OT: Re: circus animals?

[Daryl Shawn <highhorse@mhorse.com>]

Here's a personal experience about audiences, or rather one's perception 
of audience. My first real instrument was tuba, and in middle school I 
played in the marching band. One Sunday we were playing at a big parade, 
with me at the left side of a row of brass, and as usual my vision was 
completely obscured due to the huge white bell. About 20 minutes into 
the march, I heard a light clang, like a pebble being thrown against 
fiberglass. Soon there were more clangs, and more, and soon I became 
aware of a shuffling sound down in the bowels of the sousaphone. I 
quickly realized that people were throwing stuff INSIDE my horn, and it 
was piling up inside. The rain of dings continued, and I got more and 
more pissed off, no doubt exacerbated by the fact of being a 90-pound 
dude carrying a 25-pound instrument in full sun for an hour.

Finally, I'd had it. As my right hand continued to work the three valves 
to "El Capitan", I stuck my left hand out in front of the enormous bell 
and raised my middle finger in mute rage. I couldn't see any of the 
people who were suffering the curse of The Bird, but I knew it was 
working, as the clanging started to die down.

Finally, we reached the end of the parade route. I threw the horn off my 
shoulder with great relief, and sat down to catch my breath. As the rest 
of the band began to pack up, I turned my Bb hog upside down to rid it 
of the debris...and out tinkled several dollars in small change. Tips.

Somewhere in there is a useful metaphor.

Daryl Shawn
www.swanwelder.com
www.chinapaintingmusic.com