Wed, June 26: 5:30 PM
I visit Marianne and Ronin the day before the broadcast. Ronin's
just getting ready to do a run-through with his musicians. He's
cheerful and he's walking fairly normal again. In a foot race
though, he probably couldn't catch a pregnant turtle.
Marianne busies herself making a lovely tomato and meat sauce.
This is advance preparation for the volunteers who'll come by
tomorrow to help with moving the equipment.
Same day: 7:30 PM
I'm down at the hair salon with Marianne. She's getting a cut
- the latest style - for her show tomorrow. Since she's hosting
the event, she wants to look her best. The hairdresser does a
good job. Very producer-like. A bit too "Melrose Place"
for me but it suits Marianne well.
Same day: 9:30 PM
Marianne has driven straight from the salon to Ronin's teaching
studio which lately, has been doubling as a rehearsal hall. Marianne's
here to watch a last run-through. Ronin and his musicians perform
the whole half hour set. Ronin even practices what he's going
to say in-between songs. The music sounds great. Ronin's a little
iffy on his speaking but he says with confidence that he'll be
fine tomorrow. One of the musicians has a cellular phone that
keeps ringing during the practice. Don't these things have an
off switch? I don't believe in cell phones myself. I like to stay
elusive.
Same day: 11:00 PM
After the musicians leave, Ronin and Marianne disassemble
the Roland digital piano and load it into their hatchback. They're
bringing it back to Gopher so that all the equipment will be in
one place for the move to the store tomorrow. Ronin's not mechanically
adept so Marianne and I had to figure out what to do. I swear
I don't know what Ronin would do without us. Marianne drops me
off for the night.
June 27: 1:00 PM
I arrive at Gopher in time to watch Ronin practicing what
he's going to say tonight. I'm surprised at how much performers
have to rehearse. Ronin meticulously goes over every little detail.
Linda is already there. We're both here to help Marianne today.
Ronin heads off to his cello player's house for one more final
practice. He brings some of the sauce Marianne made yesterday
and some pasta. Ronin always eats a lot when he's excited.
Same day: 5:00 PM
The rest of the volunteers - Angela, Dan, and Steve - have
arrived. Marianne has heated up the sauce and made the pasta.
We're having a sumptuous feast of spaghetti and meat sauce. The
computer specialist from LKW arrives. There's a last minute problem
with the set-up. He had to pick up the correct modem today. He
meets with Marianne for a while. Then, it's time to move. Marianne
doesn't get to eat. I'm glad I'm a writer and not a producer.
I always get to eat what I cook.
Same day: 6:30 PM
We arrive at the HMV store with all the equipment. In total, we
had to load up one digital piano, four microphones and mic stands,
a mixing board, a computer screen and tower stand, and two huge
PAs. Those suckers must have weighed sixty or seventy pounds.
Fortunately, Dan and Steve were on hand. I would have been a double
hernia candidate if I tried carrying one down the stairs.
Ronin, Cindy, the violinist, and Emily, the cellist, are already
at the store. Ronin helps with the set-up. He's not great at mechanical
things but at least he's a good lifter.
Same day: 7:15 PM
Quickly, the piano, the microphones, the musicians' chairs
and instruments, and the computer are set up. Marianne has organized
the volunteers well. Maybe she has military training. The PAs
are a problem, though. These monsters need to be placed on eight-foot
high stands. The volunteers look each other with a "I'm not
going to do it" look. Fortunately, Graham from the HMV store
easily lifts the PAs onto each stand. He's had rock band experience.
It seems you always need one extremely strong person in a rock
band. Another barrier to entry, I suppose. Ronin's extremely thirsty
so he goes to a nearby store to get a Snapple®.
Same day: 7:50 PM
Bad news! The LKW computer guy can't get a direct line out
from the store. The broadcast ain't working! The pre-taped interview
goes up as planned but it's only ten minutes before broadcast
time. Lynx Internet sends its representatives down to watch the
show and to help out on the computer end. They help the LKW guy
to try and find a solution.
Marianne decides to do a sound check anyway. There's an awful
problem with feedback going through the PAs. Marianne fiddles
with the mixer until she gets a balanced sound. The piano volume
sounds much louder than the strings but that's the best she can
do. It's looking tense as Ronin's guests start piling into the
store.
Same day: 8:30 PM
A breakthrough! The computer guys have solved the problem
by using HMV's fax line. It works. The broadcast is on. I'm amazed
at how stoically Ronin and Marianne have handled everything. Maybe
they both have military experience. I've known Ronin for years.
He's a pleasant guy but there's a certain hardness about him.
Mind you, he probably says the same thing about me.
Half an hour late but at least the show is going on! We've done
it. Our first Internet Broadcast. (As a volunteer, I have the
right to call it 'our broadcast.') To think that it started just
as an some idle comment I made to Ronin. Maybe this broadcast
is the sign of things to come.
Same day: 9:05 PM
The show goes off very well. All the detailed rehearsal paid
off. The songs and the speeches sound very fresh and relaxed.
After the show, a crowd gathers to have "A Comet's Tale"
CDs and posters signed.
Same day: 10:00 PM
The reloading of the equipment from the store into the cars
is complete. Ronin, Marianne, the musicians, and the rest of us
volunteers drive off to return the equipment to Gopher and to
the teaching studio. Afterwards, we celebrate with champagne and
cheesecake. The volunteers don't drink much. I take up the slack
on the champagne and decide to spend the night on the fold-out
couch. I go to sleep dreaming about publishing deals and best
seller lists.
