So this song came up on shuffle today:

I hadn’t heard it in a while and I forgot what a tremendous feeling of anxiety that opening gives me.

Why, you ask?
(Shut up, just pretend you asked.)

Well, we were going to play this in band in 7th grade. We didn’t have any oboe players to play that opening solo thingy at 2:18, so being the nerdiest band nerd that ever nerded, I said, “hey Mr. Garrett, I’ll learn oboe, an instrument I’ve never even touched!” So I got my hands on an oboe and had about three weeks to learn how to play it (and play it well enough to do the solo thingy). I remember being so incredibly anxious about it every single time we practiced and, of course, when we performed it. I can’t remember how badly I botched it, but I’m sure I botched it quite nicely.

Anyway.

Also, cannons have nothing on the MAHLER HAMMER!