I quit playing with the Auckland Big Band in stages. First there was the pandemic, then we moved away and I went to the office less and less, and finally it became too hard to go into town for rehearsals. As the only clarinet player, and on the less skilled end of the group, I also was struggling musically.

Near our new home I found another option, the Hibiscus Coast Concert Band. I looked at some of their music and it seemed hard but attainable for me. But I never got around to going to a rehearsal. And then my face froze up with Bells Palsy, so I haven’t been playing for a while.

Just recently I saw a flyer that they were going to be giving a concert… a perfect chance to decide if I wanted to try out.

It turned out the concert was actually several school bands plus the community group. The music ranged from earnest but awful middle schoolers to really good high school players. The girl in the photo didn’t look like a 1950s jazz singer, but she knocked it out of the park.

I won’t be joining the band for the time being… too many other things on. Maybe one day. But the concert did inspire me to get the horn out and start practicing again… so let’s see what comes next.