Last chair. It just sounds bad. It's the opposite of "first chair." Out of 15 junior high clarinet students, I sat in the last chair. If someone would have told me back then that I would play the Key Club in Hollywood or the Royal Conservatory of Ghent, you know what I might have said? "I know." Even when I was the worst, I still had a dream. My ignorance and oblivion served me well. Had I been a little more aware, I may not have tried so hard. Sure, it has been a rocky road and I didn't get to do everything I wanted to do but I continue to enjoy every opportunity. That's really it: enjoy every opportunity because that may be it. Even as I write this, I find myself thinking of my ability when I played the above mentioned performances. I'm a much more competent musician now. My ignorance and oblivion has served me well.
