The Friday BAD Story

Back story--I agreed sometime last October or November to play in the pit orchestra for a local high school which we will call "LHS" for short (of course meaning Local High School!), because 1.it's something I like to do, and 2.they're going to pay me to do it, and 3.I've always thought it would be cool to work with the theater director there, (whom we will refer to as "Mr. D") because he has an amazing reputation for being amazing. Well, NOW I don't know how Mr. D got that reputation, and please no one ever let me go do anything music-related at LHS ever again. I've had bad music related experiences there before and this is no better. Mr. D and the other keyboardist said they'd try to find a keyboard for me to play (they don't even have a keyboard, you ask? well, they do, but not one worth playing).

1st rehearsal: yeah, there's a keyboard, but that's all. No pedal, no amp, no cable, no stand. Basically a piece of crap too, once they found a stand, amp, and cable. No pedal, but I'm a good enough player that it wasn't a huge problem for a rehearsal only. The conductor then asks everyone for their contracts back. Great, no one ever gave me one! I tell them to get me a contract, and say I will ask around for a keyboard since they didn't. Am unable to get one.

2nd rehearsal: use the crap keyboard again after having to find all the necessary other equipment again. The cable picked up a radio signal the whole time. Still no contract. When the others were wheeling the "keyboard cart" back to wherever it came from after the rehearsal, all the crap keyboards fell off going up the ramp. I give the other keyboardist my email and phone number because he's going to see about getting a keyboard, just in case he can't get one and we just have to use mine, but I don't really want my keyboard sitting at a high school. He emails me Tuesday saying he can't get the keyboard so what is my address and he'll come get mine Friday afternoon. I reply on Wednesday and spend Thursday night clearing my keyboard off so it can be taken out (I had previously explained to Mr. D that I have a keyboard, but it would be very inconvenient for me to bring it).

Friday evening BAD story--I am ready well before 6 with my keyboard and everything to go to LHS. Rehearsal is supposed to start at 7 so we need to be there before then to get set up. So I'm super freaking out by 7:30 when no one has come, emailed or called! What makes me the most angry is that I don't think anyone even tried to contact me. I certainly tried to contact them! I did! I was frantic and super angry. Dad tells me to just go so I do, and there's everyone, having a happy little rehearsal. Did they miss me? Hard to say. They at least took the liberty of setting up the crap-keyboard for me . . .

Afterwards we grab some guys to come help get my keyboard and bring it back. But I tell Mr. D I'm not going anywhere until I see a contract first. He finally gets me one, we bring my keyboard back, and as we're lowering it into the pit, Mr. D says "I think that's the same model keyboard I have." WHAT THE HECK! And the other keyboardist's excuse was he can't read email on his phone anymore. So, what, do you not have access to a computer? Does your phone not make calls? Or send texts? I didn't ask. Super angry. SUPER SUPER angry.

The show opens next Thursday, so the next 2 weeks for me are shot again. I hope it all goes better than it has so far but seriously, please don't let me do anything musical for LHS again. And probably not for Mr. D either. I don't like to be angry!