i played recorder in doc’s crazy circus orchestra!

on saturday, doc and i participated in this crazy wacky performance art piece done by a photographer friend of lori’s, max sturdivant. it was a big circus themed thing, with a blue tarp big top, fireworks, wonder woman and batgirl, a fire eater, a sword swallower, and lori dressed in black with gold leaf on her face. there was lots of pyrotechnics and lots of colored smoke bombs going off everywhere. max filmed the whole thing, and doc composed and performed the music live as we were taping — a really beautiful ambient soundtrack with lots of swooshy sounds and clanking things. it was really neat.

what we didn’t know beforehand was that doc would also be conducting a band — six nonmusicians, ME included (OMG), playing things like a big kettle drum, a tambourine, a gong, a little shaker egg, a wooden fish that you hit with a stick to make a hollow sound, and a plastic kids’ recorder. somehow i ended up with the recorder, the only instrument (besides doc) that actually had to play NOTES! everyone else got the easy rhythm jobs!! i fucking SUCK at the recorder, although a couple of quick lessons from doc helped a little. i didn’t make it squeak horribly ALL the time after that.

max absolutely loved the soundtrack, which was fantastic. doc is going to be working with him on getting the sound finalized for the film (post-production, i guess you call it). i really want to see the end result.

here is doc teaching some of the band how to play their instruments.