Recently, I have had to come to terms with the fact that the schedules of a professional orchestra and a professional hockey team to not make good bed fellows. I work nearly every weekend night, and so do the Sabres. Obviously, this presents some difficultly in regards to my watching and attending games. I am cringing in advance over all of the games I will miss. For the millionth time in my life, I’m thinking, “You IDIOT! Of all the freaking things in the entire world you could have chosen to do, you chose the VIOLA?!”
Last spring I was suffering from a tendinitis-like pain in my left hand. Musicians tend to be pretty cautious about such things because we all know people who have had their careers ended by chronic pain. No matter what I did, the only thing that made my hand feel better was rest, so after a few weeks of frustration, I opted to call in sick rather than push it. The upside of this injury (which is much better now, thanks for asking) is that I found myself watching Game 5 against the Rangers, rather than performing with the rest of my colleagues. The only reason I got to watch that game is because I had to call in sick that night. The realization that in the future I will surely miss equally exciting games is very disturbing indeed.
Don’t get me wrong, I love my job. I just wish we kept better hours.
Katebits, you have my undying sympathy on this! Yes, you probably will miss plenty of exciting games, but you’ll miss plenty of boring ones, too. And think of all the non-weekend night exciting games you’ll see! (I’m trying here — is it helping at all? No wait, don’t answer that…)
hey kate, I played viola as a kid and then switched over to cello. I’m not professional by any means, but I know all about the pain you’re talking about.
If you’re lucky, it’ll come back just in time for playoffs!
Girrrrrrrrrrrrrrl, ….don’t get ME started….
I’m wondering if the grocery store will notice if I request off every night the Sabres play. That still leaves me plenty of nights to work, right?
Repeat after me, Kitty: D… V… R. Get you some.
I have a DVR, but it’s not the same as watching the games live. Whaaaaa-aaaaa!
Kate, I agree. DVR’d games suck. I usually don’t even watch them. It
In that case, my next suggestion would be to install a TV backstage at your concert hall, and trick the BPO into paying for cable. Worked for us…
Yeah, we’ve got the backstage television too. I’m just whining, Sam. There’s no talking me out of it. I don’t want to miss a single minute of hockey if I can help it. I want to sit down and watch every game live, commercials and all.
The other problem with DVR is that due to the extreme participation in Sabres fandom in Buffalo, I think it would be literally impossible to get from the hall to my house without finding out who won. There is a chant (Let’s go Buff-a-lo) that lends itself to celebratory car honking. If they win a big game I hear the rhythmic honking all night, if they lose, it’s deadly silent. It’s quite charming actually….except that it ruins the DVRed games.