Last night we played at a 100 year-old theatre graced with a blue and white Victorian interior, including a gorgeous dome and stained glass windows. I felt like I was playing inside a giant piece of Wedgwood! There was bigger-than –life Greek style statues on both sides of the stage, with a nine-foot Steinway waiting for me in the center. Another gorgeous macho piano! Yes!
This was a University, so there were students mixed in with the audience, as they were required to attend so many concerts per semester. Even the old-style seats had swivel desks attached. I informed our listeners that there would be a quiz at the end.
Playing in this environment had a special memory of piano juries for me. Those are music school final exams where one performs on their instrument in front of a committee of music faculty. Would these people put up with my shenanigans? Would they laugh me off the stage?
The audience mostly sat in the back of the theatre. At first I thought that’s because they were rather dubious, then I realized that much of this crowd has been coming there for years, and people being creatures of habit, like the same seats every time. They can also get out quick if they don’t like something!
Again, the piano was dreamy. I’ll remember this tour partially by all the Steinways I’ve fallen in love with. I actually get to dig my fingers into these miraculous instruments, get applause, and get paid! Not a bad deal! I’ll have to do a few more tours to afford one myself, but I can dream, can’t I?
Hilda, our contact person, was from Holland, Greeting us with a hearty North Dakota smile, we instantly felt relaxed and at home. The stage had these acoustic shells around the piano, which were not really my style. Joe, our lighting and sound person then showed me the beautiful stained glass windows surrounded by elegant woodwork hidden behind them. Against the music department’s wishes, we pushed away the shells to create the most inspiring environment ever. If we met with disapproval, my excuse was that the stained glass matched my dress!
The audience was energetic and fun. The association even had a gathering afterwards with delicious homemade goodies. We were welcomed with kind words and nourished not only with hors d’oevres but friendly conversation. We were told of the –30 temperatures we missed the week before, with wind, making a wind-chill of –50! One little girl said it goes up to 100+ in the summer. I think there should be a special North Dakota thermometer, which is much longer, maybe floor to ceiling!
It’s snowing lightly now as we travel towards Fargo and eventually back to Minnesota. The billboards going east are endless! There’s about one every 50 yards. I feel like we re driving through the Yellow Pages out here in the cornfields!
Ahhh, Starbucks. Frank’s running some errands here in Fargo as I sip a “Skinny Latte” and pretend I’m skinny and back in the Northwest. We’re now into our sixth week of relative isolation on the road. I’m sure glad I have Frank, because I wouldn’t survive otherwise. We miss our friends and family, and our schedule doesn’t much permit budding friendships. We read and reread any correspondence we get, so thanks so much to those of you who have written us!
Tomorrow we have our first day off in a week. I want to do something wild and crazy! What do people do around here?
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