At band practice last night I had the giggles. There is something about playing an F when everyone else plays an F# that always sets me off. Watch Tim Minchin's F sharp' if you don't know what I'm talking about. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9UWtcSvtiQw The evening started badly, when I tried to fix my clarinet with glue and only managed to stick my fingers together and my friend got her clarinet stuck in her scarf. Luckily, I'm not in charge of the band and so laughing is allowed. The problem is the conductor can't look at me because I might set her off and that would be unprofessional.
When playing for shows the band are put under the stage or right at the back and made to wear black so they can't be seen. Famed for their ugliness, members of a pit orchestra should be heard and not seen. But it can be lonely and so the band often make their own entertainment. Unprofessional giggling is part of that. At the last show I did I was in charge of the keyboard to make the farting and burping sounds for the Shrek song. The band decided that the sound should be used when the comedian bent over. It was very effective but the band were laughing so much it was hard to start the next song. That's unprofessional giggling.
Today was a day for such unprofessional behaviour. It's not professional for a music teacher to laugh so much at her pupils singing that tears stream down her face. When these five year olds grow up they will be heard telling their friends that they can't sing and they know they can't because their music teacher laughed at them. Honestly, though, I have never heard anything like it. They were all singing confidently. Unfortunately, not one child in the class was singing in time with any other child or in time with the music. One child repeatedly sang the word 'Shepherds' with an occasional 'Sheep' thrown in for good measure. Several echoed the last few words. Their enthusiasm could not be faulted.
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