break I stayed at the theatre and “air-tromboned” the music for my next tour. I’ve played through it before, but now that I know I’ve GOT the gig, it feels different. I’m making it “mine,” if that makes sense. A really nice feeling.

The evening show was all right, all of our shows are well-attended right now in the lead-up to Christmas.

--------------------------------------------------------------------

Saturday morning was more exciting than expected.

Upon checking my email, was shocked to see that I'd been offered a callback on a recent audition that I took...

...yeeees, the one that I'd assumed was a public rejection, after they posted a new audition listing and started specifically looking for "female trombonists" only AFTER I'd sent my materials in. Now I guess I have to open mouth insert foot on that. The callbacks are in early January. I won't be able to access my other trombones or audition materials until the week of the audition. Which isn't a problem per se, but it means I'll have less time to work on preparing than many others. But I will do my best.

After that exciting news I walked to Shapiro's for black-and-white cookies for the band. And more excitement happened!
The cashier's name was Greg, a really cool guy who was over the moon about the fact that I'm a trombonist visiting on tour. He hooked me up with a dozen fresh cookies, and also this fabulous Shapiro's Deli shirt with a pickle on it!!


As if that weren't amazing enough, as Greg was excitedly pelting me with questions about touring and tromboning, someone came up behind me and said, "Excuse me, but are you talking about trombones?" It was my facebook friend and fellow trombonist Josh! We've never met in person, but he knew me right away (I think it's the iconic raspberry pea coat that I wear everywhere) and we got to hug and take a quick selfie. What are the odds that we'd both be in the restaurant at the same time, on the same day? How cool!


We wished each other well on our respective gigs (He's doing a local production of "White Christmas") and chatted a bit about bass trombones since I'm buying one and he's primarily a bass trombonist. But we both had to be on our way after that. Great start to the morning!

We had two shows again, and I stayed at the theater again between shows to eat dinner and "air trombone" my new tour music. I would've liked to explore Butler University's campus, but it has been bitter cold here plus most of the buildings are closed for the weekend/holiday already.

Both shows went well and were well attended. We can probably expect some nice overage pay from Indianapolis!

Also, tonight marked the final performances of Jollywood at Disney's Hollywood Studios.
I wish I could have attended at least one show, but it wasn't meant to be this year.
Congratulations to the cast, crew, and Muppets involved. What a fantastic production to be a part of!
And of course, special congrats to my dear Jameson (pictured here with his friend and fellow performer, Lea)


------------------------------------------------------------------------

Sunday, I had gone to bed late because someone in the room above me was stomping around like an elephant until 1am :(
And also got up early because that's how I am :( :(

Made the best of it by packing lunch and dinner, eating breakfast, partially packing my luggage, and starting a new Megan's Foodie Finds for the next tour :) When the sun came out I bundled up and walked to CVS for a protein shake because I shorted myself one this week, plus I feel like I've been too sedentary because of the cold.

At the theatre, our two shows felt very long indeed. The vibe, from everyone, was wanting a break and wanting to go home and see family for Christmas. Still, both shows went well and nothing crazy happened. For the first show Mr. and Mrs. Boyce (Jameson's parents) showed up with Jameson's brother Kevin and his wife Debbie. We got to chat briefly afterward, and it was really great to see them and give hugs all around :)

After the second show I felt very impatient for my carpool to hurry up and pack (I'm always the first one out of the pit) but made myself relax. A few more minutes doesn't get me to Orlando and Jameson any sooner. Before I knew it we were back at the hotel.

------------------------------------------------------------------------

Tomorrow I'm flying with the tour to Charlotte, which for me is a layover and for them is the final city on tour.
From there I'm flying to Orlando to spend as much time with Jameson as possible over Christmas.
I'll be driving back up the east coast on Christmas Day to Charlotte, where Elf will have it's final shows.

Monday: Travel day, last-minute Christmas shopping

Tuesday: Christmas Eve Day, probably unwrapping presents with Jameson and having a nice dinner together

Wednesday: 10-hour drive to Charlotte

Starting this one off with a bit of TMI (it's not that bad but if reading about birth control pills makes you uncomfortable, scroll past the dotted lines:

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I woke with a start this morning, realizing that I haven't taken ANY birth control pills since coming to Greensboro!!!
This is unheard of for me, in fact it's never happened in the 10+ years that I've been on the pill. I've forgotten single days before, a few times, but never multiple days in a row. Am I really THAT distracted lately? Surprised at myself, I took two this morning and will take two tomorrow and that will have me caught up. But it was a disconcerting thing to realize, and it's going to cause some distracting symptoms (usually spotting, bloating, weird emotions for a while)

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------



Thursday was breakfast, giving my trombone a bath, and enjoying one gloriously transcription-free day. I like transcription, but having jobs sent back-to-back means not a single day without it, and right now I could use a small break. Watched a little Business Insider (they have really cool educational videos on YouTube) and halfheartedly poked at some job applications.

I shared this in a Friends Only post recently: Jameson and I both experienced pretty crushing job application rejections this week. His was for a job where he had internal references and was well qualified...and he got a rejection letter within days of applying. Not even an offer of an interview.
Mine was an audition, and the rejection came very publicly in the form of a new audition notice...for the same gig...posted after I sent my materials...specifically asking for female trombonists to apply. Meaning I'm now being tagged by fellow trombonists in the comments of the listing, because I'm essentially The Only Professional Female Trombonist In Orlando, so to a lot of people I'm the obvious choice.

This has left me with the humiliating task of having to publicly respond to the tags with, "Sorry...I've already applied, so I think they must be looking for someone else..."

Anyway, I had a calm and quiet morning regardless, and was grateful for it.
For lunch I joined Todd (trumpet) and Kenny (Reed 1) for the Chinese Buffet next to our hotel. Americanized Chinese is one of my favorites! We had a nice convo and decent meal. Afterward I walked to the thrift store a little over a mile away, didn't really find anything, but there was an Asian grocery just a block over!

