The aud-o-file

What a great Blues Weekend! A huge thanks is due to the promoters of the Eureka Springs Blues Weekend, Charles and Lori Ragsdell. They live and breathe blues, work tirelessly at supporting and advancing the genre, and are a pleasure to work with.

So now you'd think we don't have much going on except getting ready for the CICA Classical Music Festival coming up in a couple of weeks. Except for that whole "getting ready for CICA" thing, not to mention two additional performances that just popped up, you'd be very nearly right. All we've got to do in the next week and a half is:

1)Schedule the tuning for four pianos scattered about town. Some will need to be tuned up to A=441 for some performances and then back down to A=440 for later use. Working out the tuning schedule around performances and rehearsals can be daunting.

2)Oh by the way, that schedule for tuning you just worked out now won't work because Opera in the Ozarks is coming in to do a Friday evening and Saturday matinee on the days you thought were going to be dark for piano tuning. Start over at item #1.

3)Schedule with KRPS tech people for installation of recording equipment. The Pittsburgh, KS NPR affiliate will be recording every night's performance for submission to the syndicated "Performance Today."

4)Coordinate with Opera in the Ozarks and CICA's production designers to determine a lighting plot that will satisfy both productions since change-over time will be short.

5)Block out time for repainting the stage after construction of custom orchestra risers is completed.

And that's just the top of the CICA list. At the same time there's finishing up ad packages and press releases for Bluegrass and Folk, working out Jazz Eureka contracts, and prepping for Melanie and the return of Intrigue Theater in July.

pant pant puff puff Ray Dilfield

What? Too whiny?