Story time!
Yay!
The OG, story time!
Woo!
Today we're going to tell you about all the times
that we had embarrassing story times...
...in our classical music career.
The most embarrassing stories...
Therefore if you ever go through something embarrassing,
you can be like, "It's okay."
- Probably not as embarrassing as the stuff we've done. - I know.
So I think today we'll just go through our stories...
...from our classical careers.
I think there's a lot of embarrassing stories.
Some people were asking what the proton numbers on this were.
They're based off the periodic table.
- Yep. - 59..I don't know what element that is.
Cerium.
Titanium.
Anyway guys, this shirt will be restocked soon.
It sold out very quickly.
We know...but it's really cool, right?
Ta-da!
Also...ta-da!
Anyway, "Tea time with TwoSet: Story time."
- We're back with tea. - Whoa!
Green tea.
Alright, so the first story is,
I'll tell you the one where I forgot my music on stage.
So this was back in the days when I was...
...playing uh...in an orchestra.
And it was 2 shifts, 2 concerts and in-between...
...2 concerts which were ballets,
- Uh-huh. - Ballets are notoriously known for being really long and
kind of soul-crushing.
Double concert, right?
- Double Concert. - For like, 6 hours.
6 hours of playing.
And in-between, alas,
I had to have a quartet competition concert and...
I was meant to be in that quartet, but I was injured.
- Yeah, you were injured, so... - So we had someone else go...
Found a replacement.
- I ran after the ballerina concert like, ran back. - Uh-huh.
I didn't even practice quartet,
but I couldn't warm up or anything, ran back.
And in the concert hall was this, uh,
The Tokyo String Quartet,
and in the classical world it's just you know,
- a well-known quartet. - And they were the judges or...?
Yeah, they were part of the judges as well.
And so I ran back.
We were playing the Mozart String Quartet,
I...I can't even remember which one, but it's...
I walked on the stage,
and I saw my stand,
and I was like, "Where the hell is the music?"
And I was like, "Oh."
"Oh my God."
"I think it's back at—"
And I remember looking at the stand,
I looked at my hand, I was like, "It's not on my hand."
"I think it's backstage."
So what happened was we walked on,
we bowed and I was just like...
Like this to the audience, like, "One second."
- I didn't even say anything, I was like... - *groans*
I don't know why I whispered it, but I was like...
"One second."
And I ran offstage.
It was so embarrassing, 'cause it's a big concert hall.
Oh no. Was it a concert or a competition?
Competition, but in the Con Theatre.
Yeah, so like really formal.
Did you not notice the other members had their music?
Yeah, I was too tired.
That's what happens when you play ballet.
So I ran off stage, I was like, "Oh, s***...!"
Did you know where the music was?
I found it.
- Luckily it was next to my case. - Ohhh.
- And I was like—it was all scrunched up. - *groans*
- Imagine if you didn't bring your music. - Oh my God.
That's be the worst.
I ran back on, and I was like...
When I walked on, it was so—still quiet,
Then I heard my friend cheer.
He was like— *incoherent screeching*
*laughs*
- And I was like, "Ohh so embarrassing." - Oh no! Are you serious?
Yeah, it was so embarrassing.
Oh that's funny, I did not know that.
And I didn't even tune.
The 2nd violinist, cello played,
viola plays, well the whole string quartet there.
I think the violist starts with...
And as I was coming in,
I realized my mute was still on, from the ballet
- Oh bro... - So I didn't touch the violin. I didn't even tune.
If I had tuned, I would've known that the mute was on.
So I was like...
And I came in like half a second later, I was like...
Were the...was the quartet mad at you?
I don't know, it was just embarrassing.
I just left after that.
I didn't even know what happened.
I just left, because I had another ballet!
It's hard being a—
Because you were a uni student right?
- Yeah. - It's hard being a uni student trying to balance...
...making like an income, versus your studies.
It was pretty stressful, and embarrassing...
...but it's alright.
It gets worth.
Damn, I don't think I have something like that.
I mean, I have a few but they're all like...
No, your...I know some of yours.
Like you forgot your violin.
*laughs*
- Oh I forgot about that! - See, Eddy, Eddy's not on a co—
He's not on concert problems.
He's like FORGETTING problems.
We have this yearly Australian Youth Orchestra.
- It was...yeah. - Uh-huh.
I guess it's what would be called like a "festival" or "music camp",
and I believe that year was either in...
...Melbourne?
- I think it was Canberra. Yeah. - Canberra. Yeah.
And so in the morning, Mum drove me to the airport.
- All the kids from Brisbane were on the same flight. - Yeah.
So at the airport, all the Brisbane kids.
We all knew each other,
- we were like, "Hey! What's up? What's up? What's up?" - Like a get-together.
And then we're at the airport, about to get on the flight,
I can't remember who.
Someone was like,
"Eddy, where's your violin?"
And I, like, had my...
...bag and my, like, my suitcase.
I was all prepped up. I was like, I've got everything,
and then I was just like..
"Ohh, s***—"
I was like, "I didn't bring it!"
And then I remember that friend saying,
"Haha, no, seriously like, where's your violin?"
