Grotto Music Finale

Posted on December 27, 2013 by mariannedecher

I just completed my 5th and final night, playing flute outdoors for 3 hours, at the Grotto. Compared to the 19 degree temps from a few weeks ago, tonight’s 34 degrees were downright balmy – sort of. 🙂

I loved the whole experience, especially hobnobbing with so many folks and educating them on the ways of the alto flute. Several children got to “help” me play by mashing keys but I found out that “gently!!” is a relative term.

For posterity’s sake, I want to record the fun highlights from tonight. A grown man (with special needs) played with his yoyo inches from my face. A young girl picked her nose inches from my face (a few weeks ago, a child sneezed all over my open song book). The top prize tonight goes to the young boy who grabbed the flute I was not playing at the time and just slobbered all over the mouth piece. The poor mom and grandma were mortified. I just smiled and realized I would need to use my special Slobber Be Gone spray at home. (Not quite sure what that would be? A shot of whiskey for me, a shot of whiskey for my flute. Silent night, all is sterile and bright!)

Good Day

Posted on October 24, 2013 by mariannedecher

Yesterday, I got a bit of sunburn on my face. In Oregon!!! In October!!! The weather here has been glorious. Sure wish it could always be like that. I can live just fine without rain.

I also played music at one of the Children’s Hospitals and had great interactions with the staff. One PT knew that I was playing an alto flute. A nurse asked if I was a professional player. The facilities man said my playing was very soothing. I have to chuckle at the undeserved last 2 comments because I was “jamming” – essentially playing glorified scales while watching the happenings around me.

One thing I am proud of is that I can play through anything – patients doing PT exercises right in front of me, facilities people moving equipment up close, children screaming and crying down the hallway (ok, that’s a bit tough but I figure I can help them the most with soothing music) and loud noises such as alarms or espresso machines (from the hospital lobby snack bar).

BUT – I finally met my match!! A very cute, bald from chemo, sweet little boy was completely mesmerized with my flute. He walked up and stuck his finger in the end of the flute while I was playing. He then proceeded to mash keys and pry the flute out of my hand and attempt to play it. There is something about these kids that I just hand over my $2,000 flute and think nothing of it. I finally blew air through the mouthpiece and let him mash keys. And throughout this whole time, neither of us said a word. I’m not even sure he spoke English – or spoke at all. But it was as if we had had a meaningful, heartfelt conversation.

Ahhh – I always receive so much more than what I give at the hospital.

Alto flute with curved head piece.

Alto flute with, what I believe to be, saxophone keys

Perspective

Posted on July 1, 2013 by mariannedecher

Today, I played music at the children’s hospital where I am on the floor – unit, technically speaking – with the sick kids. I love when I am tuning up and some bystanders say they like the sound. Easy audience! I hadn’t even played anything yet; so sweet. The ad-lib numbers on the alto flute and therapy harp went well. Had some boo boos and one really bad song on the concert flute along the way. Oh well. The most interesting thing was struggling to get notes out of my alto flute because I was sliding off of it from sweating. Wheeeee.

Some of the kids I play for are literally fighting for their lives because of cancer. I couldn’t believe, while driving home and listening to the radio, that a blurb came on about “how to survive a bad haircut”. Survive? Seriously??

Once home, I opened a letter from our sponsored child in Guatemala.

Ahhh. Fabulous day.

(If I could get paid to crochet and play therapeutic music, that would be the ultimate!!)

Reverie Therapy Harp. LOVE it!!!

Hardware galore – and a wooden imposter!

Bliss

Posted on June 12, 2013 by mariannedecher

Since last October, I have been playing flute music in the lobby of one of the children’s hospitals in town. It has certainly been a great experience so far, and I look forward to continuing there.

Today, though, I got to play on the unit with the children at the “other” hospital. I LOVED it. A few people told me, in passing, that the music was soothing. A staff member told me that 2 patients down the hall wanted their doors open so they could hear me. YAY! (I marvel at that because I was told repeatedly, before arriving, that I should play very quietly). My dream job would be to get paid to play therapeutic music to folks who need it. And I think we all need it!

The best moment today was when a young boy (a patient) came by on a scooter and asked me about my alto flute. I told him it was really heavy and just handed it over for him to hold. He told me it was not heavy and that it looked like a walking cane (because of the curved head piece). 🙂

I can’t wait till I get to play again!!!

Flutetastic

Finally Fluting Again!

Posted on March 4, 2013 by mariannedecher

Other than popping into PCC’s chamber ensemble 2 weeks ago, I have not played any instruments since last October. Hoo boy – going through withdrawal for sure!

I’m getting repertoire together to play at the children’s hospital. If one can get the commercial aspects out of one’s mind, many Disney songs are quite lovely from a melodic perspective. I’ve developed a whole new appreciation for “A Dream is a Wish Your Heart Makes”.

Figuring out melodies/harmonies in 2 different keys

Flutetastic work of art. Love those keys!

Baptism by Fire

Posted on October 18, 2012 by mariannedecher

After a year of waiting, administrative details and some challenging life events, I *finally* got to play music at a local children’s hospital. It was FUN! It was crazy! Here are the details.

I pulled off, barely, in 3 or 4 days what I should have done over 3 months; namely, practice with my heavier alto flute everyday in measured doses, find backing tracks, figure out slowly how to write harmony and transpose music for an instrument that is in G etc. But noooo, I worked on this like a maniac for 3 or 4 days solid because I didn’t know what I was getting into until I had jumped off the proverbial cliff.

After arriving at the hospital lobby, I had the choice of a comfy chair, that looked like a propped up blood cell, or a bar stool. I plopped down in the nucleus of the blood cell and started setting up the ueber scary, brand new technology – a bluetooth wireless speaker synched up with my iPhone and a playlist that I was counting on.

Bluetooth didn’t work – used a cord. Playlist shuffled itself (eek). I hadn’t worked on the music enough (double eek). And I’ve performed in a wide variety of places but never with a blender or espresso machine running in the background (hospital lobby snack bar). 🙂 And a sweet man was talking to me, for a short while, and God Blessing me every sentence while I was playing the flute and wrestling with techno/musical ad lib challenges. (But he made my day!!) And my fingers were so clamped onto the flute, because of nerves and the weight of the flute, that I had to manually pry them off so I could mess with my iPhone – mid song!

I put on my best actor/interpreter face, and despite turning into a marshmallow moosh mess on the inside, I had FUN and pulled it off well enough to pass the virtual interview. I will practice MUCH more, especially with the lighter flute, and be better prepared for next time; at which point, I get to play on the hospital floor for the sick kiddos. CAN’T WAIT!!!!

The closest I’ll ever get to having my name “up in lights”

mariannedecher

Music and Musings

Tag Archives: alto flute