My First Curtain Speech!!!!
This year, I’m President of the Board of Directors of the Anchorage Concert Association. One of the duties that goes with the job is curtain speeches - prior to the start of a performance, the President (me) goes out on stage, welcomes everyone, thanks corporate sponsors, and chats (in an entertaining way) about special events associated with the performance.
We have large audiences: between one and two thousand people in our big hall.
I have a notorious case of stage fright. I always have - even back in the days when I played trumpet in the Anchorage Symphony. I shake. My mouth goes dry. All of the usual symptoms.
Saturday night was our season opener. We presented Ravi Coltrane and Roy Haynes. Two big very big guys in the jazz world. We had a number of special events associated with the performance - sort of a mini-gala jazz atmosphere.
Needless to say, I was nervous about my speech. I was nervous two days prior to the concert. So, I had quite a bit of the anxiety thing goin’ on. Fortunately, our backstage crew is fabulous. I arrived backstage ten minutes early and the crew took very good care of me. Clued me in the microphone location, timing, etc. And then they just chatted me up until the performers arrived and then they sent me out and I really didn’t have time to think about what was happening.
When I walked around the curtain and out on the stage, my first reaction was, “Whoa! Those lights are BRIGHT! And look at ALL those people!”. Fortunately, I kept my composure and stepped up to the microphone and started talking.
I did do one cute thing. After I welcomed everyone and introduced myself, I told the audience that this was my first ever curtain speech and that I really hoped it didn’t end up on YouTube. The audience laughed and then they all started clapping. That was so much fun - and very generous of them.
I finished my speech without any major gaffs, introduced the Ravi Coltrane Quartet and walked off the stage. As we crossed paths, Ravi clapped me on the shoulder and said, “Good job”. Whew!
I immediately headed off to the lobby bar and had a grand marnier before I wobbled to my seat.
And both groups - the Ravi Coltrane Quartet and the Roy Haynes Quartet, were great!!!!
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Let me know if that shows up on youtube. I for sure want to see it!
One of my big college memories is going with you to get a black dress for a band concert and going into a store where you pulled out a $100 bill to pay for it and I was so amazed. Never been in a store like that or spent that much on a dress. Life does change.