Our stake is putting on a melodrama. The woman putting the whole thing together was apparently getting desperate to find a pianist after being turned down several times--so she called me.
I explained that I could play sheet music but that I'm not much of an improviser. Knowing that I was going to be at the home of a really great pianist in a couple of days (in our old Orem ward), I agreed to do it, or at least to find some music if I could.
I turned to the internet and, without too much trouble, found some old music originally composed for use by the piano players that accompanied silent movies. There was "sailor music" and "hurry music" and "funeral music" and "battle music." The pieces weren't very hard to play and I had a great time at the rehearsal bouncing through the pieces and the actors really enjoyed having some sound effects. So I guess I have the gig. We perform in about two weeks.
Wasn't it Dad's grandma that played the piano for the silent movies? Which one?
