When is a good time to get sick?

Being a freelance musician means you pretty much cannot get sick ever. However, when it does happen, results can be disastrous. The latest saga from the Met's run of Tristan und Isolde was met with sickness across the board, including a run off the stage by Isolde in order to alleviate an upset stomach. There was also the now somewhat infamous story of the lip-synced opera performance at the English National Opera.

For me, March was definitely out of the question - rehearsals everyday, concerts often, Holy Week and Easter Services. Yet everywhere I looked, people were coming down with the latest pre-spring cold and flu.

I watched as it moved down the line of basses and tenors in Pro Coro, stopping just short of me (good thing I was standing on the end for this concert). It also seemed every time I called home, someone in my family was sick (At least you can't catch a virus through the phone).

I got off pretty lucky this year in general, I did get the flu shot last October, which I think stayed off many of the viruses that were around the city this year, but this one laughed at the vaccine and landed me in bed for the past three days. However, in light of what I was doing this last month, and what is to come next month - there could not have been a better three days to be sick. It certainly would be so much easier if we could just "plan" our sick days.

"Oh sorry, I can't do that gig on the second weekend of April, 2011, I'll have the flu"