RTOOT Announces
Spring 2013 Auditions
The Really Terrible Orchestra of the Triangle, a real symphonic orchestra of more than 50 members of varying ages and levels of talent, is holding auditions for their spring season. If you play (or have ever played) an orchestral instrument, and you think you might have what it takes to be Really Terrible, this is for you!
This season, we especially need more:
Flutes
Clarinets
Oboes
Bassoons
Trumpets
Trombones
French horns
Violas
And of course we can never have enough violins, cellos and basses!
Auditions are Sunday, January 13, from 2pm to 5pm, at the Cary Arts Center. You will be asked to play 2 scales in the keys of your choice, sight-read a short piece, and perform 2 or 3 minutes of a piece (or pieces) that demonstrate your level of playing. Don't be intimidated; if you still remember how to read music and can find your old instrument (it's in the back left-hand corner of your attic behind the box of school papers), you're halfway there!
Schedule your audition time by sending an email to rtootinfo@gmail.com and be sure to take a look around our website.
Who Are We
Welcome and
thank you for visiting the website of The Really Terrible Orchestra
Of the Triangle (RTOOT)! We invite you to explore our site, listen
to our music, leaf through our program materials, and watch our
rather odd movie, “The
Birth of an Orchestra”. While you’re
here, please sign our RTOOT Guestbook!
Who are we? The Really Terrible Orchestra Of the Triangle exists to
encourage those who have been prevented from playing music together
with others, either through lack of talent or some other factor, to
rehearse and perform in an ensemble of similarly afflicted players.
From a humble beginning in May 2008, we have grown into a 50-piece
symphony orchestra worthy of its role as one of the premiere
cultural gems of the Raleigh, Durham, and Chapel Hill NC (USA)
region known as the Research Triangle. Except that we’re pretty
terrible. Terrible, in the French sense of Des Enfants
Terribles ... in that
while we haven’t made fun of Bach or Mozart yet, we certainly have
had a naughty excursion or two with Strauss and Tchaikovsky.
We acknowledge
as our musical heritage the world-famous Really
Terrible Orchestra (RTO) of
Edinburgh, Scotland , which was founded by the eminent Scottish
author Alexander McCall Smith. Similar to the RTO, the primary goal
of The Really Terrible Orchestra Of the Triangle (RTOOT) is to
involve competent musicians in the Raleigh/Durham/Chapel Hill area
who are not quite competent enough to play with the Durham
Symphony, the Raleigh Symphony, or the Chapel Hill Philharmonia.
Our passionate mission is to reach out to the entire music
community, irrespective of individual expertise,
in order to underline our commitment to accessibility and
relevance. Accessibility,
because we provide a unique opportunity for musicians of any age,
gender, persuasion, political affiliation, race, who want to play
with a group, regardless of their level of competence. Relevance,
since our bizarre performances tend to attract the entire community
(including particularly those on the fringe) who enjoy a good show
and may never otherwise be lured inside a symphonic concert
hall.
All ages, races, genders, and persuasions of instrumentalists are
invited to join our ranks. In particular, if Mom played the viola
in college and Dad played the clarinet, and Junior is playing the
oboe in the middle school orchestra, make it a family occasion and
enjoy playing together in an ensemble!! Just send us an email (see
‘Contact Us’ at the bottom of the page) to sign up and request an
audition.
Yes. There are
auditions. We don’t want players who are toocompetent. Full
details are found on the “Auditions” page under “RTOOT Players
Retreat”
Professional
musicians may be accepted into membership if they pick up something
they’ve never played before and if they play it badly enough. For
example, the Zachary Taylor Smith Term Professor of Music at UNC
Chapel Hill is third flautist and piccolautist. His son is in the
cello section. A local saxophonist, heard quite often in broadway
touring pit orchestras, plays the oboe for The Really Terrible
Orchestra Of the Triangle (RTOOT).
Rehearsals are
held weekly on Sunday afternoon in Cary at the Herb Young Community
Center just off Academy Street or at the Bond Park Community Center
just off Highhouse Road.
Generally the
RTOOT performs thrice a year, in Durham, Raleigh, and Chapel Hill,
but is available at cost --
great cost -- for birthdays
and corporate events. Persons or organizations wishing to employ
The Really Terrible Orchestra Of the Triangle (RTOOT) or a subset
thereof, such as a string quartet or a chamber music ensemble,
should contact our commercial subsidiary, the RTP (Really Terrible
Philharmonic).
My Strow W.
Sands Hobgood
Founder and Conductor of the Really Terrible Orchestra Of the
Triangle is W. Sands Hobgood, keyboardist and conductor in the
triangle area since 1952. He has a legitimate job as a church
musician but believes that the associated institutions would wish
to remain anonymous. Mr. Hobgood, in addition to his conducting
activities, rearranges the hard parts for instruments that are
incapable of performing them as written.
Mr. Hobgood has also appeared in films produced by the local
collective 301 films (see www.301films.com) and appeared
in a major role in “Fast Freddie Fantastic”.
Furthermore, Mr. Hobgood also serves as the Really Terrible
Webmaster. He is now ably assisted by the Assistant Really Terrible
Webmastress, Ms. Rennie Martin, without whom you would not be
reading this.
Really
Terrible Webmaster W. Sands Hobgood consults with Assistant Really
Terrible Webmastress Rennie Martin over aspects of synchronization
of the HTML tags using an RSS feed over multiple CGI linkages
through the ASP interfaces at HostMonster, our server. Photo by
Chris Jones, 501 Diner.
The Assistant Conductor of The Really Terrible Orchestra Of the
Triangle (RTOOT) is Michael Lyle, who comes way over-qualified with
a MM in Conducting. We believe The Really Terrible Orchestra Of the
Triangle (RTOOT) to be the only civic orchestra in the Triangle
with an Assistant Conductor.
My Strow W.
Sands Hobgood discusses the program for the inaugural concert with
the Assistant Conductor of The Really Terrible Orchestra Of the
Triangle (RTOOT) Michael Lyle.
Photo by Chris Jones, 501 Diner.
RTOOT Now Found in Wikipedia
The
Really Terrible Orchestra Of the Triangle (RTOOT) is pleased to
note that we are now found in Wikipedia along with the
original RTO from Edinburgh Scotland.
Nonprofit
Status
The Really
Terrible Orchestra Of the Triangle (RTOOT) is chartered as a
Nonprofit Corporation in the State of North Carolina. It is
classified as a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt institution by the Internal
Revenue Service.
Board of Directors
The Board Of Directors Of The Really Terrible Orchestra Of the
Triangle (RTOOT), otherwise known as the BODORTOOT, includes the
following members (in alphabetical order):
• Professor Allen Anderson and Head of the Composition Area of the
Music Department of the University of North Carolina at Chapel
Hill. Professor Anderson is Vice President of the Board
• W. Sands Hobgood, conductor, music director, and founder of The
Really Terrible Orchestra Of the Triangle (RTOOT), and President
and Chairman of the Board
• Patti Jean Spinillo, who comes to us from the farming community
of Eli Whitney, NC, and who was the Principal Associate and Chief
Roadie on Mr. Hobgood's "Bless Your Heart Eastern European Organ
Concert Tour of 2001". Patti Jean serves as secretary to the
Board
• Florence
Peacock, who describes herself as Diva Soprano of Chapel Hill, NC,
and treasurer of the Board
• Douglass Little,who
lives in Raleigh and conducts a middle school orchestra in Chapel
Hill. She also plays with The Really Terrible Orchestra Of the
Triangle (RTOOT) and is principal cellist
--Number of
Visitors Since our Founding in May 2008
