Julie R. Neidlinger: Lone Prairie Blog

Always the musician.

written by Julie R. Neidlinger 23 comments link this post

I can't identify with "always a bridesmaid never a bride." I've never been a bridesmaid. I'm always* the musician.

I find myself, once again, collecting, practicing and/or organizing the music for three weddings this summer, two as a violinist and one as the lone pianist.

I could say a lot of things, I suppose, when I find myself in yet another summer wedding cycle as a musician.

What it's like to hear of all the plans and excitement and do my bit to ante up with sheet music and smile and perform both in the months leading up and during the actual event. Disciplining myself to sitting down at the piano to practice in the evenings, pencil in hand to mark up the music for possible places to stop, start, or repeat depending on how long the wedding party takes to enter and exit. Finding ways to segue from one piece to the next, gracefully, so the pre-wedding is comfortable for the guests as the arrive. Driving to practice with the strings group to play for a wedding of people I don't even know, getting my out-of-practice fingers to wrap around the violin and stumble through Pachabel and Bach and Wagner. How I'm happy for family and friends, yet growing weary on another level.

I could say a lot, but I guess I'll just keep telling myself to practice, get it right, play well, and be done.

So far, I've pieced together a nice arrangement of "Ode to Joy" and "Canon in D" and that's a nice day.

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*I was once a punch pourer, so "always" is technically not correct. Punch pouring is not my gift.

Labels: family, music, my life

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23 Comments:

I so love to play, for anyone, for no one, that I would be thrilled to be asked to play at someone's wedding. A little envious...

On the other hand, pouring the punch sounds interesting. I guess it depends on where you were pouring.

By Rey, at 29/4/08 17:31

Dang it! If only I'd known you sooner, I would have been honored for you to be one of my bridesmaids.

By Anna, at 29/4/08 18:15

I would be a terrible bridesmaid. I don't like people looking at me, and I'm grumpy.

By Julie R. Neidlinger, at 29/4/08 22:10

Don't you think it would be even worse to be "always a pastor never a groom"?

That is why I never went to seminary.

By David Cho, at 30/4/08 03:29

This reminds me of a funny joke I heard about a broom.

By Julie R. Neidlinger, at 30/4/08 07:30

The musician has the power to make the wedding bearable or miserable. Bridesmaids just stand there looking like notbrides.

By ThirstyDavid, at 30/4/08 11:34

Will you tell us what the joke is?

By David Cho, at 30/4/08 11:57

nottelling.

By Julie R. Neidlinger, at 30/4/08 12:22

A broom and a dust pan walked into a psychiatrist's office...

By Rey, at 30/4/08 13:18

and the dustpan said to the psychiatrist...

By David Cho, at 30/4/08 16:29

"Can you help me, I've got sweeping issues?..."

By Rey, at 30/4/08 17:05

Um...

Bridesmaids stand there looking like beautiful flowers that compliment the bride's beautiful glow. Yeah.

The groomsmen, now, what is their purpose?

By Anna, at 30/4/08 18:22

The groomsmen are to be well groomed.

By Julie R. Neidlinger, at 30/4/08 18:44

And the broom's is hopping mad. Why?

That's because Anna and Julie interrupted what was shaping up to be the BEST JOKE EVER!!

Gah!

By David Cho, at 30/4/08 20:01

Yup...derailed my train of thought. Of course, when you only have two wheels on the track...

By Rey, at 30/4/08 20:05

You're welcome.

It's my specialty, such wanton destruction.

By Julie R. Neidlinger, at 30/4/08 20:25

So, as penance, will you now tell us the funny joke about a broom you once heard?

By Rey, at 30/4/08 20:49

I'm not into penance.