Redwood City, California, USA (Circa 1964-1965): When I was a young teenager, I played second chair, first violin in the school orchestra...
The director had a thing for The Sound of Music, so he found this piece called Highlights from the Sound of Music. He included it in every performance we did, which was four times a year. That means we practiced it ... all... year... long. Every day. For at least 20 minutes of each 90 minute rehearsal session. Every day.
What made it worse was that he was also the district director so every orchestra class of every junior high school in the district was required to practice that same piece so when we came together for the district-wide concert, once a year, it brought together dozens of early-teens who had had just quite enough of The Sound of Music.
To this day, when I run across a former orchestra member (there are about 100 of us around the country now) we greet each other with the question: "Do you still hate The Sound of Music?" And we always answer: "Yes!"
A few years ago I had occasion to visit Salzburg, Austria and was talking with a local in the Mozart Cafe (life-changing strudel, there) and she said, "Well, I imagine you'll want to visit the Von Trapp house." I snorted my coffee, painfully, and said "No Way!" She was surprised because EVERY American wants to visit the house, even though the Salzburgians they don't really know what the big deal is.
What makes it really rough is I have been married to a woman for 26 years who I love deeply, but who is also enamored with the musical. Whenever she decides to put in on I head for the pub and drink for three hours. It's much more enjoyable.
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