( Asian Grocery )

When I'd had my fun I got back to the hotel and started to rest, but then received a transcription review from my supervisors/a proofreader. It was quite long, with lots of corrections, which made me feel inadequate (i.e. BUTTHURT.) But I am glad that I've held that last transcription job back, because now I can apply these corrections to that job before submitting it. I read as many corrections as I could before it was showtime, but will have to spend part of Friday really diving in and giving it my full attention.

The show went "okay," I could have done better.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Friday, after breakfast I really buckled down on the transcription review. No matter how butthurt I feel that my work wasn't "perfect," the only way it's going to get better is if I set that aside and apply the corrections.

To my surprise, shortly after sending an email thanking my boss and the proofer for their corrections, I got another email from them praising me for having great verbatim/formatting skills and offering me the chance to complete "urgent jobs," which pay twice as much as normal jobs but must be turned around very quickly. I said yes to the urgent jobs, but also that I could only accept them starting in the new year after I'm done touring.

Yay! This definitely helped my mood.

After that I practiced my Disney stuff (brought trombone back to the hotel again) and ate lunch, then went for a walk through the residential behind the hotel. About that time Jameson messaged to say his surgery will be on New Year's Eve. Good lord. That means I'm going to come back from tour and immediately the next day he's got surgery. Ugh, well...I understand that he wants to get it over with, and I of course want to be there when it happens. But I would've liked to unpack first!!!

The evening show was fine except the MIDI crashed (all of our sound effects.) The drummer got to cover a few doorbell/elevator sounds, and there were some voiceovers, but it was fixed 30 minutes into the show.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Friday, I did laundry again and started transcription. We had two shows at 2pm and 8pm.

When I got to the theater I was surprised to see the kids (actor kids) waiting for me. They handed me this nerf gun with instructions to “Shoot C (drummer) on sight!” Well okay!


And who came up the stairs just then but C! Who also had a “gun!” We had a raging nerf battle and before I knew it actors with nerf guns had joined in, foam bullets flying everywhere and theater employees running akimbo through the crossfire. It was great fun :)

My aunt came to this show so I had to call a truce in the firefight so I could go hug her. She looks good! After the show we went for chicken and waffles at a local place. It had really good reviews and the flavors were good, but unfortunately our food came out cold. Still, we caught up a little bit on each others’ lives. I would’ve liked several days with her, but we take what we can get.


Afterward they dropped me off at the theater with a box of cookies from my sister Raven, and a card hand-painted by my aunt!


I am so grateful for my small but mighty family. My aunt is my favorite person in the world, and I was so happy to see her today :)

The 8pm show was all right...we have a trumpet player who is struggling right now so musically it wasn't great. But maybe tomorrow will be better.

--------------------------------------------------------------

Sunday I was up at 6:30am, for an hour of "me time" and breakfast before starting transcription. The deadline isn't until next Saturday but if I get it done quickly I can enjoy a bit of Indianapolis.

I took a Lyft to Deep Roots Market, which is just down the block from the theater, and picked up some prepackaged tuna and a salad for lunch and dinner (only $9 for both meals + bringing snacks from the hotel.) Our 2pm show went just fine.

Between shows I stayed at the theater since I have my own dressing room, and plugged away at transcription some more with a hot cup of ginger tea. By dinnertime I was pleased to have completed two of my three audio hours, which is very good progress. The evening show was fine...unfortunately not better than previous shows, so I guess we musicians are going to be crawling across the figurative finish line for these last two weeks of tour. Whatever, I can only do MY best on MY music; I can't control what others do or do not invest in putting on a good show.

After the show and while waiting for my carpool, I signed our wall tag (yes, we FINALLY got one!)
It is a very beautiful wall tag, too!

Photo:


Video showing more details is HERE.

--------------------------------------------------------------

Monday: Travel day to Indianapolis, groceries, transcription.

Tuesday & Wednesday: More transcription and probably laundry.

Thursday & Friday: Maybe I'll have time to explore!

It was a normal travel and flying day.

We left the hotel via charter bus at 7:30am, and our flight was at 11am, direct.
It was a lovely thing to step outside and see the sun and feel that temperatures were NOT in the single digits!
No offense, Wisconsin :p

We were at the hotel quickly. I've been to NOLA many times, with the circus and with various tours, and it is not one of my favorite cities. There's a lot to see and do, but it is also so incredibly run down, the infrastructure is crumbling, and it's clear that a lot of the people who live here could use a hand. In other words, the place has never been the same since Hurricane Katrina.

Usually the touring group I'm with is put in a hotel directly on the touristy strip (Bourbon St.), and from there we'd walk to the Saenger to perform. I hated this walk. Feces and urine on the sidewalks, huge holes in the sidewalk or just dirt where sidewalk used to be, drunks fighting or scammers trying to shine your shoes, tourists overindulging and throwing up right in the street. And all of the stores selling alcohol or weed or cheap tchotchkes. It was only between 3-5 blocks depending on where we were staying, but it was totally disgusting and I hate, hate, hated it.

This time we are in a hotel on the OTHER side of the Saenger, closer to the highway. And while the strip is still right there, we don't have to actually walk through it to get to work. It is significantly quieter on this side, the theatre is only two blocks away, and I can tell already that for the first time ever in New Orleans, I'm not gonna have to dodge piles of shit and vomit to get to work!! What a joy!!

Ok enough badmouthing NOLA. I've been here MANY times, there's lots of culture and beauty in this city AWAY from the strip (Examples from 2012, 2014, 2016, 2021, and this January!)

I did the usual thing of dropping luggage and walking to the grocery. I've been here so many times that I knew exactly where it was without directions. You have to walk through a residential to get to it, and I always enjoy the unique houses here and the big ancient swampy trees.


Stocked up as much as I could, knowing that we have extra shows plus I'll be doing transcription. Lugged the groceries back, unpacked, showered, ate dinner, typed this up, then two hours of transcription before crashing in bed.

