It's been a month since my last post, and a lot's been going on. The business has been on hold due to the fact that neither I nor my partner has enough income to do the things we need to do, and we need to raise some funds to incorporate so we can get said funds via loans, grants, etc. We've got lots of great ideas. It's going to be a home run. It's just a waiting game right now, and that sucks.
Band season ended this weekend, and I'm going through that period where you look back and assess what went right, what went wrong, what you could have done differently, what you will do differently in the future, do I really know what the hell I'm talking about, etc, etc, etc. It's a yearly ritual that starts painfully and then usually ends with me having learned something. It's how I try to get my students and drum corps members to approach rehearsals, but I'm not usually very successful with my convincing.
Self assessment is hard for most people. Being able to detach yourself emotionally from a situation long enough to try to take an objective look at yourself and how you're doing what you're doing is not something that comes natural to most people...at least not anymore. Parents, media, society all tell people that their poop doesn't stink and that hurt feelings or experiencing failure are wrong. I disagree. Life is spent in various stages of failure...some minor like not doing the dishes, and some major. I feel that it's absolutely essential to your personal development to acknowledge your failures, to take a good hard look at them and experience the feelings and emotions associated with said failure to the fullest. This will allow you to recognize success and to enjoy it, plus it will teach you what your tendencies towards failure are and how to improve upon them to create more instances of success...not to mention that when you experience success you'll become hungry for it and strive harder for success.
You cannot approach life with a fear of failing. Instead, prepare as much as you can and be confident in your ability to succeed. If you fail, get up, assess, learn, and go right back out there to take another punch.
I have some very strong beliefs and feelings when it comes to programming, writing for, and teaching marching bands and drum corps, so it's sometimes difficult for me to look at it and see what is a failure and what is something I believe in but just wasn't successful with. For instance, I believe in programming interesting shows that keep the kids engaged, let them to put some of themselves into the production, and teach them skills about performance and music that they would not likely learn otherwise. Of course, these kinds of shows are more difficult and take more concentration, rehearsals, focus, and planning to achieve them while other bands are not challenging their students and perform easy, unimaginative shows and have more success. Is this a failure on my part to recognize the "game" and give in, or is it a failure on my part that I'm not always able to motivate all of the students to put in the work at home, or motivate the parents to help hold the kids accountable for practicing? Is that even my job?
I think there are some tendencies towards failure that I need to work on. My teaching style has become a little "forgiving," I should say, over the last few years. Maybe I'm not concentrating on the discipline aspect of band or corps as much as I should be. However, I don't think that I'm likely to change my approach or my beliefs in challenging my students and giving them a show that they can feel good about. Any band can pick 3 songs, write some drill, and perform a show clean...but what are they learning? Are they learning? They could be...but are they engaged in the program? Are they being pushed to achieve more and expect great things from themselves? Is it worth their time to put down the Guitar Hero and practice their instruments instead?
Of course, there's little evidence that my way is worth their time to put down the Guitar Hero and practice either. That's where I question myself. Am I simply just making my job harder than it needs to be and getting the same results that other bands get from a more simple approach?
Probably.
It's hit or miss from school to school. I'd like to blame it on the culture, but I can't. I've taught at schools in bad areas where the kids are generally lazy and blame everyone else for everything and have had success. I've taught at great schools where the kids are motivated and hard working and have not had success.
Part of the key seems to be the parents, because for better or worse they are the most influential people in their kids lives...way more influential than I could ever be. Instilling a good work ethic, manners, and confidence in kids from an early age is paramount to success. Parenting is the most important job in the world without question, yet no parents receive any training aside from trying to remember what their parents did with them. If you get the parents on board with the program, that's a big help.
Another big key is the staff. You don't need the big names that command tons of money and have a resume a mile long. What you need is chemistry and respect. You need a couple of people who really know what they're talking about and the rest of the staff needs to buy in. If you're all on the same page and everyone knows their role and WORKS from the time they show up until rehearsal is over, you should have success. Kids aren't dumb. If you don't know what you're talking about, they'll know it within 10 minutes of your first rehearsal. If you work your butt off for them, they'll see it and respect you for it. Few kids give a damn about your resume or what you've done before. They want to know what you're going to do for them NOW.
Finally, I believe you need solid member leadership from top to bottom. I'm not just talking about drum majors and captains or whatever...I'm talking about anyone who's been in the band or corps more than a year taking ownership in the program and leading by example...showing the new members how we do what we do and accepting nothing less. You need members who believe, whether you come in 1st or last, and who hold themselves and each other to the highest of standards.
If you have supportive and positive parents, a staff, and members who all buy into the program and will do what it takes to be successful, you will have a much easier time achieving that success than without any one of those essential elements.
I look back on this season and I see many successes and failures. I obviously learned a lot from 2008 about drill writing, design, flow, staging, and other elements of show design. I'm looking forward to learning from 2009 and using it this summer with the Bushwackers...pushing those guys harder, teaching them more, and leading them back to where we belong. We'll see what next fall brings. For now, I'm just glad to be able to take a breath and enjoy some time off.
