The Leaves are Changing
I've got nothing to do and I'm in a more reflective mood, so I figure it's a good time for a post. I think the last time I wrote was sometime after a DCI show and after some things changed in my life. Well summer's about up, so reflection's in order.
Hmm, so where to begin. I last wrote after the show in Kalamazoo. Well moving on two weeks after, I was teaching the Muskegon Reeths-Puffer Marching Band. What a fun week. This was exactly the experience I was hoping for. I was working with some of the best staff and students I've ever encountered. Chuck and Brian are outstanding band directors. Everyday there was something to gather from the rehearsal and lunches. General conversation brought on some new perspective on how I've approached teaching. The kids themselves are just incredibly smart. I was amazed at how well they absorbed information and translated it into product and results. It's encouraging to see kids perform at the level so early in the season. Overall, a great success.
Following the Puffer camp, I spent a week filling in for Emery as the brass caption head at Lake Orion. What a cool experience for me. The hornline at Lake Orion is about fifteen members short of being a drum corps hornline. There was an amazing system already in place and it was incredibly easy for me to inject my pedagogy into the thought processes of the students. We made great strides being an ensemble that week and dove into some advanced concepts that I was never able to reach with Portage last year. This is a testament to how far these students have progressed and it's absolutely obvious this is a different group than your older brothers Lake Orion Marching Band. They were focused and engaged. They were set up for success for Emery's return following DCI Finals.
After Lake Orion was DCI World Championships at IU. It was incredible. It was certainly an exciting season and very cool to see all the groups perform their final product. I was particularly moved by performances by the Bluecoats and Phantom Regiment. These two groups performed at the highest level I'd seen them perform all season and it was just an amazing performance all around. Both groups moved up a position in finals, which was well deserved. Phantom Regiment was the world champion this year and I couldn't be more pleased with the champion. It was an amazing show and absolutely deserving of the many accolades it recieved. I did go to the Cavaliers rehearsal earlier in the day and got to see the final run through and the performance of "Rainbow" for all the age outs. Even at the end of the season, it's still hard as hell to sit on the other side. So many of my friends aged out with this show, and I think I'm always going to be jealous of that. I remember how I felt at the end of our last run through in 2007 in Pasadena. I cried for a couple reasons... one being it was the end of truly one of the hardest seasons and shows the drum corps has subjected itself too, and two being for the fact I was aware just how good I was. I was primed for another season as current marching member. Oh well, life goes on, and sometimes that absolutely sucks. At least I have one thing on my side... Once a Cavalier, always a Cavalier, and no one can take that from me.
Following Finals was the Lake Orion Band Camp, and this was also a blast. It was really cool being on brass staff. Sleeping in 'til eleven every day was incredibly nice. The staff itself was ALL drum corps. Two Bluecoats, a member of Regiment, and myself the Cavalier. It was definitely a blast, and I honestly learned a lot too. The trumpet instructor managed to help me understand straight leg technique a little better. I still like the technique I know, but I don't hate straight leg as much as I did before. A lot was accomplished for it being such an incredibly challenging show. Counting wise, it's the hardest thing I've really ever seen. I know I'd need a decent amount of time before I was able to perform this stuff at high level. They're handling it all very well. I've got some pretty high hopes for the season.
After that, it was time to relax and get ready to move. Allison and I spent some time before and after she moved in. I'm glad we got that time. In the next several weeks, I'm fairly certain we'll both be completely consumed by our separate lives. I feel better this time around as opposed to where I was last year with Ashley. I know I'll be able to do what I want to do without needing to "serve" Allison and be there one hundred percet of the time. She doesn't need it, and that's refreshing. None the less, I'm nervous and cautious and discouraged. There are certain things that feel just like last year, and that's got my heart in a race. I know Allison is a stronger-willed person than Ashley, and I also know her judgement is better, but I think I have a right to be nervous. What Ashley did screwed me up for a good long time, probably for good, although I just hide it most of the time, and I'm not sure I can deal with that again. Regardless of who I'm dating, I'm going out on a limb with this whole trust thing. The whole idea has been kind of beat to hell and I'm struggling to revive it. I've just found something I like and, for a number of reasons, seem to think this has a better chance at success. The last thing I'm going to do is surrender this notion quietly and not let this be just some fling.
Blah, change has never been one of my stronger suits. I'm conservative by personality and when things change in my little box, the whole world shakes. Yeah it's kind of pathetic, but hey, what're yah gonna do... I know that it'll get better, things just need to settle down. By and large, freshmen dudes will be dudes and try and sleep with whoever based on nothing more than looks and a laugh and they've just got love at first sight, and because the last girl I dated "put out" so to speak, I'm nervous. Oh well, I'm looking forward with quiet courage and enthusiasm. I also don't want my idiocy to a problem for her, because she deserves better than that....
So Saturday I'm going to the Michigan game with Allison! It's a six month anniversary more or less, and we're both U of M football fans so I'm thinking this'll be pretty cool. This is also going to be my first game at the Big House, so I'm super pumped about that as well!