------------------------------------------------------------------

Tuesday I was up early for transcription. Checked out the hotel breakfast and they do grits instead of oats, which are delicious but are very low on nutrients, so I'm probably just gonna make my own breakfast here (I'll still steal the bagels and peanut butter though :p)

Most of my day was spent on transcription with a break for lunch and to hit Walgreens for a jug of distilled water for tea.

In the evening, a lovely short and uneventful walk to the Saenger.
It was shocking to realize that I've now performed in this theatre with THREE different tours: Tootsie, My Fair Lady, and Elf.
My phone automatically connected itself to the wifi, that's how often I've worked here!


The theatre looks a lot like a Fox, with plaster statues and columns framing a sparkling starry sky. It's a beautiful place to work.
(CLICK HERE to see my view from the pit)

The pit is a bit in front of the stage, so I can see a slice of what's going on, for once. Yay!
Also, one of the props is going to be coming up from the pit this week: a gingerbread fish used in the opening scene (I've posted a picture of it here before if you want a closer look; now it's got some sparkles added to the frosting bits too!) It's my absolute favorite prop because of A) how ridiculous it looks and B) how often I see it hanging out in random places backstage.

Here are some crew "testing" the gingerbread fish being "caught" from the pit!
(CLICK HERE to see some gingerbread fish action!)

The show went smoothly, personally I had a few weird moments because I was incredibly distracted, one because I could see the stage and kept wanting to watch, and two because there's a pre-audition happening in Orlando right now for the new Epic Universe theme park. They want a clarinet, trumpet, and trombone, and the audition packet is due on the 6th...which is VERY soon. I hadn't planned to take it but the pay is very good, and during the show I was getting badgered by other theme park musicians to at least submit, so I guess that's another thing to add to my to-do list this week. Anyway the show was fine and it was nice to be back at the hotel in minutes.

Oh, and I finally got to see the snow effect near the end! It's so cool!!
(CLICK HERE for flurries)

-------------------------------------------------------------------

Wednesday up early again for transcription and also to try and address this sudden-onset audition.

Plugged away hard at transcription until job 1 of 2 was done, sent it, ate lunch, and recorded the non-performing parts of my audition packet (an "about me" and a sample of my ability to produce a fakey French accent, of all things. Don't ask.)

When that was done I hunted down some old Busch Gardens footage of myself playing "Mix It Up!" on the Italy stage, figured out how to download it from YouTube, and chopped it up into highlights of me dancing around and tromboning in my bright orange chef's outfit. This is because the audition notice said they needed to see us move around while we play, "a la Blast." "Mix It Up" was a Blast-themed show, so although my footage is incredibly old it's still evidence that I have done such a thing and could certainly do it again.

This took a really long time because I'm not good at video editing.
And then I ultimately decided to submit my whole application packet today.
Originally I was going to record more stuff on Friday, but Friday IS the due date and I don't want to risk it.
With the remaining daylight I got the trombone out and played through only half of my memorized Disney stuff.

After that I made the difficult decision to use a laundry service this week. It's very expensive and I hate doing it, but my time is just SO tight this week. Fortunately I got the best laundry person in the world; she picked up my laundry tonight AND returned it tonight!! I gave her the biggest tip that I could because that is incredible (typical turnaround for this service is between 24-36 hours)

Tonight's show went well. There are bubble machines attached to the outside of the Saenger theatre that simulate "snow," and after the show they were going crazy, I stepped outside and really thought it was snowing for a minute! Didn't get footage but maybe another night.

As expected, I haven't had time to do diddly-poo so far here in New Orleans. Womp womp.

-------------------------------------------------------------------

Thursday: Two shows and transcription before and between them.

Friday: One show so lots of transcription, a walk for god's sake, and possibly more Disney practice.

Saturday: Three shows, I will not have time for anything! They are giving us meals between shows though which is awesome.

Sunday: Two shows and packing up for the trip to Greensboro.

Monday: Travel to Orlando for Candlelight

I only got 2-3 hours of sleep at the airport hotel before my alarm went off at 3am. Urrrrgh.

Funnily enough, Jameson's Candlelight rehearsal was that night, so he was just driving home at 3am while I was getting up. We are both getting our asses handed to us this weekend sleep-wise.

He had Jollywood, Candlelight, Jollywood, and flying to Milwaukee for Thankgiving with his parents (keeping in mind that Jollywood performances end after midnight, and his Candlelight rehearsal went until 3am!) and I have Elf, Candlelight until 2:30am, flying to Milwaukee at 5am, another Elf performance there, and Thanksgiving with Jameson's family.

But you know, considering that we are childless and therefore get to sleep a lot more than anyone who's a parent, we shouldn't complain :p

I took a shuttle to the airport, but to my annoyance it would only drop off at the parking terminal instead of the airport.
Newark International has been massively renovated since I last flew there. Knowing this, I had gotten up earlier than initially planned, and that was right to do because after the shuttle drop off I had to take two different trains to Terminal A.


And even then the final train didn't go straight to the terminal, we had to take a bus! If this is how you get around this airport now, gotta say I'm not impressed :/ But I made it and got my luggage dropped and through security by about 4:20am (so it took between 30-40 minutes to get to the terminal even at that early hour! Jeez.)


The new terminal, though, is lovely. Everything's modern and new, bottle fillers and a new open floor plan and cashierless checkouts all over. I found this free phone sanitizer and used it, why not!


The flight was nice and calm and on time. There were two people coughing CONSTANTLY for the entire 2.5 hour flight, so I was glad for my mask even if it doesn't save me in the end...at least I tried. Picked up my luggage in Orlando, got a rental car, and by 10am I was sneaking quietly into the house so as not to wake Jameson. Late breakfast and then got to work doing as much as I could at home, including

- laundry
- repacking clothing
- setting out clothes for Candlelight (they want us to wear concert blacks and the stage is outdoors so it will be chilly)
- swapping stuff in/out of my luggage
- quick trip to Publix for dinner for later
- watering the plants
- light cleaning, mostly counter-wiping
- trying out a bass trombone that a friend sent to me (it's not a good fit unfortunately)
- lunch
- attempting to take a nap (I dozed a bit at least)
- wrapping some of Jameson's presents that have showed up
- sorting my mail

...I think that's about it.

