bucket list?

Two Friday nights ago I played with a band in a bar. 

Yes, you read that right. 

Go ahead - read it again. Trust me - your eyes are not deceiving you. 

I guess I should explain. 

January 21-23 was the Michigan Music Conference, held annually right here in GR. As such, I got to see some of my VanderBuddies, including two of the guys from Il Segreto String Quartet, a pretty sweet rock quartet from the Detroit area. Their whole group was in town for the conference. On Thursday they came to my school to perform for the kids and to give a master class to a quintet after school. It was awesome. If you are a strings teacher, I highly recommend having them come to your school. 

In addition to presenting a session at the conference, ISSQ performed at a couple of local establishments, including playing at Z's on Friday night. And that, boys and girls, is where I made my debut as an electric violinist. 

Well, aside from playing some stuff in class. But that's not exactly the same thing. 

My VanderBuddies (hi, guys!) tried to get me to jam with them last summer, but I never did. That's because I am a big fat scaredy cat who much prefers playing music that has all the notes already written out for me. If I'm put in an improv situation, I'm always afraid that I'll play something "wrong," and so I have just never really liked it. But I secretly wish I had the freedom to be a good "jam"-er, because it just looks like so much fun. 

Well.

The VBs encouraged me to bring an instrument and play with them at Z's. Knowing this, I had taken home from school the orchestra's very basic, entry-level Yamaha electric violin, mostly so that I could at least claim to have had the intention of playing along. As much as I wanted to join them, I didn't figure I'd actually do it. 

Wrong.

I showed up that night sans fiddle. I left it in my car. I had arrived midway through their first set, and as they went back on for their second, the group of friends (some old, most new!) with whom I was sitting encouraged me to go and get my axe. And so, wonder of wonders, I did. 

And I got up on stage. 

And I jammed. Not just stuff from sheet music, either. I actually MADE STUFF UP. 

And it was SUPER FUN.

I have no idea if I was any good at it, but that's beside the point. I did something totally new and different, outside my usual "box," and loved it. And that, my friends, is a wonderful thing.

Who says Dutch girls can't rock??