Meeting Miss Othmar

One of the greatest pleasures in my life is presenting music for you on Classical 91.5 FM.  But making music with other people offers a different kind of thrill, and this spring I’m loving the chance to sing with various chamber choirs, including Madrigalia and First Inversion. 

My last musical adventure plunged me into the pit. 

My husband and I recently played together in a band for a high school production of the musical “Snoopy” at Byron-Bergen Central Schools.  He played guitar.  I played second keyboard and all the fun stuff – vibes, harpsichord, electric piano, rock organ, and even an actual typewriter.  Our friend, composer and teacher Laurence Tallman directed the show, and for a few weeks, as we all worked intensely together, the time flew.  My head spun.  I have fresh admiration for  all public school music teachers after watching Larry direct two separate casts in a fast-paced and complicated show.

In the pit, a few feet away from me, trombonist Dave Porter provided the voice of Miss Othmar, the unseen teacher in the Peanuts comic strip.  During intermission, I asked him to describe how he did it.