A Facebook friend who was a fellow high school marching band member recently sent a meme he thought I’d enjoy. The quote from the meme, by Nick Mason, says, “The first rule of drumming is that if you make a mistake, turn round and look at the bass player.”
As a lifelong drummer, I can verify that this is true, and it works every time! It can also work in other musical situations :
I was in a church hand-bell choir. During a performance, the guy next to me, a chronic practical joker, had secretly switched two of my bells for the last song. I didn’t notice. On the last note of the finale of the last song I played the bell that he’d switched, the really wrong one. It sounded ghastly, and completely ruined the finale.
I immediately realized what he had done and instantly formed a plan of revenge. I simply froze, holding that too sharp note high in the air like nothing was wrong. When I didn’t show any concern, his reaction was exactly what I was hoping for – he flinched. He second guessed himself, and slightly turned his own bell to check the note name on the handle. The entire audience saw him, and thought he had played the wrong bell. Oh, the sweet music of irony. – AB
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