Low Eh!

I just finished a run of The Great Gatsby at the National Arts Centre, where I performed the Reed 3 book. It’s was a blast – the music was fun, had some challenging parts, and the band was great!

Here are three things about my experience in the pit on the Reed 3 book.

1. Reed 3 is the solo clarinet book. There are several exposed clarinet solos right off of the top of the show. Nothing is exceptionally hard, but you’re out there on your own. In the second act, there’s a little bit of improvisation in the book, and you’re still leading the reed section quite a bit. Make sure that you shed Bb minor across the break – it shows up! It’s a fun clarinet part!

2. Put the cap on your baritone saxophone mouthpiece! The baritone saxophone features at the beginning and the end of the show, but it used sparingly through the middle of the show, except for La Dee Dah With You, which is an extended dance number, and only uses the bari sax. Most of the other numbers have a little bit of baritone sax, but are clarinet and bass clarinet heavy. I had my reed dry out on one show, and the first eighth note on an entrance was a little suspect.

3. A great band made the show so much fun. The touring band was so solid – on bass clarinet, and baritone saxophone, I was lining up with Catherine, the bass player on both upright and electric basses. Rock solid time! It was also a great time with two of my good friends Mike Tremblay, and Petr Cancura in the reed section. Sometimes that got a little reed nerdy. Haha!

If you get an opportunity to perform in this music, I highly recommend it.