Fantasy Orchestra Camp

Bit off topic from my usual beat of movies and pop culture, but I wanted to share an amazing experience I had on Tuesday night. I had my debut with the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra. Well, at least that's the way I chose to word it to family and friends. In fact, I had been asked to participate in a unique program the BSO had cooked up to celebrate their 5th season at Strathmore Music Center—Rusty Musicians. The premise was simple: There are a lot of people who love music, studied music, maybe even went to conservatory, but who aren't professional musicians. Those people would relish the opportunity to get on stage at the Strathmore, be conducted by Maestra Marin Alsop herself, and perform with the world-class musicians of the BSO. Yes, it was like Fantasy Baseball Camp, only better—in Fantasy Baseball Camp, if I have my facts straight, you play with fellow amateurs as well as some retired players and coaches. With Rusty Musicians, you're on stage with the Big Leaguers, essentially backing up Brian Roberts at second base. As you might imagine, response to Rusty Musicians was pretty swift and overwhelming. The BSO sent out an e-mail blast to its entire database and in a few days, 600 people had signed on. "We expected a good response, but we did  not expect 600 responses in a few days!" says BSO General Manager Kendra Whitlock Ingram. "Everyone was pretty blown away by that." To accommodate the number of Rusties, the BSO added a second night of workshops and performances. Here's how it works: Each session lasts approximately 45 minutes. The Rusties  go on stage with actual members of the BSO as stand partners. First, there's a quick rehearsal of the two pieces—the finale of Tchaikovsky's 4th Symphony and the "Nimrod" movement of  Elgar's Enigma Variations—then a run-through. The BSO did four sessions on Tuesday and will do another four sessions tonight. A bit trying, I suppose, to play the same pieces 8 times over the course of two nights, but such is the life of a professional musician. And, according to Ingram, both the musicians and the Maestra "had a blast" on Tuesday. My guess is that every new group of Rusties brings with them a jolt of  enthusiasm and adrenaline that is downright infectious. A bit of background into my own life as an amateur musician. I studied music pretty seriously all throughout high school and college. Like a lot of people who are really good at something, but not quite great, it took a bit of  soul searching for me to decide that I wasn't going to pursue music on the professional level. Ultimately, I decided I was a better writer and editor than I was a cellist—I'm pretty sure I made the right call. After graduating, I tried to keep up with my instrument, playing with a local community orchestra, and even taking lessons. There was a brief period when my professional life got too overwhelming and I put down the cello—it would sit in the corner of my living room, gathering dust, judging me—but about 5 years ago, my sister, a truly accomplished amateur pianist, encouraged me to start playing some chamber music with her, and I've been  playing and performing ever since. The BSO may have been surprised by the response to Rusty Musicians, but I'm not. There is a whole, fertile and active world of amateur musicians out there—and I'm one of them. There are music camps and workshops and retreats—and since we have actual day jobs, we often have enough disposable income to pay a pretty penny for the privilege of these experiences. (For the record, the BSO charged a meager $10 for participation in Rusty Musicians. This was very much a celebration of the music.) I think everyone should have at least one thing in their life they do exclusivly for the fun of it—for me, that's music. It was, indeed, a thrill to be on stage with the BSO. I've played with great orchestras before (albeit not this great). And when an orchestra is really cooking,  the propulsive energy can be downright transcendent. I'm not sure if we achieved transcendence on Tuesday night, but we sounded pretty darn good. And it sure was a kick to be part of the music making (and to be conducted by the Maestra herself). I played pretty well. I wish I'd had more time to practice the Tchaikovsky (it's a beast!) and my arm got tired from vigorously sawing away at my instrument. (An ongoing challenge.) Also, I had a brain fart and totally played an A flat instead of a B flat at one point during the Tchaikovsky, prompting my stand partner (associate principal Chang Woo Lee) to gently correct me. Embarrassing! As my father observed from the audience, Maestra Alsop showed "no mercy" with her tempo on the Tchaikovsky. This was the BSO's actual tempo. In a word—fast! Hey, if you want to play with the big boys. . . Ultimately, I'd do it again in a heart beat, and based on the giddy buzz back stage, I'm certain the other Rusties would, too. The BSO is not oblivious to this fact. Ingram told me they hope to schedule more Rusty Musician events in the future, hopefully next time at the Meyerhoff. Meanwhile, they are gearing up for this summer's BSO Academy, basically an intensive, week-long version of Rusty Musicians, that also includes master classes and chamber music. The fee for the Academy? $1,650. Trust me, to the participants, it will be well worth it. To read more behind-the-scenes coverage of Rusty Musicians, check out the April issue of Baltimore. Photograph: Me, on stage at the Strathmore, photographed by Tracey Brown, courtesy of the BSO.