I'm like, "No, I'm serious."
"I forgot it. It was at home."
- And this was early in the morning as well. - Yeah.
I think my mum, being the angel she is, bless her.
- I think she drove back home to grab my violin. - No, your sister!
Was it my sister?
"Forgetting" problems.
I remember the story! You're blocking this out.
Your...your sister got a taxi with your violin
- and the taxi broke down. - Oh yeah!
- No, that's what happened. - Oh my God.
- He blocked it out. - I forgot this!
I still remember 'cause you called me
and was like, "Yo I forgot my violin."
I'm like, "Haha, what a joke!"
And I see him walk into the airport, with no violin.
I was like, "Wow, goodbye."
"You're not gonna make this flight."
Yeah, I missed the flight.
But, they gave—I got on to the next one. It was all good.
Don't worry, we take good care of our instruments.
I feel like, for me, it's not really that embarrassing actually,
but what feels most embarrassing often was—is actually just
when I performed on stage.
- I've got shaky bow. It sucks. It definitely sucks. - It's such a soul-crushing feeling.
There were a few performances I did where I just,
like slow pieces were...
literally 4 minutes of, like, legato was like four minutes of ricochet.
- Oh my God...yeah. - And it's like the longest 4 minutes in my life.
Another one, I was like, this is really bad actually.
I was in the Sydney Recital Hall.
- And we were playing with an orchestra. - Yeah.
We were playing Mozart's Symphony No. 40,
and I was leading the 2nd violins this time.
It was set up so the 1st violins on the outside,
and the 2nd violins were on the other side.
- So from audience's perspective... - Ah, where the cellos normally sit, right?
Yeah, and 1st violin—2nd violins are here, first and second.
And I was sitting outside, right?
I was like...
And then in the concert,
I forgot there was a repeat.
So what happens, if you don't know the song,
but when it starts, it's like the violas and cellos like...
And the violins go...
Like, really soft.
And then if you don't do the repeat, it goes...
- Yeah. - 2 big chords, come straight away.
Yeah. And then...
Something like that...
- I can't remember. - Yeah.
- And then goes back. Repeat goes... - Yeah.
And I went...
'Cause it was like the development, it's like...chord change!
Ohhh...
- Just like a complete different key. - Different key.
Everyone's pianissimo and I went fortissimo.
And then I remember thinking,
And I was like, "Why is my deskie not turning the page?"
*scoffs* Doesn't matter. I remember it.
Because I'm awesome.
I think I realised as I was doing the gesture of playing a chord.
But it was too late when I realised ,so it was kind of like a...
*groans*
You know, like a...
Like a half-stop.
And the conductor, Richard Gill, he was like...
"Woah!!!"
Now you just reminded me, I did something similar...
...but with a professional orchestra.
- I was with... - Oh my God, no.
And it was my first month,
playing with this first professional orchestra,
It's a big deal like,
You're a new young guy coming into a professional orchestra.
They were all like,
...veterans that have been in there for 10-15 years.
And this was my first time doing opera in the pit.
It was a Mozart Opera, and it was the overture.
And I just remember the way the music was written out,
kept messing with my head.
So for whatever reason, I kept...
- There was this one bit where I kept skipping a line. - *scoffs*
- That's the worst. - And...my deskie was, like...
...like, really pro like, 1st violinist, and I was just like,
It was, like, this soft overture
And then we would be like,
And then there'll be like rest, and go piano.
But for whatever reason I kept—when they're going piano,
I kept doing one extra by accident, I'll just be like,
And it's already bad enough, like...
- *groans* - This new kid, in a pro orchestra...
*groans*
- That's... - Like in a concert, just goes...
*groans*
And then...
No, then here's the worst bit though.
That overture has a repeat,
- and I must've been so nervous, and zoned out. - You did it again?
And on the repeat I did it again!
Twice!
The same mistake!
But they were so nice. The—
I mean, the girl next to me was just like,
"It's okay, people make mistakes."
But I reckon she was probably thinking like, "This—
"How did you do it again?"
Idiot!
Yeah, you can feel like the whole audience and...
- ...just looking at you. - Right.
- And your face just goes red. - Yeah.
That just reminded me of another one.
- I messed up a solo in an orchestra concert with AYO. - Really?
- Which solo was this? - I can't re—It was the Strauss,
and I had a solo part, the concertmaster's spot,
- And I came in a bar ear— - Strauss?!
Yeah—or something like that. Came in a bar early.
You know there was a time actually, in professional orchestra,
you know, sometimes how like, I think, the...
- ...associate concertmaster had to go for some reason? - Yeah.
So the second half of the rehearsal, he'd pick like...
- ...different casuals from the back to sit up at the front. - Ohh.
- So I got picked, - Yeah.
and it was the last movement of Rach[maninoff] Symphony No. 2.
So it's like really hard, it's like...
Nah, I can't even play it.
Being the great orchestral musician I was, I was like,
"Yeah, I've played this piece before, you know."
"I'll just sightread it on the first rehearsal, and then...
...it'll come back to me by the concert."