Overall, there's a lot to look forward to. I just need to keep reason on my side and devils advocate far, far away. I have confidence... I just need more...
Splooie
joe
Hmm, so where to begin. I last wrote after the show in Kalamazoo. Well moving on two weeks after, I was teaching the Muskegon Reeths-Puffer Marching Band. What a fun week. This was exactly the experience I was hoping for. I was working with some of the best staff and students I've ever encountered. Chuck and Brian are outstanding band directors. Everyday there was something to gather from the rehearsal and lunches. General conversation brought on some new perspective on how I've approached teaching. The kids themselves are just incredibly smart. I was amazed at how well they absorbed information and translated it into product and results. It's encouraging to see kids perform at the level so early in the season. Overall, a great success.
Following the Puffer camp, I spent a week filling in for Emery as the brass caption head at Lake Orion. What a cool experience for me. The hornline at Lake Orion is about fifteen members short of being a drum corps hornline. There was an amazing system already in place and it was incredibly easy for me to inject my pedagogy into the thought processes of the students. We made great strides being an ensemble that week and dove into some advanced concepts that I was never able to reach with Portage last year. This is a testament to how far these students have progressed and it's absolutely obvious this is a different group than your older brothers Lake Orion Marching Band. They were focused and engaged. They were set up for success for Emery's return following DCI Finals.
After Lake Orion was DCI World Championships at IU. It was incredible. It was certainly an exciting season and very cool to see all the groups perform their final product. I was particularly moved by performances by the Bluecoats and Phantom Regiment. These two groups performed at the highest level I'd seen them perform all season and it was just an amazing performance all around. Both groups moved up a position in finals, which was well deserved. Phantom Regiment was the world champion this year and I couldn't be more pleased with the champion. It was an amazing show and absolutely deserving of the many accolades it recieved. I did go to the Cavaliers rehearsal earlier in the day and got to see the final run through and the performance of "Rainbow" for all the age outs. Even at the end of the season, it's still hard as hell to sit on the other side. So many of my friends aged out with this show, and I think I'm always going to be jealous of that. I remember how I felt at the end of our last run through in 2007 in Pasadena. I cried for a couple reasons... one being it was the end of truly one of the hardest seasons and shows the drum corps has subjected itself too, and two being for the fact I was aware just how good I was. I was primed for another season as current marching member. Oh well, life goes on, and sometimes that absolutely sucks. At least I have one thing on my side... Once a Cavalier, always a Cavalier, and no one can take that from me.
Following Finals was the Lake Orion Band Camp, and this was also a blast. It was really cool being on brass staff. Sleeping in 'til eleven every day was incredibly nice. The staff itself was ALL drum corps. Two Bluecoats, a member of Regiment, and myself the Cavalier. It was definitely a blast, and I honestly learned a lot too. The trumpet instructor managed to help me understand straight leg technique a little better. I still like the technique I know, but I don't hate straight leg as much as I did before. A lot was accomplished for it being such an incredibly challenging show. Counting wise, it's the hardest thing I've really ever seen. I know I'd need a decent amount of time before I was able to perform this stuff at high level. They're handling it all very well. I've got some pretty high hopes for the season.
After that, it was time to relax and get ready to move. Allison and I spent some time before and after she moved in. I'm glad we got that time. In the next several weeks, I'm fairly certain we'll both be completely consumed by our separate lives. I feel better this time around as opposed to where I was last year with Ashley. I know I'll be able to do what I want to do without needing to "serve" Allison and be there one hundred percet of the time. She doesn't need it, and that's refreshing. None the less, I'm nervous and cautious and discouraged. There are certain things that feel just like last year, and that's got my heart in a race. I know Allison is a stronger-willed person than Ashley, and I also know her judgement is better, but I think I have a right to be nervous. What Ashley did screwed me up for a good long time, probably for good, although I just hide it most of the time, and I'm not sure I can deal with that again. Regardless of who I'm dating, I'm going out on a limb with this whole trust thing. The whole idea has been kind of beat to hell and I'm struggling to revive it. I've just found something I like and, for a number of reasons, seem to think this has a better chance at success. The last thing I'm going to do is surrender this notion quietly and not let this be just some fling.
Blah, change has never been one of my stronger suits. I'm conservative by personality and when things change in my little box, the whole world shakes. Yeah it's kind of pathetic, but hey, what're yah gonna do... I know that it'll get better, things just need to settle down. By and large, freshmen dudes will be dudes and try and sleep with whoever based on nothing more than looks and a laugh and they've just got love at first sight, and because the last girl I dated "put out" so to speak, I'm nervous. Oh well, I'm looking forward with quiet courage and enthusiasm. I also don't want my idiocy to a problem for her, because she deserves better than that....
So Saturday I'm going to the Michigan game with Allison! It's a six month anniversary more or less, and we're both U of M football fans so I'm thinking this'll be pretty cool. This is also going to be my first game at the Big House, so I'm super pumped about that as well!
Overall, there's a lot to look forward to. I just need to keep reason on my side and devils advocate far, far away. I have confidence... I just need more...
Splooie
joe