Jameson had work all afternoon (this after having gotten home at 3am this morning!) and Jollywood at night. I was eating dinner while he was packing up and out the door at 6:30, then I was out the door a few hours later at 9, bringing everything with me because I won't be coming back until Christmas.

------------------------------------------------------------------

Disney's EPCOT Candlelight Processional Rehearsal

As usual, I cannot take pictures of backstage super-secret Disney stuffs. Sorry.
However here's a short clip of me driving into the park, toward Health Services.
(Hi-ho, hi-ho, it's off to work we go)

Believe it or not, nearly half of this "rehearsal" is paperwork.
First there's a hearing test at Health Services. Thankfully my hearing has stayed the same since the last test a year ago.

Then there are mostly safety reviews and data protection/intellectual property training videos.
i.e., "Don't share Disney secrets or The Mouse will come break your kneecaps. Wear earplugs in loud places. Remember to lift with your knees. Ok run along to rehearsal now, and have fun!"
These video modules take about 2 hours to complete.

Then I drive to “backstage” EPCOT, because a trombone is considered a large instrument and so I am given "drive-on clearance." I go to a gatehouse and show my blue Castmember ID, tell them why I'm there, and they check to see I'm authorized and let me through. Meanwhile people with smaller instruments and members of the choir have to take a shuttle bus to and from the parking lot.

Probably the coolest think about driving around “backstage Disney” is getting to see little bits and pieces of how the magic happens ;)
Which of course I can't share ;) ;)

Then…waiting. I said hi to musicians I knew, had a snack in the Trap Room (a green room basically,) and checked the call board. Group A was still rehearsing at midnight; I was in Group B this time so wouldn’t go on stage until 1am. But we are getting paid, and we had a nice room to wait in with hot drinks and comfy chairs. I felt surprisingly GOOD this time despite the lack of sleep, and realized that it’s because A) the last time I did this I had to cross two time zones, B) last time my flights were later with less time to rest before the rehearsal, and C) last time I had to do groups A, B, and C rehearsals, which is about 4 hours of playing. This time I had no time zone change, earlier flights, and only had to do one rehearsal set. Thank god!!

And while we were waiting, our stage manager came around to give each of us a commemorative Candlelight enamel pin! How cool!! A lot of Disney fanatics and collectors would KILL for an event-exclusive, Castmember-only item like this. 


Finally at 1am we were lined up outside the stage, and scheduled to go on at 1:20.
But 1:20 came and went. For some reason they held us backstage for 20 minutes.
This made me INCREDIBLY nervous...remember, I had a flight to catch a 20-minute drive away, that boarded at 4:20am, and here it was almost 2am and we weren't rehearsing yet :(

We finally went on around 1:50, and I was so nervous about catching my flight that I could hardly focus on the music. The rehearsal was beautiful and everything went smoothly, I was very grateful to be there. Even in that worried mindset I was able to appreciate that my participation in Candlelight was the SOLE reason why I've gotten to play with the Main Street Philharmonic, The Florida Orchestra, and the Orlando Philharmonic this year. Going out of my way to continue to be a part of this special, once-a-year Disney tradition doesn't seem unreasonable at all. Even if it stresses me out :p

(stock image from a previous year)

--------------------------------------------------------------------

Flight to MKE

We played our final notes at 2:40am, and I RAN off the stage, ran to the trap room and threw my horn in the case, ran to the car, drove as fast as I could to the airport. I didn't have time to stop for gas so will probably get charged for that later, oh well. Dropping my baggage turned out to be an ORDEAL because there were no Delta attendants when I got there, and a massive queue had built up, so it took 15-20 minutes to get through that. Security also was delayed because they ran out of trays for personal items and we had to wait while someone went to get them. Aren't we about to start the BUSIEST flying week of the year, and THIS is how things are going at MCO? It was like the airport was creating problems for itself.

But anyway, TL;DR I made it to my gate about 15 minutes before boarding time. By this point I was starting to feel the exhaustion of being awake for nearly a day and a half straight. Here I am brushing my teeth in the restroom at 4am before boarding the flight.


I dozed on the flight and ate breakfast on the Atlanta layover, then dozed again on the flight to Milwaukee.


I can never fully sleep on planes, and also we ended up having a medical emergency on our flight :( I couldn't see well but it seemed to be a woman, and she was conscious but must have been having heart trouble because that defib box was brought out. Not to be corny but it went just like in the movies: a flight attendant got on the PA system and asked if there was a doctor or nurse on the plane. A woman got up to go and help. The plane was dead silent and tense, but we were close to landing and we definitely landed more quickly than scheduled (this happened about 40 minutes from landing and we were on the ground in 20.) There were ambulances on the tarmac to meet us, and we were all told to sit and wait until the woman could be taken to them (medical personnel with a foldy-stretcher came and got her.) As we were deplaning I saw the wrappings from the defib sticky pads on the ground so knew they'd been used in some capacity :/

Anyway that was that. There was nothing to do but empathize and hope that she would be all right.

On the way to collect luggage, even though I was very tired, I did remember to ask any Delta pilots I saw for trading cards. I got four, but all were duplicates so I will offer them to my tour companions.

------------------------------------------------------------------

Opening Elf in Milwaukee

Got my luggage, got an Uber, got to the hotel. It's a fancy Hyatt downtown. I'm on the 14th floor.


View from my room is nice.


