Monday, June 4, 2012

Brass Liberation Orchestra



Brass Liberation Orchestra

My friend and I heard them coming down Valencia St. yesterday. Quite a motley crew, blaring on trumpets and beating on drums. The sound pierced the lazy Sunday afternoon, broke a hole in the invisible ceiling above the street of shops, as people went about their business shopping, begging or stealing. And we suddenly realized: we were outdoors, with nothing between us and the sky. This annoyed some people and delighted others. Of two strollers that passed by, I saw one baby wiggling to the music and the other covering its ears: politics begins earlier than we imagine! As for me, my first urge was to march behind the band, no matter what their political affiliations. So my friend and I did that, along with two touristy guys in cowboy hats made from Coors beer cartons. As we marched I felt like I was in some Eastern European village, on my way to the Shrovetide festivities. It also made me think of the marches in Mahler's 3rd Symphony... more on that later.

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