Course Icons – Part 5 (continued)

Through the years, various people have joined me at that location.  When my daughter Katherine was learning recorder one year, she played that, while hula hooping.  Now she plays the trumpet so we did some duets last year and will again this year. 

My daughter Madeline threatens to bring her viola this year, and my son Peter is learning recorder, so I hope they’ll both help too.  Sometimes there is singing, especially if I don’t know a song that is requested, but the people with me do.  My sister Jeanne, who has run marathons, has come all the way from San Francisco to be there some years.  She is my “interpreter” – helping me understand what people request, since I don’t always hear their voices clearly while I’m playing a song.  I have a cheat sheet – a list of possible songs that would be fun, in case people don’t request anything for a while and we can’t think of anything else.  The runners toward the beginning of the race are pretty quiet and focused – we try to respect that and not make too much commotion, but the more time passes, the more fun we have!  People get silly and that’s one big reason we’re there – to try to make people smile or at least to feel a little better at a very grueling time.  I think it also helps the runners take their minds off of the pain and exhaustion for a little while.

I have so much respect for all of the runners.  We watch people’s t-shirts and try to play things that have something to do with the shirts if they don’t ask for something.  There are lots of military people involved so I try to always be ready to show respect and admiration by playing the song for the type of service they represent.  Also, it’s fun to come up with songs for people’s names, if they have their names on their shirts. I hope that doesn’t bug people!  When my husband is able to be there with me, I do much better with school songs for different states – I’m fine with the UNL fight songs (I was in the Cornhusker Marching Band) but I need help with Minnesota Rouser, the Notre Dame song, etc.  And of course I have sometimes played the “wrong” college song for a person’s state – KU instead of Kansas State, etc.  So I am afraid that I sometimes offend someone unintentionally.

Every year, several people request “Taps,” because of course they feel like they’re dying.  But I learned that if I start playing that, inevitably, the next person is going to yell at me because they don’t want to feel like they’re dying!  So my new response to a request to “Taps” is to play “Reveille” and wake them up a little.

Some of the most popular songs that people request are “You Are My Sunshine,” “Oh When the Saints Go Marching In,” “Eye of the Tiger,” “Theme from Rocky – Gonna Fly Now,” “Chariots of Fire,” and Nebraska fight songs.  Children’s songs like the theme from Sesame Street and the Hokey Pokey are bound to make people smile, and winter songs like “Jingle Bells” are nice when everyone is tired and sweaty.

I have different musical tastes than lots of people, so I am seriously lacking knowledge of current popular music.  I try to have a representative sample of things I hear on the radio ready (I even cram a little by listening to the radio more frequently prior to the marathon) but every year, several cool people request things I don’t know, and I feel really bad.  And, of course, lots of “popular” music doesn’t really translate well to solo trumpet.  (“Free Bird,” for example!)  One year, my friend Andrew brought his drum set, and along with it, the “cool factor.”  But he’s living in L.A. now, so I’m back to just being nerdy me.

There is usually a group of friends standing with us, and sometimes they join in.  Last year, Dave Hilligoss from KFOR Radio contributed some excellent triangle solos.  We had a few other percussion instruments available, so we were able to provide *more cowbell* whenever needed.
One year, I had a bunch of things going on and had not planned to go.  But the newspaper mentioned “the guy playing trumpet at Holmes Lake” so I felt like I should show up – both because I was expected to be there, and to prove that I’m not a guy.  Maybe I’ll wear an evening gown this year.
It’s hard to describe how invigorating and inspiring it is to watch the Lincoln Marathon.  I am a runner, but I’m more of a 5K kind of gal.  I can’t even imagine the time, training, endurance, dedication, and psychological power it takes to do a marathon.  I get a little teary every time I watch the marathon.  And the runners are very appreciative – I don’t know how they have the energy to smile and say thank you, but they do it.  I never expect that!  My hope is that the bit of music we provide helps someone feel a little better.  I’m a big believer in the power of music so it’s fun to see that happening every May!