I ordered Instacart groceries which turned out to be a mistake because the person shopping for me was inattentive/very careless. I ended up with the wrong type of yogurt (even though I'd sent her a substitution option), wrinkly old apples, and too many protein shakes (which would normally not be a problem but when you travel for a living, it is.) I had to throw most of the apples out after cutting two open and finding them browning inside, and ultimately had to write her a crappy review.

Still, it did save me having to go shopping myself after nearly 48 hours awake. I barely managed to unpack...you know how when you're tired, you kind of can't focus? I was just sort of setting items down and moving them around, not putting them where they were supposed to go haha. Finally I made myself lie down and slept like a dead person for two hours, waking up only when my alarm went off, drool all over my pillow!

Then I had to eat dinner, get dressed, and go do a sound check and a show. Because this 48-hour day isn't over yet!

We are playing the Marcus Center. I was just here with Tootsie in June 2023.
The ceiling:


This pit is nice and spacious, a relief after the dirty hole that we had to work in in New Jersey.
Sound check was "ok" but this is our first time playing in a modern hall, so the acoustics were very different and half our band members (who have never toured before) didn't know what to do with all the reverb. We had some tempo issues, but people are smart and figured out that they'd just need to listen differently and interact with this space differently. (TBH I will probably write a little friends-only rant about this later haha)

I have my own dressing room again! It's just a little practice room, but it's soundproofed and that is WONDERFUL because sometimes I need quiet after being next to trumpets all the time.


The show went just fine, we may have had some small tempo issues but they will certainly work themselves out.

Afterward I walked back to the hotel and saw this beautiful park decorated for Christmas across the river (it's just blocks from the hotel.) I hope to visit it or walk through one night :)


And then....finally.....blessed, blessed sleep.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------

Despite the time change and despite being exhausted I still woke up at 8am (9am EST).
But feeling MUCH better after getting what my body needed :)

I am so grateful to have Wednesday to mostly recover.
I had a slow morning, just breakfast and typing this up and packing an overnight bag for Jameson's parents' house.

Before lunch I walked to a grocery to replace the bad fruit I'd had to throw out, and just to get cardio after all that time sitting on planes or in rehearsals or shows. It's very cold here, definitely winter temps ranging from 20-35F, and I'm glad to have packed my down jacket and earmuffs for this second leg of tour. I was glad for the walk but felt crappy when I got back (not unusual after a lot of air travel) and so had a snack then a nap.

———————

I’m typing the rest of this from the pit because I forgot to post this before leaving the hotel! Jameson and his parents are attending the show tonight, and afterwards I’m spending Thanksgiving with them!

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

Thursday: Thanksgiving with Jameson and his family :)

Friday, Saturday, and Sunday: Two shows each day. I won't have time for much, but will appreciate a weekend in Milwaukee anyway.

Although the bus load wasn't until 11, I was up around 7 because I'd gotten a new transcription project.
Remembering how stressed I'd gotten over the previous one, I wanted to get this one started ASAP.

Breakfast and worked on it from 8am-11am. The problem this week is going to be audio distortion, apparently. Sigh. At least there's nothing I can do about that except notate it.

We loaded onto the bus and drove to a shopping mall in New Jersey, and because I'm not a herd animal I did not go inside but instead took "the road less traveled" to a Wegmans just a few blocks over.


I didn't want to get much here, not knowing the hotel fridge situation, but did find some of my favorite nonperishables and enjoyed the time there much more than I would have at a mall. Back on the bus and we were at the hotel very quickly. I'm on the first floor which is rare.

Took an Uber to a Green's Natural Market, which I think is a NJ/NY-only store. They did indeed have lots of interesting things for sale, plus they were next to a World Market so I got to pop in there too (could have done SO much Christmas shopping but will just have to wait.) I wanted many things, but in the end walked out with these:


Blackbird seitan: I've had this many times and it's delicious, I always keep an eye out for it.

Drybox Turkish figs: from World Market, they have a lot of travel-sized snack foods and this was one. Haven't tried it yet.

Surfsnax salmon jerky: The only salmon jerky I've had is the Epic brand strips, and some refrigerated "salmon candy" that I got in Wisconsin once. By comparison, this one was unfortunately very stinky and also too oily to handle with one's hands, unless one wanted to smell like stinky fish all day. So I used a fork to eat it, and it was tasty, but because of the smell and messiness, would not buy again.

Righteous Felon Basil-Infused turkey jerky: small package + interesting. Haven't tried it yet.

Gopel's cheesy sprouted pumpkin seeds: Vegan, using the flavor of nutritional yeast to simulate cheese. They're quite good though a bit stinky :p

Sail Away nitro Maple Vanilla coffee: A coffee shop out of NY, and this is their seasonal flavor. Haven't tried it yet.

Salysol "Gomitas": gummy candy in a can! From World Market, bought this solely because it's in a can lol. They also had peanuts, pickles, and other "airplane snacks" in cans like this.

Culina dairy-free Bourbon Vanilla yogurt: I've actually never had dairy-free yogurt. This flavor called to me. Haven't tried it yet.

Dijas Pumpkin Spice biscotti: Not real biscotti, this has a texture like Melba toast and is quite delicious for being a low-calorie food. They had a banana bread flavor as well that I'd love to try. Not very nutritious but good for killing a snack craving without ruining your dinner.

I don't expect to enjoy much exploration time here in New Jersey due to transcription, practicing for Disney rehearsal, and the 20-minute commute to and from the theatre (sigh.) So I figured to get myself nice groceries, at least.

My evening ended with unpacking, eating a tempeh BLT wrap for dinner, and doing a few hours of transcription with a cup of tea.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------

I accidentally slept an hour later than planned (8 instead of 7) because I'd put earplugs in and hadn't heard my alarm.

Ah well, I had breakfast and got to work on transcription, pretty much doing that all day with only a few breaks for lunch, packing dinner, getting ready for work, and establishing a carpool time with the guys.