Monday, November 16, 2009
Friday, October 16, 2009
Hearing Your Music
I've been writing for bands for a long time now...about 12 or 13 years or so without a break, so that's pretty good. I really enjoy arranging and composing music. It uses a part of me that rarely gets used...I can't really explain it, but it appeals to the puzzle solving, mathematical side of my brain that, at the same time, hates puzzles and math. It's a ridiculous procedure for me which involves hours of staring, zoning in and out, super long showers where I write it all in my head, car rides I don't remember because I'm writing in my head, listening, listening, listening...then finally brain explosion on paper and it's done. It's like giving birth, but with no pain or fluids.
I first started teaching bands in 1996 at Downingtown HS back before the schools split and when they were a HUGE band. My job was to follow the saxes and the flugelhorns around and make them march well. I had no clue how to teach and I was barely older than they were, so I resorted to the only technique that made sense to me...bribes. I brought candy to every rehearsal and bribed them to stand up straight by rewarding them for their successes. It was an interesting year. When we came in last at championships (4th out of 4), I got to learn how to teach kids how to lose. When a kid comes up to you with tears in their eyes asking "why"...you learn a lot about people...including yourself.
The summer before that fall with Downingtown I marched my first season of drum corps with the Bushwackers. I had few friends because I guess being a rookie drum major makes you unpopular, but at the Cumberland, MD show I finally started talking to the Phoenixville crew. JR Bechtel, Nick Buddock, Sean McReady, Doozel Bechtel, Kris Gerace. We all walked down to the store during lunch and I bought a pizza boat, which JR found amusing. Thus begun a lifelong friendship that I cherish dearly. We were all about the same age, and it turned out that we all went to West Chester University. In fact, that fall that I taught at Downingtown it turned out that JR and Sean lived 2 floors above me in the same dorm. Fate, I tell you.
Well, after the marching season JR summoned me to his room and asked me to teach the pit at Phoenixville. I STILL suck at mallet instruments, but I did it. By the end of the season we had the band director at the time convinced that it would be a great idea to let me write the music for the horns while JR wrote the drum music. We decided that the "Planets" by Gustov Holst would be a great idea.
...and so we began my first project. I had to learn how to write plus how to use the Finale software...I guess it was Finale 3.1 or something like that on a computer with maybe a 2 gig hard drive. Unbelievable, when I think about it now. We wrote most of the show in the same room...we'd sing out parts, I'd write them. JR would layer in his percussion parts, we'd take a smoke break, maybe go to Denny's for coffee and more smoking, then come back and do some more. It was the most unhealthy, creative period of my life for a few years, and I wouldn't have traded any of it for the world.
After the outdoor season of 1997 JR asked me to write the pit parts for the indoor drum line. They wanted to do "Marimba Spiritual," which is a really hard piece. But, we had some very talented players, one of whom went on to march Crossmen for a number of years and teach North Penn and other great programs. So, we did it...and we won. We wore tuxes to championships and celebrated at Bennigans. It was great.
A new band director came to Phoenixville during the "Planets" year, and he wasn't as keen on the direction that JR and I were taking the program, nor was he as flexible as the former band director. He wanted to do an Irish show in 98, so we wrote it...and hated it...but we did it. It was obvious from day 1 that none of us saw eye to eye with this new guy, and I made it through the first week of band camp and couldn't take it anymore. I tendered my resignation and left. JR and the rest of the crew stuck it out, but by the end of that year they were all gone. The program we had tried to build was snatched out from under us and taken in a WAY different direction. They had some measure of success, which was nice to hear.
I began picking up different bands here and there over the course of the next few years, and by 2000 I had about 4 that came back every year. I didn't teach much during this time, because I was living in upstate NY. I moved back down to the Philly area around 2003 and business boomed. I took on more gigs than I ever had before, but quality began to suffer because arranging is a very time consuming activity, and it's difficult to write for 10 bands when you're working a full time job and teaching bands and marching drum corps during the summer. Some of the directors decided to go in another direction, and for the most part I understood that. Writing became a business for me, not a creative exercise. I didn't love it anymore...it was just something I did for money. This had to change, and it did.
Fast forward to present day. This year I had a good handful of gigs that I wrote, and I loved every minute of it. I have begun writing original compositions for shows, and that's working amazingly. My wife's band who's show I wrote is at least 1/2 original. Crestwood has an original ballad in their "Dark Knight" show. I've always infused original ideas, countermelodies, and themes into my arrangements...but it's so cool to look at the blank staff paper and then create from nothing. It's empowering. It's rewarding to hear the kids play it, and it's even more rewarding to hear people walking around whistling or singing your own original melodies.
I fear I've become desensitized over the years to hearing my music. I'm always listening to it with a critical ear. What can I do to improve? How are they performing it and what can I tell them to make them better at what they do? I feel like I detach myself from the music, and that it lost it's "cool" factor when I hear them play it.
I'm working on getting back to enjoying the music and getting a kick out of hearing the kids play it. A band in PA that I wrote for just sent me a video of a performance from last weekend. There performance issues to be sure...but I enjoyed it. I listened to it and I was excited to hear the kids play the music that I wrote...and play it with enthusiasm, as if they liked the music they were playing. That's always been my goal. Any kid in band can tell you at least one show they marched that sucked...or music that wasn't challenging or cool. I always try to write arrangements that I would want to play. I try to look at each instrument...not just write vertically, lining up chords and whatnot...but horizontally...what are each of the instruments doing? Am I challenging them? Are their parts cool?
