All of them were totally unexpected.
I think everyone should get at least one in their life. It is definitely a peak experience.
My standing ovations were not for my virtuoso performances or magnificent talent.
The first, when I was in the 8th grade, happened while I was performing at the oh-so-dreaded annual kids piano recital. No one wants to attend one of these. Hours of sitting through laborious, young talent.
I was playing piano on one of those rickety old fold up stages used in schools in the 50's and 60's. They were so unstable and wobbly that I am sure no one uses them any more.
There were 2 huge potted plants on the stage with an old, heavy upright piano and me. I was playing a bouncy song called The Donkey Serenade. The left hand had to bounce up and down the key board, causing my body to sway vigorously.
I was not skilled but enthusiastic. As I played, the potted plants started to sway, more and more violently as the song progressed, requiring 2 people to lunge at the stage and catch them before they toppled. This all happen with my thunderous end of the song. Long on enthusiasm and short on skill but...
A standing ovation.
The second one was during a performance with the first band Yella and I put together shortly after we got married. We were playing in the Ozarks at a resort. Our guitar player was not only very good, but a little bit of a prick.
I was playing congo drums and he was playing guitar. He kept speeding up the song, trying to run me into the ground. I was utterly caught up in the moment, banging on those drums to save my life.
Ultimately, he couldn't play fast enough to make me look stupid.
The audience erupted in a standing ovation. More to acknowledge me succeeding in the face of his mean spirited challenge than my talent.
The third one happened last month while our band, Anything Goes, was playing at Las Ruinas.
It was a magical night...great audience, in one hot set of dance music. We introduced a new song, Oye Como Va by Santana. Great song, fun night.
I had worked on the song for 8 months and was finally ready to play it in public. So off we went.
It was a great song, we played it hot and fast, the crowd was ready to party and I got through the damn thing.
It wasn't a real standing ovation because everyone was already standing and dancing...the entire place, inside in the restaurant and outside in the parking lot, were up and jumping around. The ovation went on and on, with many cat calls of encouragement.
So what is my point?
None of the performances that caused the standing ovations were for great performances but they acknowledged success over adversity, or unbridled enthusiasm or playing over my head.
My reaction to each one was the same...I was surprised and caught off guard, physically knocked backward to the edge of the stage, and awed, and humbled.
It is a grand privilege to be involved in something like that.
People love seeing success over adversity. They love to root you on.
2 comments:
Well done! can't wait to hear it! congratulations on SO #3, no doubt more to come.
Thanks, Bill. I knew you would get it.
When we ended the second set last Friday night, we got a similar response...not at the level of a standing ovation but still a mighty ovation.
Ah, it is great to be a big fish in a little pond!
Because we are going back to CO, I have been ruminating...there is no way we, or should I say "I", could do this in the "big city". There is no place to play, that I know of, where you can pack the house. Sad for all the performers in CO.
Post a Comment