It took 30 minutes to fight rush hour traffic to the theatre, find the garage and park, and then find the stage door (there isn't one and I still don't know how we're supposed to enter the building.) This is the Count Basie Center for the Arts, and it's TINY and cramped so much that we cannot use half the set pieces and the actors are having to make lots of changes to how they enter and exit so they don't collide backstage.

The pit is no better unfortunately. Incredibly cramped and basically a hole in the ground complete with plaster dust, chipping paint, and dangling wires. The glamorous lifestyle of a tour musician, folks! Here is my spot. I'm like the Trombone Troll under the bridge...er, stage.


Notice the halogen bulb in a cage over my head. Crawling into that corner packed with equipment and mutes is easier said than done, and after the second time that I whacked the bulb cage it broke off and came down onto my head. Luckily some stagehands were able to remove both cage and bulb, so now it's a DARK corner but at least I won't accidentally cause a ruckus during a show.

My slide also extends a good 1/3rd of the way across the pit stairwell. I joked with the guys that my slide is the pit toll gate, and you gotta pay to get in or out :p


The show was supposed to start at 7, but "for reasons" including the cramped space and a slow/incomplete load in, we were rescheduled to 7:30, and then to 7:45. This was annoying, but imagine how the audience feels. The show did go pretty well with only some minor hitches due to the huge list of changes that the actors and crew have to remember. It seemed like the audience had fun, and that was the goal.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Wednesday I was up early to review one transcription job and start another.

During a break I cracked open the can of gummy candies.
They are very cute! I love the itty bitty egg. The little teeth are a weird addition, though...


They mostly taste the same regardless of shape/color, but the banana one did taste like banana!

After lunch I practiced trombone, went for a short no-reason walk to a dollar store just to get out of the hotel room, then buckled down to more transcription. Later on the evening show went well, our Director was there and had nice things to say so that was rewarding.

-------------------------------------------------------------------

Thursday: It's supposed to rain all day (NJ has been in a drought so I'm happy for them!) We have a mandatory HR meeting via Zoom, and I'll be doing transcription, and the evening show.

Friday: Hopefully finishing transcription, doing laundry, and taking a walk somewhere.

Saturday and Sunday: Double shows both days. And on Sunday night I'll have to head over to the airport for my crazy Disney Candlelight rehearsal escapade!

We spent Monday mostly on a charter bus to Erie.

NETworks charters only one bus, so the majority of us have to share seats. I got lucky because one of our trumpet players is traveling with his girlfriend this city, so I ended up seated by myself. Spent the first half of the ride air-tromboning through a show that I'm hoping to do next year.

The rest stop was in Cleveland, at a mall that was really more of a business/transit center. So instead of following the herd inside, I walked a few blocks to a Constantino's Grocery. This is a family-owned chain, I've been to the one in KCMO and it's quite good. This one was small but had a hot bar, so I got to enjoy Italian sausage with peppers and onions for lunch.

Back on the bus and about two hours later we arrived at our hotel, about four miles from the theatre but conveniently close to a shopping area including a Giant Eagle grocery store. I was surprised to find new flavors of some of my favorite products here!


Also, since we're in PA, there are big jars of pickled eggs on the shelves.
If you haven't experienced these, it probably sounds weird, but they are SO GOOD. IYKYK.
The beet eggs are my absolute favorite. I've never had the mustard ones and want to try them someday.


Got my goodies back to the hotel and spent the rest of the night desperately trying to finish this transcription.
I'm on the last hour of audio, and hope to be done by tomorrow. Then begins the edit/review process.

--------------------------------------------------------------------

Up early on Tuesday to have the free hotel breakfast and work on transcription.
There was lots of good stuff to steal at this breakfast including bagels, Nutella, peanut butter, and chocolate chips. They also had a chocolate raspberry coffee, which was very good and strangely nostalgic to drink (my stepmom was into flavored coffees so that's what I drank when home for Christmas. Back when, you know, everyone was alive.)

I got to lunchtime and STILL was not done with transcribing this godforsaken case.
( Gotta rant )

TL;DR I finished the transcription around 1:30pm.

Walked around outside a bit even though it was quite cold, just to clear my head and move a bit after sitting in an uncomfortable chair all morning. Soon enough it was time to ride the bus to the theatre (we are about 6 miles away here.)

It's a pretty old theatre.


Here is Neil with an absolute HEDGE of woodwinds. There are ELEVEN (11) instruments in this photo. (To be fair, the oboe is not used in the show, he brought it for personal practice.)


I'm always blown away at how versatile and skilled woodwind players are for being able to switch between so many instruments (in this case it's 5 instruments each.) But also, this makes me sad because there should simply be more musicians in the pit to play all of these. But, you know, then you'd have to PAY them.

The backstage area at this theatre is renovated, so there were nice bottle fillers and modern facilities ("renovation" is always the preferred word to hear over "restoration" haha.) And once again this week I had my own dressing room!!


In all my years of touring and performing, I've had my own dressing room less than ten times.
Usually I'm either forgotten about and left with the male band, or I am put in the female ensemble dressing room (both of these options are completely fine with me, btw.) Having my own little space for the duration is a luxury, but also makes me feel a bit lonely, like I'm my own species or something. It doesn't much matter because I rarely use dressing rooms anyway.

The sound check and show went well. The drums were remoted (in a separate room and watching the MD via a video feed) so we were all worried about the tempos, but everything was surprisingly all right. After the show I packed up my trombone and practice mute and brought them to the hotel so I can run Disney music tomorrow.

----------------------------------------------------------------------

Wednesday I was up at 7 to do laundry, eat breakfast, and buckle down on finally getting this transcription project out of my face.

It took until 2pm to finish transcription review. God DAMN. I hope to never get a case like that again (but I probably will.)

Absolutely had to lie down and take a nap after that. There was no avoiding it.
Then got ready for the show and practiced my Disney music, only getting through half of it before dinnertime.
At the theatre, gave my trombone a bath since I've got this nice dressing room at my disposal and it has hot water.

Here's a random picture of the "remoted" drum setup this week.
The drummer can see the conductor via that little monitor, and hear us through his Aviom.


