In 1990, I applied that approach to my Summer job as a professional theater company's bassist. I asked various directors, actors, actresses, and fellow musicians to sign the season program. In perusing it 30 years later, these are three of my favorite autographs, along with my reflections:
- "Thanks for your great and beautiful music! You're the Big Bow Wow! Don't you play (the bass) with a bow?" (Yes, although I sometimes pluck the strings, I also play bass with a bow. I appreciate the compliment also given to Snoopy, the most deservedly acclaimed beagle of the comic pages.)
- "It's been a fascinating experience sitting next to you in this musical. I've actually learned some things about the bass and how it's played...Because of all the pages I turned for you in this, I just (continued on next page) thought I'd make you turn one..." ("Turnabout is fair play," indeed. Being in the company's orchestra with two players from my high school jazz band was a welcome experience. Based on our shared experience there, I knew that the three of us had the saxophone, clarinet, and bass parts nailed.)
- "It's been wonderful working with you. I've really enjoyed all of our classic moments on stage. Yeah. Keep learning that geometry. HAH! :-)..." (There's a scene in "Ain't Misbehavin'" when the cast dances back toward the band and exchanges brief, random banter with the musicians. One night, I asked the actress who danced back toward me, "Don't you just hate proving triangles congruent as much as I do?" Later, we talked backstage about our shared dislike of geometry class.)