And so I was sitting in the front,
it was the 4th movement, and I was like,
...half-faking...it.
I mean, I was like hitting half the notes, maybe.
And I remember the conductor stopped,
and he turns around and he goes...
"1st violins, I see bowings going in opposite directions.
What's happening?"
*groans*
And I knew at that moment, it was me. Like it was me. *nervous chuckle*
Because I was sight reading.
And then the concertmaster had to be like,
"Yes, sorry, the music's a bit hard to read, but we'll work on it."
- *groans* - Oh, he just bailed me out.
And I was just like, "I'm so sorry."
- "I'm so sorry. I—" - *groaning intensifies*
And then from then on, I practiced.
I had a similar one. Mahler 7.
- At Sydney Symphony, it was one of my first calls. - Really?
And Mahler 7 is one of those ones where
- the tempo just keeps changing every... - Uh-huh.
Do you know it? It's like...
It's not well-known, it's just...
Like the less, not a lot of people play it.
Because it's so messed up.
Mm-hmm.
- I had, like, literally faked it as well. - Mm-hmm.
And by the concert I still couldn't play it.
And it was like the first time you know,
I was just panicking, I was like, "What's going—"
I couldn't even, I couldn't follow the conductor,
- Like my comprehension. - Yeah
I needed to focus on the music,
- and I didn't have enough mental capacity to, like, - Yeah.
Keep...with the conductor.
- Yeah - So my bet was like peripheral vision with my deskie,
Up the front, hoping I can just like,
- try and catch every movement she does. - Yeah
Orchestra's so high-risk.
'Cause it's like if you're playing solo, you mess up,
It's just on you.
But if you mess up in orchestra, it's like,
you just ruined a hundred people's teamwork type of thing.
I know, and you know it's like, you're the one that took everyone--
- Brought everyone down with you, you're like, "Argh!" - Yeah, essentially.
I mean, I'd say the same with our performances.
- Our first concert, we were so nervous. - Oh, Brisbane.
-Yeah. - Our very first TwoSet concert was...
- Nerve-racking. - I've never felt like...
- Adrenaline and nerves kick in that much in my whole life. - Yeah, yeah.
'Cause we don't know what to expect.
It's like, we've never done a comedy show.
We've never done one.
- That was crazy. - I remember walking through that door, I was like...
But it was like,
It felt like you were gonna go for a skydive or something.
I've never done skydiving but just that...
- Yeah. - Oh, sh...
Then we'd have a VIP meeting
and we had no idea what we were doing.
Oh yeah.
But it was nice meeting all of you in the beginning.
A string chamber ensemble concert at the University.
- You know, you're just trying to do selectives to get credit. - Uh-huh.
There's this concert I've never—
There was this orchestra that I just never went to rehearsals.
- Uh-huh. - And on the day,
I just needed to show up to the concert to get the credit.
- Mm-hmm. - So I was with my friend, and we rocked up late.
We rocked up to the concert hall while they were tuning,
and I had no idea what they were playing.
So we had our music half-opened.
There were pages missing.
And our music was upside down.
So after a while, me and my bro were just like
looking over the shoulder,
and they were all standing up
- So it was like, chamber orchestra - Was this *inaudible*
- Yeah, it's like... - *laughs*
You guys would've been so funny.
We were just like...
And we were just like looking over.
I remember the twins. You remember the twin brothers?
Yeah, yeah, the b...
- The *inaudible*, yeah... - Yeah, yeah...
Looking over their shoulders, I'm like...
They were pretty tall so I was trying to look at the music.
And they're—
I think one was nice to move away a bit,
kinda just like, gave us to see.
Anyway, guys.
That's it for tea story time today.
For other stories you guys have, comment below.
Tell us your stories, we'll be curious.
- Mm-hmm. - That's right. We might read some.
Once again, if you're studying, keep it up.
Things will happen, don't worry, it happens to all of us.
- Yeah. - And there's plenty more to come.
Mm-hmm.
One of our live TwoSet shows...
At the very end, when we began to play Navarra,
- and we picked up each other's bows by accident! - Ohh! Singapore!
- That was Singapore? Oh yeah. - Singapore.
So there were 2 shows in Singapore,
one of the shows in Singapore we picked up the wrong bows.
So we started to play, and I immediately looked up.
And I'm like...
I was like, "What?"
- I think you didn't realise for a bit. - I didn't realise.
But then once we got to the spiccato, you were like...
Yeah.
It felt different, but I was so adrenaline rushed so I was like,
"Just get on with the show. Just doing the show."
"Just be in the, just...in the show."
Yeah.
And I was like...
And I looked at you, you're like...
Wrong bow!
Anyway, guys.
I had a chin rest fall off in one of our shows.
And our microphone snapped.
- Oh...dude... - He snapped a microphone.
Oh it's all coming back now. All the memories.
- If you like this video, we'll do a second one. - Yeah.
Subscribe, like, comment your stories.
Thank you guys so much for watching.
- Check out the merch. - Thank you.
I think this will be restocked soon.
- Yes. - This is probably around...popular.
Practice.
Go practice!