Someone put a candy cane at each of our spots tonight...perhaps Production again?
It was a kind thing to do. I decorated my mic with it.


The show went well, no shenanigans. That's a wrap in Erie, PA.

---------------------------------------------------------------------

Thursday: All-day bus ride from Erie, PA to Stamford, CT. There is a Japanese grocery close to the hotel/theatre and I hope to get dinner there!

Friday: Hopefully a day to just take a walk and decompress. I need it.

Saturday and Sunday: Two shows each. My sister is supposed to come out for a matinee but we will see.

Sunday, I was up early to have breakfast and finish packing.
A 40-minute ride to the airport, returning the rental car, checking bags, through security. Easy.

This was a Delta flight so I was excited to pester some pilots for trading cards again!
(CLICK HERE to learn about Delta's trading card program, an ongoing employee initiative since 2003)

Lexington airport is relatively small, so I only found one pilot, but he had a card to give and it's a new one for me!
(Remember that you can enlarge the pics by clicking on them)


I thanked him and walked back to the tour group, many of whom asked, "What's that?" so I got to show it off. Most people look at me like I'm insane, but one or two always get SUPER excited and start looking for cards themselves.

The flight was short and uneventful, and in the Detroit airport (which is much larger) I approached three pilots, one of whom didn't have any cards and two others who had giant stacks of them!

The most exciting card was this special edition square-shaped one, minted this year to commemorate the 2024 Paris Olympics and Team USA! How pretty it is!


The other two new ones were an A330 and a 757. I do have cards of these planes, but they're from an earlier year and so these are not duplicates.



I did get two duplicates which I gave to two people on tour who were excited about them :)

We got to the hotel only to find that our rooms weren't ready (it was only 1pm) so I dropped my luggage in a storage room and walked to a Whole Paycheck for groceries. I figured by 3pm our rooms would be available, and I was right. Put groceries away, unpacked, ate dinner, and just as I was finishing my next transcription project showed up in my inbox. I set up my formatting and transcribed up to the Q&A point, then made tea and chilled for the night.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

Monday, breakfast in the room since this hotel doesn't have complementary. The coffee I bought in Kentucky is very good!

Worked on transcription for the entire morning. It's an expected 1:4 ratio for actual audio vs. audio processing time. I worked from 9am-11:30am and fell just short of an hour of actual audio, so my ratio was approx 1:2.5. Considering I got up to pee and stretch and write emails during that time, that's pretty good!

For lunch I decided to get a real taste of Detroit. There was a Buddy's Pizza just a few blocks from our hotel.


The carry-out counter is pretty much the same as one you'd see anywhere, pick your slice and they warm it for you. It was $3.50.


I took it back to the hotel, popped some Lactaid, and enjoyed the cheesy goodness.


After that I took a little time to figure out my macros for coming days and chat with Jameson, then it was back to transcription until 3:30. That left me about halfway through the audio which I'm very pleased about. Went for a short walk to a local grocery just to check it out. It was like one of those tiny NYC convenience/grocery stores, tightly packed like a little maze but with everything you could imagine. You can kinda see by the ceiling lights how far the maze extends.


I got back to the hotel just in time to get a text from our MD that we have ANOTHER day off tomorrow, and did anyone want their instruments now? (per IATSE rules, we won't be allowed in the theater until the show day.) I said yes and hustled over to the stage door to get my trombone and practice mute.

Back at the hotel, got an email from the Orlando Philharmonic with an offer for a Holiday Pops gig! Obviously I can't take it and am pretty sad, but grateful to have been asked, and hopefully they'll consider me for other work after the holidays are over.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Tuesday. It is so weird to have a second day in a row with no shows or rehearsals. I wondered if it's because of the election, or just coincidental?

Breakfast and straight into more transcription until noon, lunch, then brushing up on my memorized Disney music. It's been a while since I've practiced at a hotel and I felt shy about it, but used a practice mute and I would hope that between 1-2pm most people would be awake anyway...

After that finished my transcription (still need to do the edit/review), had dinner, made tea, felt depressed about the election. I kept CNBC on with the sound off so I could see the disaster unfold without having to hear the tittering.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Wednesday. Under His Eye.

Breakfast and packing some snacks before heading to the theater.
The Fox in Detroit is an exact copy of the Fox in St. Louis; even the backstage area is the same. It gave such a strange feeling of deja vu, to be in a city I've never visited before yet to feel so familiar in this space.

The lights weren't up yet.


The iconic chandelier after the lights were brought up.


Backstage, it's just like in St. Louis: The stairs and halls are covered in signatures and wall tags from artists all around the world, famous and forgotten, spanning decades.


I found two Elf tags, one from 2017 and one from 2022. Certainly we will get one, too.
(Remember that you can enlarge the pics by clicking on them)


We did a run-through of the show that went pretty well. Tonight is opening night, and I hope the show will go smoothly and people will have a lovely time. Laughs are certainly needed today.

----------------------------------------------------------------------

Tonight is our opening night party, so you'll see pics of that in the next post :)
I'm looking forward to meeting people, and I know that there are some My Fair Lady and Tootsie cast in this ensemble as well!

Thursday: Finishing and sending transcription project, groceries for the weekend, if there's time I'll sightsee before the show.

Friday: Laundry, possibly another transcription assignment, possibly lunch with a local relative whom I don't know well, a show at night.

Saturday: Three shows! Oof. I won't have time for anything but that most likely.

Sunday: Only one show. Packing, transcription, and saying goodbye to Detroit.

Popped awake Monday morning, ate breakfast, finished packing, and was ready to go by the time Jameson got up.

He drove me to the airport, helped me check in my luggage, and walked me to the gate where we hugged goodbye.
I squeezed him too hard, and felt some kind of way.
This is a short tour but that doesn't make being apart any easier.

This was the fastest I've ever gone through TSA. I think it took three minutes. Unheard of in Orlando!

