A Dec. 4, University of Regina Wind Ensemble performance left an unforgettable impact on the audience — and one of the musicians.
Nearing the end of Holst’s First Suite in E-flat, Hannah Wildman was struck in the face with a flying mallet from fellow percussionist Brennan Kowalski.
“There were probably some swear words going on in my head at the exact moment. I don’t quite remember,” Wildman said with a laugh.
At the end of the movement, Kowalski was tasked with delivering three consecutive strikes to a bass drum. On the third hit, the mallet catapulted toward Wildman.
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A video that has gone viral, circulating tens of millions of times on social media, shows Wildman take the blow and leave the stage.
One Facebook version alone had more than 35 million views Friday, Wildman said.
Thankfully, Wildman wasn’t slated to play in the second movement.
“I splashed some water on my face, slapped myself a little bit and I went out for the third movement, so I didn’t even miss a beat,” the fourth-year student said.
She suffered a bump to the head, but didn’t have any lasting bruising.
“It was very, very painful. I couldn’t raise my eyebrows for a long time. Some people joked it was like I had Botox,” Wildman said.
She also said that Kowalski was “such a nice boy” and felt terrible about the collision. The two remain friends.
“We kept joking that he just had to buy me a beer later.”
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