Rehearsal

Three times a year, our little valley puts on a Cabaret, a dinner and a show evening at the Mattole Valley Community Center. There is always a theme song, with music arranged by the wild-haired doctor, played by a many-piece band: drums, bass, guitar, horns (trumpets, sax, and sometimes trombone), back-up singers, and occasionally other elements.

Now most of us are amateur musicians, and usually we have an average of one rehearsal where everyone is present. There are often others where most but not all people are present, which creates some challenges in getting everyone up to speed the next time we get together. And even though this time through we have gotten together early, and rehearsed many times, we still have a lot of starting and stopping, loose notes, missed entrances, garbled words, and an uncomfortable relationships with microphones, monitors, and other sound equipment. It seems I am always worried, as I am tonight, about what our performance will sound like tomorrow night. But somehow, it usually all comes together...usually. When it's really hitting, I love the feeling of being inside the loud, rhythmic jam. When it's not, well, it's a little hard to swallow, and to not feel totally off kilter.

At least my ladies and I got the chance to practice doing our back-up singer dances tonight while wearing actual costumes, and I was actually wearing the heels I will wear tomorrow. (You should know by now that I am not a high heel wearing lady). I don't want to ruin the surprise of what we are performing, so I won't say more, but if you are a Petrolia resident, you really don't want to miss the first set closer tomorrow night.