A time to shine: Piccolo player says Pops Fourth of July concert never loses its luster

One of the highlights of the Boston Pops' Fourth of July concert on the Esplanade is the orchestra's performance of "The Stars and Stripes Forever."

The John Philip Sousa composition is the official national march of the United States. And one of the best known parts of the song is when the piccolos get to shine.

Renée Krimsier is one of the three musicians who will play that special part of the march. They'll don patriotic hats and stand up, with TV cameras rolling live. Being in the spotlight for that moment doesn't faze her.

"Well, we do it enough, I have to tell you, that we have it kind of down," Krimsier told Lynn Jolicoeur on WBUR's All Things Considered. "And [Pops conductor] Keith [Lockhart] steps aside, just to give us our little showpiece. He tries some funny things in there when we have our little trills at the end. He kind of moves his fingers, and a couple of people have asked him, 'Are you cueing them to make that trill sound?' He said, 'No, I'm just having some fun with them.' "

Krimsier said a fellow flutist dubbed the piccolo the "wicked stick."

"I tend to agree with it, because it looks like this tiny little thing," she said. "You think 'no big deal,' but it's actually an incredibly hard instrument to play."

That's because its small size leads to higher pitch frequencies that are unforgiving when even the slightest bit off, meaning it's easier to play out of tune than many other instruments.

Krimsier hasn't kept count of the Independence Day concerts she's played with the Boston Pops. But she knows it's a lot. She performed under conductor John Williams, as well as many times under Lockhart, who is celebrating his 30th year with the Pops. She said the experience hasn't lost its shine.

"It's an amazing [event]. It's America's birthday party," she said. "There's a thrill to sitting on that stage and looking out at that many people having a great time."

She added that there are challenges, as well, including timing segments of the concert "down to the second" to coordinate with the television coverage and military jet flyovers, and the weather — from searing heat and humidity to thunderstorms some years.

Asked whether these tumultuous political times for the United States provide a challenging backdrop for a patriotic holiday concert, Krimsier said she can't help but be "taken in" by the celebration.

"I know there's so much happening in the world today, and so many questions about our involvements and all things nationally and internationally and how we handle things," Krimsier said. "But let's start with just the orchestra. There's something we're doing that's trying to create something to bring joy to our community, to the world."

She noted that some of the songs the Pops play include positive messages about doing the "right thing in the world."

"And I think we put aside any sort of political questions, and we just try to celebrate what we have here in this wonderful country," she said.