We're back in Madison, and there's snow.  Nice.  Please read on, because I'm typing this stream of consciousness style because that's the only way it will ever see the light of day/web.

Just a blow-out entry for Christmas, and then in the New Year I'm going to post a post-christmas present for all fans of Karl Pilkington to enjoy.  A few priceless gems that I found that made me very happy.

Please press play on the song below this in order to fully enjoy this blog.



I just got done with my first “semester“ with the orchestra.  What are you supposed to call it when it is a job?  My first “half-season“ I guess.  When are we going to stop thinking in school year terms/timing?  I mean, we'll have kids someday and then we'll be back in it, so will we ever leave that?

Well, one of the fun parts (I know a lot of people hate/loath.com this stuff, but I have to confess that I love it) of being an orchestral musician is that every December you get to play “Holiday Concerts.“  I love them for three reasons:

1.  It totally puts you in the Christmas mood (especially when it is 80+ degrees outside)
2.  It is often the first time young kids go to see a symphony orchestra, and seeing their eyes open up and watching their smiles and listening to their claps and singing along is so touching, it never gets old, because it is always a brand new thing to them! 
3.  You actually get to play praise songs with your instruments in a great group.  I often get swept away in that.

That said, do you know what my favorite piece is to play?  Well, I'll give you a hint:      You're listening to it!   ooooooooooooooooooooooo

I could honestly play “Sleigh Ride“ every day and never get tired of it.  I know that is so cheesy and I should be excommunicated from music for saying that, but it is so fun and nostalgic I can't help but laugh inside the entire time.  And the bassoon part is actually a good countermelody.

So our orchestra has a pretty cool friend.  For the last 20+ years he has been sponsoring a set of holiday concerts for the kids of the Tampa Bay area.  His name is George Steinbrenner.  Yes, I am talking about THE George Steinbrenner, owner of the New York Yankees, and local Tampa philanthropist.


And he, along with his whole family comes to at least the first of these concerts.  Well, I couldn't be a good Grahmann kin without making sure that I made an attempt to meet him.  Not only did I get to meet and thank him for supporting these concerts, I got to meet both his sons Hank and Hal, the new guys that are leading said baseball team.  Just for Chad and Haack and Barbeau I made sure that I had my Brewers cap on my person, but I didn't have time to do anything with it.  Sorry duders.  I also had my camera, but no time to get a shot in edgewise.  Dang.

One thing I did get to do though, is hang out this this guy back stage:



Yeah that's right WWF 1980's Madness fans (Madness vs. Mania rules).  Six-time world champion, four-time WCW World Heavyweight Champion and two-time WWF Champion, Randy MACHO MAN Savage.  Now I have to meet Hacksaw Jim Duggan.  I felt like I should be wearing Zubaz.  Please stop the sleigh ride song and watch this if you want a taste of his old school dayz:



Every year we get a celebrity to do a rousing rendition of “'Twas the Night Before Christmas” while the orchestra plays “What Child is This?” softly underneath.  The most recent past readers include Derek Jeter and Hulk Hogan.  I gotta say Macho Man's entrance was so friekin' hilarious.  We just finished playing some nice 'n soft classical christmas tunes, and then AAAAAAAAAAAAGHGHGHJGJJGKGJ.  Super loud death metal music comes on, and some announcer announces him, and the kids go crazy even though they probably have no idea what's going on and then he comes out and starts hypeing them up like crazy.  Then the reading, done in the most gravely voice imaginable, yet quite charmingly.  He also had it choreographed with lots of jarring motions like you would see on Smackdown er' somethin. 

After he finished he looked back at us and said AWWWWW YEEEAAHHHHHH!!!! with an almost nervous curbed enthusiasm.  It was palpable.  Finally we finished with a Christmas sing-a-long including what may be the most interesting interpretation of a piece of music I have ever heard in my life:  Macho Man singing “Silent Night.”  It sounded like this song from his cd, feel free to listen to as much or as little as you want:


Amazing Stuff.  Also, one of the benefits of playing in a performing arts complex is the multitude of people/things you might run into.  In the hall next to us was the “Radio City Christmas Spectacular.”  With them was part of their cast, one of which honestly tried to eat my suit.  I am actually scared in this picture:


 
And finally, here's some thing I found a while ago on my computer deep in the depths of some hard drive. This is me three years ago conducting the Home Alone "Holiday Flight" cue, cueing Alex on the Cymbals with the left hand, and keeping time with the right. I realize that this is ridiculous, but hey, hopefully it'll make you laugh.  Enjoy and Peace on Earth:

Oh man, every single bar in the five boroughs just went from 60-0 MPH in 1.2 seconds. Poor Yanks. Er, I mean, super rich Yanks. Gotta love baseball, there's always next year.

I remember what it felt like around the city back in 2004 when the Red Sox came back from a 3-0 series and won four games in a row and obliterated the Yankees (and then four more to win the World Series for a total of eight games in a row. There's no precedent for that baby!). I have a feeling that it feels similar to that right at this moment. It was silent, nobody was talking to each other, just staring at the ground (more than usual).

This memory was brought to you by me, because I'm SO cool because I used to live awt in New Yawk.

The next time the Yankees get together will be only a few miles away from where we live now (they train in Tampa).

On a slightly related note, I love that show "Modern Marvels" on the History Channel. That narrator Max Raphael has such an awesome voice. The other day I was watching it, and the subject of the show was:


I must still be in middle school, because every time the narrator said "balls" I had a laugh, sometimes more than others, and I was home by myself and that is always fun/weird/cool/creepy/sincere when you laugh at stuff out loud by yourself. Here, I captured the opening with my digital camera just so you could have a laugh as well. Also, when Erin came home I showed her, and she also had a sincere laugh. I guess there's a bit of middle school still in her too. (I can't believe I'm putting this up here, but the chance of more than 5 people seeing this is pretty slim (3 of those being Stevie).