I really enjoyed it. I'm visiting Crestwood this Saturday and I can't wait to hear their Batman show with my original ballad. I'm genuinely excited to hear it and to hear how the kids perform it...get their feedback on the music and what it makes them feel...to listen to the feedback from the judges, parents, and staff...to see how the crowd reacts to the show. I'm very excited for it.
I'm still having a hard time doing that at Penns Grove, though. Most likely this is because I teach them, so I won't be able to enjoy the show until championships. Until then, I can't turn off the critical ear or, in their case, my critical eye as the drill designer as well. It's my job to assess where we're at, where we need to be, and how we're going to get there. I wish I didn't have to look at it that way, because it's a REALLY cool show with some awesome musical moments in it...it's definitely my favorite show that I've ever written. No question. I just want to enjoy it.
There will be time for that, I suppose. What I do know is that I love writing. I love the process and I love the result. I hope I get to write for many more bands in the future too. I work for myself now, so it's easy for me to spend the time on many, many band shows and still give them quality work that I enjoy. I don't have the handcuffs of a full time job hindering the process anymore. I have so much music in me, and I hope to find more venues for sharing it.
I first started teaching bands in 1996 at Downingtown HS back before the schools split and when they were a HUGE band. My job was to follow the saxes and the flugelhorns around and make them march well. I had no clue how to teach and I was barely older than they were, so I resorted to the only technique that made sense to me...bribes. I brought candy to every rehearsal and bribed them to stand up straight by rewarding them for their successes. It was an interesting year. When we came in last at championships (4th out of 4), I got to learn how to teach kids how to lose. When a kid comes up to you with tears in their eyes asking "why"...you learn a lot about people...including yourself.
The summer before that fall with Downingtown I marched my first season of drum corps with the Bushwackers. I had few friends because I guess being a rookie drum major makes you unpopular, but at the Cumberland, MD show I finally started talking to the Phoenixville crew. JR Bechtel, Nick Buddock, Sean McReady, Doozel Bechtel, Kris Gerace. We all walked down to the store during lunch and I bought a pizza boat, which JR found amusing. Thus begun a lifelong friendship that I cherish dearly. We were all about the same age, and it turned out that we all went to West Chester University. In fact, that fall that I taught at Downingtown it turned out that JR and Sean lived 2 floors above me in the same dorm. Fate, I tell you.
Well, after the marching season JR summoned me to his room and asked me to teach the pit at Phoenixville. I STILL suck at mallet instruments, but I did it. By the end of the season we had the band director at the time convinced that it would be a great idea to let me write the music for the horns while JR wrote the drum music. We decided that the "Planets" by Gustov Holst would be a great idea.
...and so we began my first project. I had to learn how to write plus how to use the Finale software...I guess it was Finale 3.1 or something like that on a computer with maybe a 2 gig hard drive. Unbelievable, when I think about it now. We wrote most of the show in the same room...we'd sing out parts, I'd write them. JR would layer in his percussion parts, we'd take a smoke break, maybe go to Denny's for coffee and more smoking, then come back and do some more. It was the most unhealthy, creative period of my life for a few years, and I wouldn't have traded any of it for the world.
After the outdoor season of 1997 JR asked me to write the pit parts for the indoor drum line. They wanted to do "Marimba Spiritual," which is a really hard piece. But, we had some very talented players, one of whom went on to march Crossmen for a number of years and teach North Penn and other great programs. So, we did it...and we won. We wore tuxes to championships and celebrated at Bennigans. It was great.
A new band director came to Phoenixville during the "Planets" year, and he wasn't as keen on the direction that JR and I were taking the program, nor was he as flexible as the former band director. He wanted to do an Irish show in 98, so we wrote it...and hated it...but we did it. It was obvious from day 1 that none of us saw eye to eye with this new guy, and I made it through the first week of band camp and couldn't take it anymore. I tendered my resignation and left. JR and the rest of the crew stuck it out, but by the end of that year they were all gone. The program we had tried to build was snatched out from under us and taken in a WAY different direction. They had some measure of success, which was nice to hear.
I began picking up different bands here and there over the course of the next few years, and by 2000 I had about 4 that came back every year. I didn't teach much during this time, because I was living in upstate NY. I moved back down to the Philly area around 2003 and business boomed. I took on more gigs than I ever had before, but quality began to suffer because arranging is a very time consuming activity, and it's difficult to write for 10 bands when you're working a full time job and teaching bands and marching drum corps during the summer. Some of the directors decided to go in another direction, and for the most part I understood that. Writing became a business for me, not a creative exercise. I didn't love it anymore...it was just something I did for money. This had to change, and it did.
Fast forward to present day. This year I had a good handful of gigs that I wrote, and I loved every minute of it. I have begun writing original compositions for shows, and that's working amazingly. My wife's band who's show I wrote is at least 1/2 original. Crestwood has an original ballad in their "Dark Knight" show. I've always infused original ideas, countermelodies, and themes into my arrangements...but it's so cool to look at the blank staff paper and then create from nothing. It's empowering. It's rewarding to hear the kids play it, and it's even more rewarding to hear people walking around whistling or singing your own original melodies.
I fear I've become desensitized over the years to hearing my music. I'm always listening to it with a critical ear. What can I do to improve? How are they performing it and what can I tell them to make them better at what they do? I feel like I detach myself from the music, and that it lost it's "cool" factor when I hear them play it.
