Dance party in the church, whoohoo!

[cloud_wolf]

Okay, so this is my first post in my LJ, but this is because I just had one of the most bizarre experiences in my 17-year long life.

So, background: I'm in an youth orchestra and I play the viola. Our orchestra wants to go on a tour in Florence. Money is needed. Astoria Lounge needs an orchestra in their "Dance meets Bach and Beethoven" party and is willing to pay 1500 euro's. Ka-ching!

Little did we know that this was an exclusive party in a CHURCH, the most important one in Rotterdam, the Laurenskerk. We also didn't know that people had to pay 50 euro's to enter, and that everybody had to wear a Venetian mask (I'm talking really expensive ones but they were OMG so pretty!). Before we practiced we walked around and discovered that the drinks were ridiculously overpriced (I'm talking in the hundreds etc.)

(Intermezzo: this was a party for 25+ and then they ask a youth orchestra. WTF. When our conductor told them we had kids of 15 they acted all surprised.)

Well this is all fine and stuff, but then there's the performance itself. We had to play these tunes and then there'd be a famous DJ, Miss Monica, who'd mix it all, or something. Turned out her part was all tape recorded and that she would just stand there acting like she was DJing. Also, playing with ridiculously loud dance music is somewhat different from playing a Brahms symphony, so that was rather special as well.

We had two hours between performances, so we could mingle. I really started having fun when the gay dancers in lakey uniforms (and shirtless and with little umbrella's) started their job. a) they were pretty good, b) the expression on our conductor's face = WIN! ahaha! c) it's a church.

The best came after though, according to the website, we're a international professional orchestra. We wish! We're the only youth orchestra in the most uncultural big city in the Netherlands.

This may sound rather boring, like this, but wow, bizarro land for me.  

P.S. The Iranians are doing their best and using their sneakiest tricks to get more oil (it's rationed). I'm so proud of their cunning ways. *sniff*

Comments

[jesatria.livejournal.com]

That sounds like a bizarre, yet highly amusing experience.

And you're Dutch? Cool. I visited Amsterdam with my friend a couple summers ago. It was pretty awesome.

[cloud-wolf.livejournal.com]

This beats playing in a summer resort near Bratislava where all the visitors are above 50, wearing only too-tight speedos and it's 32 degrees Celsius and we're wearing black, in the sun.

I'm kind of miffed I didn't go and dance, but I guess I was too shy, because it looked so decadent.

And yes I'm Dutch, but Amsterdam is different from Rotterdam. Rotterdam got bombed in WW2 so it's all modern buildings and skyscrapers and no green at all (except suburbs). Amsterdam is, well, more cultural.

[jesatria.livejournal.com]

Too-tight speedos? Ick!

Isn't Rotterdam a big port & industrial city? I think I read that in some tourist materials I picked up while in Amsterdam.

[cloud-wolf.livejournal.com]

Yep, too-tight. And staring at our utterly gorgeous soprano. I would've laughed if it weren't so gross.

Big port and industrial city is all you really need to know about Rotterdam. It isn't even the biggest harbour of the world anymore, we got beaten by the Chinese :P

[bananorama.livejournal.com]

Wow, you're only 17? You seem much more mature! Anyway, that's so cool you're not only in an orchestra, but an International Professional Orchestra! With capital letters! Sounds like it was totally surreal.

[cloud-wolf.livejournal.com]

Yes, I'm 17. To be honest, I think that on the internet I sound (read?) really childish and overexcited. So that is a real complement :)

Youth Orchestras are totally awesome. Everybody's weird and nobody feels left out (IMO).