Friday the 13th. How many bad things could happen today?

Instead of a traditional “listen to this” post, I’m going to bend to popular culture and put give a list of fails, not because we need a laugh at someone else’s expense, but because, well, it happens. We’ve all had a day where fate seems to be against us and we screw up big time. The real test is not whether we screw up or not, it’s in how we pick ourselves up afterwards and move on gracefully.

Speaking of picking ourselves up, that’s exactly what this unfortunate tenor has to do.

I really admire this guy, because under the high-stress of being onstage, trying to remember his words, notes, choreography, and acting, his fall only stops him for a second, and then he’s back on task – and look at the great response from the audience. We’ve been there, man, we’ve all been there.

Equipment malfunction is a major cause of musical disaster. Sometimes, there’s nothing you can do except put down your instrument and try to look good.

Hey, it happens.

And of course, the classic “sheet music falls off the stand” disaster – always at the pivotal moment of your performance, too.

It happens; bravo to this timpanist who keeps his cool and doesn’t miss a note.

And then, sometimes the malfunction doesn’t have to do with the equipment itself, but because the musician doesn’t know how to use the equipment – like this organist who accidentally hits a transposing button at the most important and iconic part of Handel’s Messiah.

It happens. Bad luck to this organist that s/he was playing the loudest instrument at the loudest moment of a loud piece when “it” hit the fan.

But then, sometimes you screw up because you’ve been drinking. Even if you don’t know Bolero, you can probably spot the errors.

We’ve been there. Keep calm and carry on making music.