Meeting your Heros, and falling to pieces!

I've mentioned briefly before that I play in a Brass Band. I play Euphonium, and have done since I was about 9 years old, though for the last 5 years I've not had chance to play often.

I used to be pretty good, but that was 10 years ago. Since then life got in the way. But when I was a teenager my hero was David Childs, a 3rd generation euph player from close to where I grew up, and about my age. He won the British Young Musician of the Year award in 2000, and anything he played I wanted to be able to play. Some I could, some I could only try. But I did try, Constantly!

And on Friday night he and his father Robert Childs, another world class Euphonium soloist, came to play in Perth. OMG. I was so excited! It was a small concert, and then they mingled with the audience afterwards. The Boy said he had never seen me so nervous about talking to anyone, ever. 

Meetings, interviews, presentations... Meh. 

Meeting my teenage hero... and I'm in pieces. 

Very excited, very happy, but unable to construct a simple sentence. 

The concert was awesome. I kept forgetting to breath!

Then the morning after they held a masterclass, full of hints and tips of how to play better, aimed at all levels. I had some great teachers growing up (helps that I grew up in the heart of brass banding!) but I still found out that I've been triple tonguing wrong for the past 20 years :) Not wrong exactly, but there is a better way. So thats something I'll be working on!

It also was the inspiration I needed to get me excited again. The band scene here in Perth is pretty sparse and there isn't much external to get you motivated. Until a few months ago I hadn't played properly for 5 years, yet I picked it up and the muscle memory meant I was still competent. People don't believe me that I was out of practice, and with nothing to really aim for there didn't seem to be much point in really trying. I could play what I needed to play...

 But hearing David playing a solo that I used be able to play was a bit of a kick up the bum to get practising again!