Wild

To an ear-plugged audience
he might have been playing
Bach or Haydn, suddenly
sky separated

from the piano bench
the key-crunching,
pedal-punching
wild man.


"Thanks for something from your weekend at Garth Newel," says Virginia.

"Straight from the mouth of Teresa Ling," I say, referring to the violinist of the Garth Newel Music Center's professional piano quartet.  This poem followed her suggestion upon hearing the Arrowhead Trio's staid performance of the "fast, roudy" 3d movement of Peter Schickele's Serenade for Three.  "Be wild," said she.  Each member of the Garth Newel Piano Quartet coached the Trio, along with all of the other participants at Garth Newel's adult chamber music workshop, held this past weekend.

Would you like a little more?  Andrew Harley, the pianist in the Quartet, advised us to "always know who's on first" (that is, who is playing the most important line(s) at any given moment), Evelyn Grau, the violist, stressed the importance of stage presence, and Tobi Werner, the cellist, suggested starting slower, not faster, than our competence permits.  How's that for an appetizer?   If you want still more, ask or show up next year.

"Dont' you dare poke me," I say to Virginia.  "You'll pop out Randy Wyche's stuffing."  Randy is the Center's gourmet chef.