You look like a tuba player.
Whew! I get to eat my words!!!
Recruitment is going just fine. Today all of the instrumental staff spent the day at the intermediate school helping 5th graders try out and select instruments, except me. I took one for the team and stayed to finish the high school reherasal and run the two for middle school. Afterwards I joined the rest of my "team." The band was way behind the orchestra number-wise. We caught up during the 2 hours I was there. My coleagues suspect it was my awesome presence and inner"band is the coolest"glow. I suspect that it's just a coincidence, but I would like the prior to be true. In any case, they're doing just fine. Hooray!!!!!!!!!!
I realized after working with the 5th graders today that I miss their randomness. They actually do act like they're drunk all the time. They ask personal questions before they even know your name, tell you exactly what they think of your outfit and hair, and have no problem admitting that they are crabby, hungry, sick, or full of urine. At the age of 10 or 11 this candidness is coupled with a fairly adult vocabulary and range of facial expressions that completes the illusion that they are just intoxicated. For instance, one little girl named Gigi asked who I was. (I've learned that this question rarely means, "What's your name." It is more likely to mean "Explain yourself." ) I said, "I'm a band director from the middle school and high school."
"Then who's he?" she asked while pointing to Vic.
"He's also a band director from the middle school and high school. Those kids get two band directors. Isn't that cool?" I responded.
"Oh, then that's why you look so much alike." She said matter-of-factly.
Vic and I look absolutely nothing alike.
Vic smiled at her and said, "I think you mean familiar. That's why we look so familiar."
She then crinkled her forehead and ran down the hallway and out of sight, leaving her teacher and classmates gazing after her.
However, I loved the high schoolers today. Today we finished learning the drill for the second movement of our field show. There is one particular 30 count move that goes through two tempo changes and then leads into an abrupt 2 count grand pause that they just couldn't master this morning. On about the 7th repitition Vic and I counted them off, counted them through, and kept the beat on the gock block for them. Immediately after beat 30 the correct freeze and silence occured for a brief moment before someone back field shouted in pure frustration, "Damn it!... er... sorry." It was perfect. We all errupted in a solid case of the giggles and then re-set to the previous chart, tried it again, and nailed it. It was cold, wet, and cloudy but we were all happy to be there. The band has also started holding their own sectional rehearsals outside of school and at least two of them have worn the 2007 band shirt to school every day this week.
Recruitment is going just fine. Today all of the instrumental staff spent the day at the intermediate school helping 5th graders try out and select instruments, except me. I took one for the team and stayed to finish the high school reherasal and run the two for middle school. Afterwards I joined the rest of my "team." The band was way behind the orchestra number-wise. We caught up during the 2 hours I was there. My coleagues suspect it was my awesome presence and inner"band is the coolest"glow. I suspect that it's just a coincidence, but I would like the prior to be true. In any case, they're doing just fine. Hooray!!!!!!!!!!
I realized after working with the 5th graders today that I miss their randomness. They actually do act like they're drunk all the time. They ask personal questions before they even know your name, tell you exactly what they think of your outfit and hair, and have no problem admitting that they are crabby, hungry, sick, or full of urine. At the age of 10 or 11 this candidness is coupled with a fairly adult vocabulary and range of facial expressions that completes the illusion that they are just intoxicated. For instance, one little girl named Gigi asked who I was. (I've learned that this question rarely means, "What's your name." It is more likely to mean "Explain yourself." ) I said, "I'm a band director from the middle school and high school."
"Then who's he?" she asked while pointing to Vic.
"He's also a band director from the middle school and high school. Those kids get two band directors. Isn't that cool?" I responded.
"Oh, then that's why you look so much alike." She said matter-of-factly.
Vic and I look absolutely nothing alike.
Vic smiled at her and said, "I think you mean familiar. That's why we look so familiar."
She then crinkled her forehead and ran down the hallway and out of sight, leaving her teacher and classmates gazing after her.
However, I loved the high schoolers today. Today we finished learning the drill for the second movement of our field show. There is one particular 30 count move that goes through two tempo changes and then leads into an abrupt 2 count grand pause that they just couldn't master this morning. On about the 7th repitition Vic and I counted them off, counted them through, and kept the beat on the gock block for them. Immediately after beat 30 the correct freeze and silence occured for a brief moment before someone back field shouted in pure frustration, "Damn it!... er... sorry." It was perfect. We all errupted in a solid case of the giggles and then re-set to the previous chart, tried it again, and nailed it. It was cold, wet, and cloudy but we were all happy to be there. The band has also started holding their own sectional rehearsals outside of school and at least two of them have worn the 2007 band shirt to school every day this week.