I'm working on getting back to enjoying the music and getting a kick out of hearing the kids play it. A band in PA that I wrote for just sent me a video of a performance from last weekend. There performance issues to be sure...but I enjoyed it. I listened to it and I was excited to hear the kids play the music that I wrote...and play it with enthusiasm, as if they liked the music they were playing. That's always been my goal. Any kid in band can tell you at least one show they marched that sucked...or music that wasn't challenging or cool. I always try to write arrangements that I would want to play. I try to look at each instrument...not just write vertically, lining up chords and whatnot...but horizontally...what are each of the instruments doing? Am I challenging them? Are their parts cool?
I really enjoyed it. I'm visiting Crestwood this Saturday and I can't wait to hear their Batman show with my original ballad. I'm genuinely excited to hear it and to hear how the kids perform it...get their feedback on the music and what it makes them feel...to listen to the feedback from the judges, parents, and staff...to see how the crowd reacts to the show. I'm very excited for it.
I'm still having a hard time doing that at Penns Grove, though. Most likely this is because I teach them, so I won't be able to enjoy the show until championships. Until then, I can't turn off the critical ear or, in their case, my critical eye as the drill designer as well. It's my job to assess where we're at, where we need to be, and how we're going to get there. I wish I didn't have to look at it that way, because it's a REALLY cool show with some awesome musical moments in it...it's definitely my favorite show that I've ever written. No question. I just want to enjoy it.
There will be time for that, I suppose. What I do know is that I love writing. I love the process and I love the result. I hope I get to write for many more bands in the future too. I work for myself now, so it's easy for me to spend the time on many, many band shows and still give them quality work that I enjoy. I don't have the handcuffs of a full time job hindering the process anymore. I have so much music in me, and I hope to find more venues for sharing it.
Being Sick
I hate being sick. My head hurts, my body aches, my mind works slower, my skin hurts just to touch it, my eyes swell, my stomach feels like I swallowed an angry porcupine. NOTHING good comes from this.
What is my body telling me and why couldn't it just tell me nicely?
My wife had the flu the last couple of days. She shouldn't be in work today, but she is because even though her school district gives all of the teachers plenty of sick days (because you'd think you wouldn't want a sick teacher around kids), they actually get in trouble for taking them. It's ridiculous, but then again so is the fact that they're working without a contract. Unbelievable.
She got sick (okay...barfing) on Wednesday night into Thursday, and I had no idea what to do. It's such a sad time when she gets sick because when she gets sick, she REALLY gets sick and both of us are rendered completely helpless. She can't control it, and there's absolutely nothing I can do to help. In fact, I'm pretty sure I usually make things worse by trying too hard.
I barfed on Tuesday night. Are these incidents related? If so, where did either one of us catch it? Most likely it was my wife catching it at the germ factory (school) she works at. These kids come to school and band practice with fevers. I guess I did the same when I was in high school too. It's not like my mother chased me around all the time with a thermometer. In fact, my parents rarely believed me when I was sick, probably because I lied about it to get out of school from time to time. For as good a kid as I was, I could really be a little jerk.
The likely scenario is that one or both of us caught whatever the hell this thing is on Saturday night at the band competition. We had at least one kid there who was very sick. We were outside in the cold for a long time, and while cold doesn't give you a cold it certainly doesn't help. We haven't been getting much sleep lately. Between marching band (which is over at 9, but we don't leave until 9:30-10 and then have to eat dinner when we get home, digest it, and then try to sleep) and the Phillies games Sunday, Monday, and last night...we're running on empty for sure. Our collective immune system is on strike, and we're paying the price.
To make matters better, it's going to be a miserable couple of days weather-wise. Mid 40's and raining. Wonderful. Whatever happened to nice, 60 degree October weather. Boy, Al Gore was right...this global warming...er...climate change stuff really sucks! I'll definitely watch my carbon footprint by not flying to Europe to lobby on behalf of a corrupt city government that wants to host the Olympics, and I'll definitely not fly to New York for a date night, and I'll definitely not....oh....that's not me, I just pay for it.
So, body...get to work getting well. I'm tired of your nonsense and it's time you stepped up to the plate. You're usually pretty good, so I'm disappointed in you. I expect more from you. Get your act together and let's get back to being awesome. Seriously.
What is my body telling me and why couldn't it just tell me nicely?
My wife had the flu the last couple of days. She shouldn't be in work today, but she is because even though her school district gives all of the teachers plenty of sick days (because you'd think you wouldn't want a sick teacher around kids), they actually get in trouble for taking them. It's ridiculous, but then again so is the fact that they're working without a contract. Unbelievable.
She got sick (okay...barfing) on Wednesday night into Thursday, and I had no idea what to do. It's such a sad time when she gets sick because when she gets sick, she REALLY gets sick and both of us are rendered completely helpless. She can't control it, and there's absolutely nothing I can do to help. In fact, I'm pretty sure I usually make things worse by trying too hard.
I barfed on Tuesday night. Are these incidents related? If so, where did either one of us catch it? Most likely it was my wife catching it at the germ factory (school) she works at. These kids come to school and band practice with fevers. I guess I did the same when I was in high school too. It's not like my mother chased me around all the time with a thermometer. In fact, my parents rarely believed me when I was sick, probably because I lied about it to get out of school from time to time. For as good a kid as I was, I could really be a little jerk.
The likely scenario is that one or both of us caught whatever the hell this thing is on Saturday night at the band competition. We had at least one kid there who was very sick. We were outside in the cold for a long time, and while cold doesn't give you a cold it certainly doesn't help. We haven't been getting much sleep lately. Between marching band (which is over at 9, but we don't leave until 9:30-10 and then have to eat dinner when we get home, digest it, and then try to sleep) and the Phillies games Sunday, Monday, and last night...we're running on empty for sure. Our collective immune system is on strike, and we're paying the price.
To make matters better, it's going to be a miserable couple of days weather-wise. Mid 40's and raining. Wonderful. Whatever happened to nice, 60 degree October weather. Boy, Al Gore was right...this global warming...er...climate change stuff really sucks! I'll definitely watch my carbon footprint by not flying to Europe to lobby on behalf of a corrupt city government that wants to host the Olympics, and I'll definitely not fly to New York for a date night, and I'll definitely not....oh....that's not me, I just pay for it.
So, body...get to work getting well. I'm tired of your nonsense and it's time you stepped up to the plate. You're usually pretty good, so I'm disappointed in you. I expect more from you. Get your act together and let's get back to being awesome. Seriously.
Monday, October 12, 2009
Sunday, October 11, 2009
Obama wins Nobel Peace Prize!
In this blog post I wanted to honor President Obama's Nobel Peace Prize winning by providing a detailed list of his his many accomplishments, not just as president, but as a public servant:
That is all. Thanks for reading.
That is all. Thanks for reading.
Monday, September 28, 2009
Good Weekend
This weekend went pretty well. We spent all of Saturday at marching band, which can seem like a really long day if the kids aren't there to perform. We had yet another football game during the early afternoon and then had to travel to Ridley HS for our first competition of the year that night. I really can't stand having football games the day of shows, but the kids seem to be used to it and that's all that really matters. I'm not the one who has to perform at night.
They had another substandard run at the football game (two weeks in a row...have to rectify that), but had a really solid run at the competition. It started raining as soon as we entered the field and didn't stop the rest of the night. Unfortunately, the circuit we compete in decided to go with digital voice recorders this year instead of tape recorders, so there was some fiddling around that had to be done before we went on and the kids ended up just standing there in the rain for a few minutes on the field in their opening set before everything got worked out. Once they went on they had a good run. We have some things that we have to fix and some attitudes that need to straighten out because they're adversely effecting the performances, but all in all it was a positive step.
Then, we sat around for 3 hours waiting for scores. Ugh! At least they had a good spread. At most shows they have a hospitality room for band staffs and provide food and beverages while you listen to tapes (or digital recordings) and wait for the end of the show so you can talk to the judges. My big thing is always getting a good meatball sandwich. At every show I go to, I'm on the search for the meatballs and a nice roll. I thank the band parents of the host school profusely when they have them, and when not I make a very kind suggestion that next year they consider having meatball sandwiches. Of course, I still thank them for whatever they provide.
Ridley HS's show gets an A+ in my book...and why? MEATBALL SANDWICHES! Oh yeah. And they were good.
Judges critique was productive for the most part, and we ended up clearly winning the show with a 70.75. Again, it was a good first step, but all that means is that we're still 29.25 points away from our goal. The kids have to rehearse with more energy and urgency. They need to retain changes and fixes. The staff needs to stay on point and keep the kids engaged in rehearsal. It's difficult for everyone involved. For the kids, it's hard enough to get them to focus for their hour and a half classes during the day (they have block scheduling)...now we're asking them to come in 2 nights a week and focus for 3 straight hours! This, of course, is one of the benefits of being in marching band. It teaches you focus and discipline...if you want to learn it. If you don't, it really hurts the team.
The staff has worked all day, has dealt with real life nonsense all day...and now they have to come for little or no money and chase after kids all night who are mentally all over the place because of the reasons just mentioned. It's rough for everyone, but that's what makes the activity so cool. It's through these shared experiences of sucking it up, doing what needs to be done, and not complaining about it but relishing the opportunity to get better and seizing it...that bonds the members and staff together. Marching band is the ultimate team sport. There is no bench, everyone is a starter, and each coach is as important as the next.
So, this week will be interesting. We have some major steps we need to take in order for this thing to turn out the way we want it to in November. We have to put out the entire show this weekend, whether it looks good or not. It has to be. There are no logical stopping points between where we stopped this weekend and the end of the show. The staff will have to be efficient in our use of time, and the kids are going to have to step up. It's as simple as that.
My wife's parents visited yesterday. That was nice. I was extremely tired most of the day and didn't feel well at all, so I wasn't exactly the best company, but we went out to lunch, hit Lowes and Linvilla Orchards for a little while. We watched some of the Eagles game as they thumped the Chiefs, watched some of the Phillies win over the Brewers, and even took in some of the NASCAR race in Dover. They brought down our frozen wedding cake that we were supposed to eat on our 1st anniversary back on the 13th of September. It's been frozen at their place out in central PA since the wedding, and we just haven't had the chance to go out and get it lately due to drum corps and whatnot. It's thawing in the fridge now, and will taste great a couple of days from now. I can't wait. Our cake was phenomenal.
They had another substandard run at the football game (two weeks in a row...have to rectify that), but had a really solid run at the competition. It started raining as soon as we entered the field and didn't stop the rest of the night. Unfortunately, the circuit we compete in decided to go with digital voice recorders this year instead of tape recorders, so there was some fiddling around that had to be done before we went on and the kids ended up just standing there in the rain for a few minutes on the field in their opening set before everything got worked out. Once they went on they had a good run. We have some things that we have to fix and some attitudes that need to straighten out because they're adversely effecting the performances, but all in all it was a positive step.
Then, we sat around for 3 hours waiting for scores. Ugh! At least they had a good spread. At most shows they have a hospitality room for band staffs and provide food and beverages while you listen to tapes (or digital recordings) and wait for the end of the show so you can talk to the judges. My big thing is always getting a good meatball sandwich. At every show I go to, I'm on the search for the meatballs and a nice roll. I thank the band parents of the host school profusely when they have them, and when not I make a very kind suggestion that next year they consider having meatball sandwiches. Of course, I still thank them for whatever they provide.
Ridley HS's show gets an A+ in my book...and why? MEATBALL SANDWICHES! Oh yeah. And they were good.
Judges critique was productive for the most part, and we ended up clearly winning the show with a 70.75. Again, it was a good first step, but all that means is that we're still 29.25 points away from our goal. The kids have to rehearse with more energy and urgency. They need to retain changes and fixes. The staff needs to stay on point and keep the kids engaged in rehearsal. It's difficult for everyone involved. For the kids, it's hard enough to get them to focus for their hour and a half classes during the day (they have block scheduling)...now we're asking them to come in 2 nights a week and focus for 3 straight hours! This, of course, is one of the benefits of being in marching band. It teaches you focus and discipline...if you want to learn it. If you don't, it really hurts the team.
The staff has worked all day, has dealt with real life nonsense all day...and now they have to come for little or no money and chase after kids all night who are mentally all over the place because of the reasons just mentioned. It's rough for everyone, but that's what makes the activity so cool. It's through these shared experiences of sucking it up, doing what needs to be done, and not complaining about it but relishing the opportunity to get better and seizing it...that bonds the members and staff together. Marching band is the ultimate team sport. There is no bench, everyone is a starter, and each coach is as important as the next.
So, this week will be interesting. We have some major steps we need to take in order for this thing to turn out the way we want it to in November. We have to put out the entire show this weekend, whether it looks good or not. It has to be. There are no logical stopping points between where we stopped this weekend and the end of the show. The staff will have to be efficient in our use of time, and the kids are going to have to step up. It's as simple as that.
My wife's parents visited yesterday. That was nice. I was extremely tired most of the day and didn't feel well at all, so I wasn't exactly the best company, but we went out to lunch, hit Lowes and Linvilla Orchards for a little while. We watched some of the Eagles game as they thumped the Chiefs, watched some of the Phillies win over the Brewers, and even took in some of the NASCAR race in Dover. They brought down our frozen wedding cake that we were supposed to eat on our 1st anniversary back on the 13th of September. It's been frozen at their place out in central PA since the wedding, and we just haven't had the chance to go out and get it lately due to drum corps and whatnot. It's thawing in the fridge now, and will taste great a couple of days from now. I can't wait. Our cake was phenomenal.
Sunday, September 27, 2009
QUALITY
The Bushwackers philosophy:
--
QUALITY
The common denominator is concentration:
--
QUALITY
We know it when we see it
and if we have personally contributed to its presence
it is a special joy.
The common denominator is concentration:
concentration of talent
concentration of experience
concentration of energy
extra hours, extra efforts, extra pains.
Of course, that's the cost of being better,
but for those who strive to set the standard
there is no other way.
Any performance can be better.
Every note, every movement improved
and few of us are satisfied.
Quality is yearning to be the best,
but few are willing to pay the price.
But we, as a corps, intend to continue...
searching...striving...sometimes soaring.
Our commitment is to add new dimensions to the meaning of Quality
and to be the rule by which others are measured.
My Grandmother, Lucy Kirkwood
I was going through my old blog seeing if there was anything of value there, and I came across this little blurb about my grandmother right after she passed away in March of 2008. I don't want to lose this, so I'm posting it on this new blog.
Lucy M. (Bompadre) Kirkwood
KIRKWOOD
LUCY M. (nee Bompadre), age 83, March 18, 2008. Loving wife of the late Harry. Beloved mother of Ron (Betsy), Dennis (Rita), Kathy Marcinek (Len), Jeanne Kilian, and Carol Hosack (Fran). Stepmother of Denise Roth (Kerry) and mother-in-law of Rick Kilian. Cherished by 16 grandchildren and 7 great grand-children. Dear sister of Phil Maraini, Tony Bompadre, Alex Bompadre, and the late Sr. Amelia Frances, I.H.M. Relatives and friends are invited to her Viewing Tuesday 9 A.M. at Our Lady of Calvary Church, 11024 Knights Rd., Phila. PA 19154. Funeral Mass to follow 10 A.M. Interment George Washington Memorial Park. In lieu of flowers, family prefers donations in her memory to Camilla Hall, P.O. Box 100, Immaculata PA 19345.
Lucy M. (Bompadre) Kirkwood
KIRKWOOD
LUCY M. (nee Bompadre), age 83, March 18, 2008. Loving wife of the late Harry. Beloved mother of Ron (Betsy), Dennis (Rita), Kathy Marcinek (Len), Jeanne Kilian, and Carol Hosack (Fran). Stepmother of Denise Roth (Kerry) and mother-in-law of Rick Kilian. Cherished by 16 grandchildren and 7 great grand-children. Dear sister of Phil Maraini, Tony Bompadre, Alex Bompadre, and the late Sr. Amelia Frances, I.H.M. Relatives and friends are invited to her Viewing Tuesday 9 A.M. at Our Lady of Calvary Church, 11024 Knights Rd., Phila. PA 19154. Funeral Mass to follow 10 A.M. Interment George Washington Memorial Park. In lieu of flowers, family prefers donations in her memory to Camilla Hall, P.O. Box 100, Immaculata PA 19345.
Thursday, September 24, 2009
Eagle Scout Court of Honor
I spent most of yesterday with my father, which I normally don't get to do so that was nice. We first went to Best Buy to get him a new computer. His computer is a piece of garbage, and now that my sister has moved out and removed his profile from her computer, he can barely even check his email. It's time anyway. The poor guy has had hand-me-down computers since our first Gateway died.
So, I went to Best Buy last week to price out some deals, and things looked good. We got there, and all of the displays were still up. Some of the prices changed a bit, but in our favor. Hooray! No. The "sales guy," we'll call him Chet, came over and saw what we were looking at and told us he wasn't sure about inventory. "Things are screwed up," Chet said, "because the vendors don't want to ship computers with Windows Vista on it and then let you upgrade to Windows 7. They want to just ship them with Windows 7."
Now this clearly falls under the "not my problem" heading, but apparently it was our problem. On planet earth, when you're a salesperson making a commission, it's your job to get the sale done no matter what. We gave him every opportunity. The first computer he had, but didn't have the monitor. We asked for a different monitor and he just dismissed the request. The other computer he didn't have at all, but said they usually get shipments in on Tuesdays (we're there on a Wednesday, so WTF?), and Thursdays. My father says, "Can I pay for the package now, and then pick it up?" He was GIVING the guy money...making this sale happen, but Chet had none of it. My father then said, "Can I give you my number and you can call me when they come in and we'll come right down and get it?" Chet started to say that WE could call HIM on Thursday or Friday when my father had enough, turned around, and walked away.
Best Buy people: when someone wants to buy something from you, figure it out. If you can't, get your manager. Don't let people walk out of your store. He didn't even try to sell us something they had in stock!
That has nothing to do with an Eagle Court of honor, but Best Buy gets my MORON OF THE DAY award.
For the uninitiated, a court of honor is a ceremony held by troops to honor scouts who have earned badges, ranks, and other fun stuff. 460 holds one twice a year...once around Christmas and the other in September. The September one is the big one, because all the kids went to summer camp and worked on merit badges there, so now they get to stand, uncomfortably, in front of all the kids and parents while my dad says how awesome they are. It's every kid's dream.
I remember quite a few of my courts of honor. Of course the big one, the special one, is if you should attain scouting's highest rank, the rank of Eagle Scout.
I earned my Eagle in 1995. I was a senior in high school and very distracted by all of the other activities I was in. From 6th until 9th grade, there was nothing in the world that mattered more to me than scouting. I studied hard, worked hard, learned a lot, ran for leadership positions, served in leadership positions. I even spent half of the summer after my freshman year at Ryan working at Treasure Island summer camp.
Then came band. The thing about scouting is that there's only guys in it...and most of them you see in school and hang out with all of the time anyway. It's guy overload...especially at that age. In band...there were GIRLS! Few, if any, had any interest in me...but it was the idea that one of them possibly, maybe could tolerate me long enough to smile and say "hi" that distracted me from other things that were important...like scouting.
But, I didn't quit. Yes, my father was my scoutmaster, and that's probably part of the reason why I didn't quit. It wasn't like he forbade me to quit or that he made me go to meetings or anything like that. In fact, during the marching band season we rehearsed Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday...so in high school it was difficult for me to get to our Wednesday night meetings from September to mid-November. In fact, my father was so hands off with me that it took new kids a while to make the connection that he was my father. At scouts, he wasn't my father. He wanted everything to seem fair to the other kids, so he over-corrected and went out of his way NOT to act like my father most of the time. But, I think that part of the reason I didn't quit was because he was a scout and only achieved the rank of Star. Yet here he was, back in scouting again after all of these years. Scouting was a big deal in my dad's family, and for the most part it was a big deal to me too. I wanted to make him and my family proud by going all the way and achieving what only my Uncle Joe Kilian did...make Eagle.
I had a history of sinus issues when I was a kid, and to make a long story short it all came to a head in January of 1992 (freshman year of HS) when my skull ruptured and a huge abscess formed in my left frontal and ethmoid sinus. Eventually, the pressure broke through my orbital bone and I began leaking cerebrospinal fluid (yeah, brain fluid) out of my eye socket. They didn't catch the big problem (holes in my head) until I was on the table in surgery. By that point, they had a big problem on their hands and they had to do all sorts of mean, nasty things that I've never really learned too much about because it makes me ill. I spent the next week or so (I don't remember because I kind of lost track of time) in intensive care with a catheter in my back draining fluid into a bag. I couldn't sit up. I received my last rights twice. It's a much more involved story, and there's a lot of back story and detail that goes along with it, including some of the events that happened the next few years...but I digress.
Why do I bring this up? Well, at the end of my second stay in the hospital for all of this, a doctor very nervously told me that I could no longer play wind instruments again...ever. Of course, I was wearing a "Sax Power" t-shirt at the time, and my mom was crying. Wonderful. This shattered my world, and I really had no idea what to do at that point.
I threw myself back into scouting. It was that following summer that I worked at Treasure Island. I became re-energized, and the whole event gave me a little more perspective on life than most 14 year olds tend to have. This was the catalyst behind me attaining Life rank, the rank just before Eagle.
The next year I spent more time in the hospital. It was a different hospital for different reasons, but no less traumatic, painful, or meaningful as far as the grand scope of my life is concerned. By this point I had received a second opinion on the wind instrument thing, and I was able to play....and play I did. Just as I had re-dedicated myself to scouting, when I was told that I could play again I didn't stop playing for 3 years. The saxophone became my life. My very identity was tied to that horn. They allowed me to play in the hospital, and it was a huge part of my recovery. I became a musician in the walls of that hospital and I developed a deep spirituality and closeness with God that is directly tied and completely inseparable from music.
Scouting took a back seat. I played in every available ensemble at school. I practiced long hours at home and at school. I would skip most of my lunch period to practice, and I would spend a couple hours after school in the band room playing. I fingered parts on a pen when I worked at the movie theater. Even if I couldn't physically play at work, I could still work on something...I could still get better. Every waking moment was an opportunity to improve.
My father stepped in around my senior year and was able to put aside his scoutmaster facade and really start working with me to focus and get my Eagle service project done. My mother was on board as well and she really pushed me in times when I wanted to play. My parents, like many Eagle Scout's parents, were instrumental in pushing me across the finish line. It was probably the last thing they really worked on together, because just a few months after I received my Eagle award at my Eagle Scout Court of Honor my parents split up and eventually divorced.
Last night, following the usual court of honor, they had an Eagle Court of Honor. It's a little unorthodox to have one in the context of a troop meeting or court of honor. They're usually a bigger deal, held in the church with friends and family, followed by a reception or something like that. For lots of reasons, that wasn't the case with this young man, and so they did it last night. I went, and I was able to participate in the event. I shared some readings in the ceremony with several other Eagle Scouts who were present, and we were able to be a part of this young man's moment.
Reading through the Eagle Pledge, and the Eagle Charge made me tear up. Seeing the banner that hangs in Calvary's gym with all of the Eagles in 460 since they were chartered in 1966...and there's my name...made me tear up. Wearing my Eagle Scout ring and shaking the hand of this new Eagle Scout made me emotional. It all brought me back to my moment, about 14 years ago, when I pinned my mom with the Eagle Mother's Pin and gave my dad his Eagle Father's tie tack.
It made me think of the camping trips with Matt and Sal, going on hikes singing Billy Joel songs to keep our minds occupied and keep the pace up. I thought about complaining to my first scoutmaster, Mr. Straub, as a young scouter on his second camping trip in 1989 that the patrol leader was just telling us what to do...and thus learning what the term "delegating" means. I thought about all of the great scouts that I joined with or soon before, and how few of them made it to Eagle. I looked at my current situation in life and was able to look at it in the context of the whole of my life, and wondered what lessons I learned on my Trail to Eagle could help me today.
Eagle Scouts aren't perfect people. Your Eagle badge doesn't mean that you're going to be a doctor or a lawyer and have a great life. Sure, that happens for some...but for others of us, the lessons we learned on the Trail to Eagle are meant to help us through the difficult times by teaching us about work ethic, integrity, and honesty.
I'm again humbled by the accomplishment. I used to think that perhaps I didn't deserve it because my parents had to get involved and push me to finish. I had to ask for help...and when I didn't ask, they helped me anyway. But now I realize that doing it yourself is great, but it takes a lot for someone to admit they can't do it on their own and ask for help. It takes an even bigger person to recognize that someone is losing their way and reach out to help them. For me, my Eagle Scout award is shared fully with my parents.
Scouting has come under attack in the last 15 years or so for lots of reasons, some legitimate (like pedophiles) and some not (like the stupid City of Philadelphia trying to kick them out of a building downtown that the scouts built). There was the whole thing with the National office declaring that scouting is a religious based organization and has the right to refuse homosexuals. I've heard it all...but none of that stuff ever has to do with the kids. It's about the kids.
Scouting is about kids learning to be men, learning to be responsible American citizens, learning self reliance, self esteem, and the importance of hard work. Scouting isn't about adults making rules and writing memos and fighting over buildings. Scouting is one of the most worthwhile activities for a young boy that I can think of. Any organization that works so hard for the betterment of the youth of this country should be revered. Don't blame the scouting movement or kids in uniform for what the adults do or say. I've run across this in every activity I've been apart of, especially band...when parents forget WHY they're there...for the kids...and start exaggerating their importance in the whole thing...everything gets screwed up.
So, that's part of my Eagle story. There are so many layers to this, I could write a book (I almost have with the length of this post), but it probably wouldn't mean anything to anyone but me and maybe my kids. It just feels good to talk about this stuff...organize my thoughts and talk about something that means a lot to me, whether anyone ever reads this or not.
So, I went to Best Buy last week to price out some deals, and things looked good. We got there, and all of the displays were still up. Some of the prices changed a bit, but in our favor. