We used to do brochures for the Society for Chamber Music in Rochester. I’d meet with two women who smoked like chimneys and we’d use clip art of medieval instruments in a two or three color brochure. This was quite a while ago. We’re still around but I don’t think they are.
When Margaret Explosion was doing the Friday Happy Hour gigs in the nineties we’d talk to Steve Brown, one of the three original owners of the Bug Jar, during breaks and he was pretty much out of his element behind the bar. He was working at Merrill Lynch during the day and liked talking money and investments. We had very little of each but as time went on he convinced us to meet with him in the old Lincoln First Tower downtown. I’m so happy now that he prodded us into putting something away. He moved up in the company and passed us off to Todd who is now out at Wells Fargo. Todd arranged an afternoon event at Monroe Country Club where he promised he wouldn’t talk any business so we went along for the ride. It was a beautiful day, a gorgeous setting and the Society for Chamber Music in Rochester performed.
During lunch we were seated with Matt, on the bassoon above, and we learned from his wife that they have a room in their house devoted to making reeds. There is an incredible amount of effort involved in making a bassoon reed and once you get a good one you’re lucky if it lasts a few days.