In high school, I loved band. Both class, and the extra-curriculars. I spent my evenings practicing scales and sight-reading, and my breaks at school rehearsing solos. I signed out that clarinet so often that at some point I started to sign my name as “Clarinet” Ursabia and didn’t even notice. (The music teachers noticed, and apparently were amused by it.)
My then-”best friend” also played the clarinet. We were the 1st clarinetists in our high school’s Concert Band. We worked our way up the ranks with the graduation of our predecessors and the lack of talent of our elders. He liked to refer to himself as my Achilles, but in retrospect I see him as more of an ‘Arch Nemesis’.
In grade eleven, I was away sick on the day we began working on an arrangement in class that had a clarinet solo. Clarinet solos are rare. In my absence, my arch nemesis was given the solo, and upon my return, I naturally contested. I didn’t request that it be given to me (even though I considered myself a better clarinetist). I demanded an audition and a class vote. The teacher/conductor agreed. We each played the solo, and I got the part.
I still remember Daniel walking up to me right after class to say “You turned it into a popularity contest that you knew you were going to win.”
I thought it was bad enough that I didn’t let my worthy opponent walk away uncontested with the solo. Daniel highlighted a whole new level of selfishness in my actions that didn’t even occur to me.
Do I agree? It wasn’t conscious, but …
