Is life supposed to be birth live and die? Or can we be reborn while living?
I asked myself that question today, as I was in rehearsal in preparation for the upcoming event of El Sistema: The World's Biggest Orchestra. All the participants of my town young, old, older, were summoned today for a first rehearsal to review the pieces we're going to perform, along with almost twelve thousand musicians from all over the country.
At first, I was happy to see familiar faces in the "crowd" then I noticed that some others weren't too happy to see me there. Bah, I don't care, I was there with an invitation to do a job, nothing more. Then the conductor told me, of course, after I asked him: Am I the only Oboe here? He said no, and replied that he was expecting lots of people to come, especially the teachers.
I have to tell you, I was a little bit apprehensive about the oboe teacher. This is a woman that always had taken credit for my upbringing as an oboist, even though she hasn't taught me anything, oboe-wise. Remember my article In love with a Ghost? I spoke about a young woman quote:
The first oboe at the time was a very irresponsible young woman who from the beginning made him feel uncomfortable with her bad demeanor and rude manners
Well, after that episode she was sacked from the orchestra and came back years later with my aid. Then I moved to Caracas and she remained there until I came back, and began a silent war for the lead position. Not on my part, I wasn't and still not interested in being the first oboe, I'm happy at the back corner enjoying my music.
By 2017, when I was already the General Manager, I found out that she had been falsifying medical rest's or leave's of absence, (I don't know how to call it in English), with the aid of a cousin. When she found out that I was on her tail, she accused me to embezzle funds of the Foundation to damage her image and resigned from her post.
Years later she came back to ask me to lend her an instrument she needed to play in her new orchestra. After approval from the Board of Directors, the loan was made and she then told me "Call me if you need me for anything, I'm at your disposal".
Was she being politically correct? Maybe, but I didn't pay much attention to that, and we remained on our separate ways.
Today, she came to the rehearsal, two hours late, and I was alone playing with one of her students. She apologized for being tardy and then began to make excuses and tell me what part she was going to play and why, like giving me a report I didn't ask, not that I had to ask anyway, I'm not her boss anymore.
After a few minutes, we were playing as no time had passed and it was good, no complaints about that. When we finished, she ask to play my instrument, she liked it as always, and started to compare it with the one she has, as always. We spoke for some minutes and then ask me to please take care of her student in the event because she's not going, and also, to invite him to the orchestra she left years ago on bad terms.
Again I ask, was she being politically correct? Or the alternative, has she grown up and realized that I wasn't the bad guy after all and wants to make amends?.
On my part, I have gone through so much in my life to feel resentment towards a person who has only harmed herself with her demeanor and bad ways. I have let my work speak for me and even with my mistakes, which for certain have existed, I can hold my own, and even if people don't like me, they respect me.
So, as I say in the title, we all have beginnings and endings through our lives and that's ok. The thing is what we learn from those times when we begin or end a cycle, because the idea is to grow wiser, to be better, and to have the chance to make amends to others but mostly, ourselves.
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This is 100% Original Content.
The images are from Px Here and QuotesGram.
Also, the image of the Orchestra is from an actual event held here in Venezuela.
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✨✨Blessings✨✨
November 9th, 2021.
OMG! You play oboe! I love that musical instrument! I am flute (I don't like it so much, but no place to learn oboe when I started with instruments in musical career). Now, the saxo (tenor) is what I love, and I am trying to learn. XD I am not a professional like you, of course. Perhaps some day…
About rude music teachers… a wish for thinking: even is his rude father didn't teach so much, the discipline made Mozart a genius. Same topic in 'Whiplash' movie. Perhaps some teacher don't teach us music, but with their rudeness, rivalities and exigences, encourage us to improve (even trough apprehension). Or perhaps this is an absurd idea XD
Twelve thousand musicians playing together must be spectacular!