Monday, 26 April 2010 -- Day 127 (140)

The Northwest Iowa Jazz Band that I play in had our spring concert tonight. It's always a lot of fun rehearsing and performing w/ this group that I've been w/ now for nine years. We've been through a lot together beyond just playing music: weddings, divorces, personal and professional successes, illnesses, death, and a lot of 4th of July Flight Breakfasts. Our former bass player, Tom, passed away from a brain tumor about three years ago. His widow still comes to all our concerts, and of course she was there tonight. Just before I went on stage, I tapped her on the shoulder to tell her that I'd been thinking about Tom today. After every concert he would tell me they needed to mic my piano b/c he could never hear me, even though as part of the rhythm section we were pretty close together. Well, I wasn't miked again tonight, but somehow my piano seemed louder than it ever has. My husband noticed it too. I think Tom was giving me a boost.