Tuesday, October 7, 2008

So I have to quit playing organ/writing music. (Rant.)

Yes. the people at the church where I used to practice organ just told me that I get one 30 minute practice a week. That's it. My original deal was Tuesday-Thursday, 3:00-4:30 PM. Now it's just Wednesdays 4-4:30. Why?
Because the children's choir needs my days, and the rest of Wednesday to practice. So, I take the hour-and- a half trip down there, music books in hand to be told "Go away. You get a half hour on Wednesdays from now on." No phone call, no e-mail, no announcement when I practiced last week. Could they practice Sundays after mass? Or Mondays and Fridays? Or they could practice on my days, but before 3:00. I'd even be willing to come at 3:30 instead of 3:00. But noooo, they need all the time.
I'd like to be charitable, but there's noting reasonable about this. They think they need a combined total of seven and a half hours of practice a week, but think that I could get along fine with thirty minutes a week? This is after they cut me from Wednesdays , and insisted that I vacuum the carpets and clean the choir loft (Which they don't use, it's full of useless crap.) four times a year. Then they would let me practice. Now I'm supposed to do all that work for 30 minutes a week? Are they high? Drunk? stupid? Just plain crazy?
I'll get nowhere with a half hour. I had trouble fitting in composing, practicing Bach's Fantasia and fugue in B minor, and practicing improvisation, all in an hour and a half, Now I'm supposed to do it all in 30 minutes? It can't be done. I won't be able to finish writing my mass settings and other music, I'll never be able to learn all the music for a possible Curtis audition in February, I'll never perfect the music I can already mostly play. So I quit. That's it. It'd be a severe waste of time to travel 1 hour and 30 minutes, to do cleaning work so that I can have 30 minutes of practice on a partially functional, out of tune instrument. (With no pistons, no 32', no 16' reed, and too many mixtures.)
Unless there is some kind soul willing to let me practice on their organ, or is willing to give me a piano or something, that's it for my music. And just when I was finishing the gloria of my mass in B flat minor for five part choir and organ.
Oh well.

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