My First Horn Solo

Tomorrow, I will be playing my first solo ever on the mellophone. I decided to play a song with the Vonage rock band during the company Christmas party.

The song is "The Dance" by Garth Brooks, and I chose it because it is a song about appreciating a fleeting moment with someone so much that you would never think of trying to change what happened to avoid the pain of that person leaving you. That's how I feel about Faith, and I felt that this would be a good opportunity to reflect on her life since she left us three days before Christmas last year. I have been spending some time thinking about whether I would introduce myself by saying some words, and thankfully no one has asked me to, so I plan to let the music speak for me and only mention that I am playing for my niece if someone asks (or they might find out if they read this).

I think it's time for me to start trying new things like this. I was very happy that the song is in G, and the horn is in G, and it was very easy for me to find sheet music that I could pull the melody line from and know that I would be able play along to the band. Ron and I are also playing some trumpet parts for Feliz Navidad, and that wasn't very easy at all for me to figure out, but with help from friends, we got it done, and the song will be full of fun surprises. :-)

So, anyway, here are the lyrics to "The Dance." Wish me luck!

Looking back on the memory of
The dance we shared 'neath the stars above
For a moment all the world was right
How could I have known that you'd ever say goodbye

And now I'm glad I didn't know
The way it all would end, the way it all would go
Our lives are better left to chance
I could have missed the pain
But I'd have had to miss the dance

Holding you, I held everything
For a moment wasn't I a king
But if I'd only known how the king would fall
Hey who's to say? you know I might have changed it all

And now I'm glad I didn't know
The way it all would end the way it all would go
Our lives are better left to chance
I could have missed the pain
But I'd have had to miss the dance

Yes my life, it's better left to chance
I could have missed the pain
But I'd have had to miss the dance