The flight to Chicago was three hours long and was insignificant. I ate nonperishables and chatted with my seat-mates.
For the second flight our Reed 1 and Trumpet 2 were on the same flight, so we got to know each other a bit.

Neither of them has been on a tour before...Todd (trumpet) has done primarily cruise ships and is interested in doing more "land stuff," and Neil (Reed 1) seems to be doing this for the pay. Neither of them illicitly sourced their music in advance like I did, but have only seen it for the first time when the reorchestrated parts were sent a week ago.

Which is all to say that I'm probably well prepared, having had a part for much longer than that, but we'll see.

We landed in Lexington and had a 40-minute drive to the hotel in Richmond.
I did my thing where I drop my bags, make sure the fridge works, then go get groceries. Nothing special except some locally roasted coffee. Back at the hotel, unpacked and tried to remember what-goes-where when I'm on tour. Prepped as much as I could for tomorrow before falling asleep.

------------------------------------------------------------------------

Tuesday. I always feel like I've been hit by a bus the day after flying. Getting up early was hard.


We had a "Touring 101" orientation from 10-11, for which we were given "breakfast" which was bagels and cut fruit and coffee. I stole bagels because that's bread I don't have to buy. The info was pretty standard, good-to-know stuff, and I got to meet the band and pick up some Elf swag while we were at it! My music of course; my backstage pass; a nice water bottle; and the ubiquitous luggage tag. I've now got luggage tags from three different tours, which is a big flex :p


There are also some props stored where we’re rehearsing (DO NOT SHARE this photo please, super secret!!)


After lunch we got right to work.

This orchestra is interesting because there’s no bass or guitar, and there’s only one keyboard. To fill in all the missing instruments we have a dude with a laptop and mini-keyboard, using a program called Notion.

Notion is some sort of composition and performance software that uses London Symphony Orchestra samples to be lots of instruments. Throughout the rehearsal I played along with a ghost-trombone and ghost-tuba, and any number of other not-really-there instruments. You can definitely still tell it’s synthetic audio, but I guess it helps fill out the sound? Idk.

Rehearsal went way better than I expected. Everyone did a great job considering we only got the music a week ago. During breaks I got to chat with the guys and get to know people better.

Yes, the guys. The entire band, and the entire music production team, are all men. Same old story, different show. Where my ladies at??

During the dinner break I walked around the campus a little bit. It is fall here but still quite warm. The art building is very nice and a good place to rehearse this show.


I sat outside to eat lunch, a thing you can't really do in Florida without ruining your clothing with sweat for the day.
It felt good :)

Rehearsal went until 10pm (a 12-hour day) and I was dead tired by the end of it.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

Wednesday, I was supposed to go visit an American chestnut tree orchard this morning on the campus of EKU. I'd planned it knowing that rehearsal wasn't until 1pm. BUT at 11:30 last night a frantic email was sent out asking us to come in at 10am instead. Something about having to move the drums to the pit without losing rehearsal time? Whatever, I'm disappointed but not surprised. Chestnut visit canceled.

Instead, breakfast and a trip to Meijer for some things that I forgot, like a lint roller and chapstick.

Rehearsal was fine again, though we were all very tired and perhaps a bit frustrated with the acoustics in the rehearsal room. It's a large room with no carpeting, very boomy, lots of reverb making us sound mushy. But at the end of the night we picked up all of our things and moved to the pit. Starting tomorrow we'll have in-ears and Avoim mixes, so we'll be able to hear each other much more clearly. I'll be interested to see how Notion fits into the mix, being a blend of multiple instruments.

As soon as we got to the pit I set my stand and mic how I like them, laid out my mutes, poked my Aviom to make sure it's blank, and configured my conductor cam. When I was satisfied I looked up and realized that it was easy to tell who was a tour newbie: the musicians who hadn't been on tour before were standing awkwardly behind their chairs, staring and looking afraid to touch anything. Ah...I was like that, once. It felt strange to realize that I'm the seasoned veteran now!

I forgot to take pictures in the pit, so instead have this picture of the stage. I snuck in during the lunch break, and they were in the middle of fixing a lighting rig. But you can see the Rockefeller Center ice skating scene is set up. (Again again again, NO SHARING PLEASE.)


Other cool things that happened today:

- During a rehearsal break, Michael (AMD over on Peter Pan, currently giving musical guidance for Elf) came up to me. "I have a present for you from Kevin Vu," he said. "KEVIN!!" I exclaimed. Kevin and I performed together on Tootsie, and he was a big fan of my Foodie Finds! The shirt, it turns out, was from Three Fold Noodles, a restaurant in Little Rock that serves handmade noodles and other delicious Asian goodies. You can CLICK HERE to read about the time I got to eat there (TL;DR it was amazing.) Peter Pan went back through Little Rock, and Kevin thoughtfully bought me this souvenir! I quickly texted to thank him, and will send him a picture when I wear it :)

- After we had loaded into the pit I hustled up to the Green Room to retrieve my dinner. On the way I passed an important-looking guy in a suit, who stopped me by saying, "Hey, are you Megan?" His name is Sam Scalamoni, he's our Director for Elf, and we have a mutual friend! We both know Tom, a pianist whom I worked with on the circus (I don't yet know how Tom and Sam met.) Tom had asked Sam to say hello to me if we crossed paths. How cool, how lucky! And how small the entertainment world is!

We were thankfully done at 7pm today, and I went right home for dinner, a shower, hot tea, and pajamas.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

Thursday: I guess it's Halloween! A 15-hour day with sound checks starting at 8am, then Wandelprobe until 11pm. Kill me now (but it still beats working in a hat shop)

Friday: More rehearsal but I think it'll be just run throughs and a shorter day, thank God.

Saturday: Preview show at 2pm, then load out

Sunday: Travel to Detroit. It's really weird to travel on a Sunday but whatevs, I don't make the rules (plus I think we'll get Monday off?? A girl can dream!)