I see

Nitzan Haroz, principal trombonist for the Philadelphia Orchestra, will perform the Trombone Concerto by Simon Cohen with the Fairbanks Symphony Orchestra on Sunday February 27, 2005 at 4:00 PM in the Davis Concert Hall on the campus of the University of Alaska Fairbanks. Yesterday he led a master class for members of the University of Alaska Trombone Studio. Four young musicians played solos and received instruction on their performances while many of the musicians from the university watched and listened. Under the coaching of Mr. Haroz, we could hear significant improvement in their musical delivery. Mr. Haroz was gentle, but firm about how he presented guidance, revealing skill as both teacher and performer.

After the master class, different ensembles played for him and for the public in a short, informal concert. I had my own brief moment of attention when, standing on stage next to Nitzan Haroz, with six other trombonists to my right and our leader to the left beyond Haroz, I took out my music glasses. They literally fell apart in my hand -- one hand held glasses with an earpiece broken off; the other held a trombone. These are glasses I had made especially for playing trombone. They have a tint across the top of the lenses to cut down on glare, but more importantly, they are an intermediate prescription cut to optimize vision at the distance of a music stand. I found years ago that lenses for distance focused beyond the music and reading lenses, comfortable for books, didn't reach far enough to see the music clearly. Bifocals simply produce two out of focus images with a line across the middle. It's kind of nice to see the music, especially when, as last night, I was reading a part new to me -- in concert!

I dug quickly for my reading glasses. Nope, can't see far enough. Quick, bring out the distance pair, which I usually don't keep with me on stage. Yep, those look a lot like notes. Step back. Oh, of course, that's a G, or maybe an F. I confess to missing a note or two and an entrance, but got through all four numbers somehow. Life is such fun. Never a dull moment in the frozen northland.