The Really
Terrible Orchestra Of the Triangle (RTOOT)
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 75-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.
=======================================
RTOOT
Headline
We
interrupt this RTOOT introduction to bring you the following
late-breaking news:
RTOOT Begins Rehearsals for Summer Season
Rehearsals for
the summer season of The Really Terrible Orchestra Of the Triangle
(RTOOT) are being held at the gymnasium of the Learning Tots
Academy of RTP at 1900 Sedwick Road, Just off route 55 in the
Research Triangle Park. Rehearsals are held from 3:00-5:00 Sunday
afternoons through August, and the public is welcome to come and
witness the chaos.
RTOOT Members Appear at Wake County Farmer’s Market
Members of The
Really Terrible Orchestra Of the Triangle (RTOOT) participated in
the Grand Opening of the Western Wake County Farmer’s Market on
Saturday, 30 May 2009, beginning at 11:00. A bassoon duo, a string
quartet, and other ensembles performed. The orchestra opened with a
portion of “The Blue Danube”. After the ensembles played, the full
orchestra came together for “Marche Slave”. The crowd joined our
songleader Philip van Leidth de Jeude in on the “Summertime
Ballgame Singalong”, with strains from “Summertime”, theme from “A
Summer Place” and “Take Me Out to the Ballgame.”
========================================
[Continuing
our dialogue] --
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
too
competent. 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 the Research
Triangle Park. We are determined to hold rehearsals in RTP rather
than in Raleigh, Chapel Hill, or Durham, considering this Really
Terrible Orchestra to be a Triangle-wide cultural gem.
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.
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):
• Associate Professor of Composition Allen Anderson of the Music Department of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Professor Anderson is Vice President of the Board
* William H. Curry, Resident Conductor of the North Carolina Symphony
• 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
* Zack Ward, President of Dirty South Improv Comedy Theater, Carrboro, NC