Looking back, all sorts of things could’ve gone wrong with the Google Orchestra concert at the Presidio on 8/7/21. A couple of days before the event, I strained my left wrist. Even though I let it rest, it still felt weak. The day of, I felt unusually tired despite my various attempts to pump energy into my systems (i.e. going on a morning run around the block, taking a cold water shower, drinking a large cup of iced tea with MCT collagen powder mixed in).
On the ride to San Francisco (thanks a lot, Edwin!), I snoozed a little. By the time our pre-concert rehearsal started, I was feeling a little better…but not for long. This was my first live performance in a long time; even though the repertoire was easy, my gut felt jittery and nervous. Fatigue + anxiety does not portend well when it comes to my daytime CPS seizures, but I decided to go through with the performance.
I’m glad to report that things went well. We started our performance at two o’clock in the afternoon. There were 20 to 30 people and a barking dog in the audience. In between each of the pieces, the organizers of the event gave short talks about what was being played (Bach Concerto for Two Violins BWV 1043, Adoration by Florence Price, Grieg’s Holberg Suite). Afterwards, there was a reception party, but my ride was tired so we skipped.
All in all, I had a lot of fun. I’m definitely going to sign up for future orchestra events. Now that I’ve gotten through a performance unscathed, I’m more confident about my ability to keep the daytime CPS in check when under pressure. Worst comes to worst, just attending the rehearsals could be an option; simply being able to make beautiful noise with other music lovers is a good enough treat for me.
