This is a picture of the TSO trumpet section from 2002. From left to right are Jim Gardiner, Andrew McCandless, Jimmy Spragg and Bart Woomert. The twists and turns of life are always interesting to me. I knew from a young age that I wanted to play in a professional orchestra, and that I wanted to teach trumpet at the collegiate level. I never gave much thought to who I would play with or what they would be like. Would we get along? Would we have similar styles of playing? I’m fortunate to be able to say “yes” to both of those questions.
Here are a couple of examples:
My first week in Toronto was Bruckner’s 5th Symphony. I had flown up to sit on the audition committee for the orchestra. I wasn’t officially starting for several months so it was the first time I had really met everyone in the section and I was a bit nervous. Right after we took the A for the first concert ,Jimmy Spragg leaned over and whispered, “Take my hand.” I was pretty shocked. In fact, I was so shocked that I actually did it. Then he said, “Repeat after me. Dear God, don’t let me look up. Dear God, don’t let me F*** up.” I knew instantly that I was in a really strange place, but it was definitely the right place. This little prayer is known in Toronto as the Second Trumpets prayer and is often uttered during particularly challenging weeks.
The second week I played in Toronto was Mahler’s 3rd Symphony. It was still a few months before I was officially starting and I was up there to look for a house for the following season. After the first show the trumpet section went out for drinks. It was a hard show and I was pretty thirsty so I ordered a beer, a Canadian beer made by Creemore Brewery to be exact. I drank it pretty fast and ordered another one. After finishing the second beer I got up to go to the washroom. Before I made it up from the table my knees buckled and Jimmy had to help me stand up. As it turns out, Canadian beer is a little stronger than what I was used to. I made it to the washroom unassisted, but to this day I don’t drink quite as fast as I used to. Luckily for me the joke didn’t last too long.
The reality is that I am very lucky with these guys. We all like our jobs and each other. As Bart often says at work, “Ah shit, it’s too bad we don’t have any fun around here.” I call that my own personal prayer. I’m home at last! Amen!
Andrew
Ps. They took this picture when I was leaving Toronto to play in Dallas. They surprised me with the picture and a gold plated putter that was engraved with all of our initials. The putter is still hanging in my studio as a reminder never to leave this job again!
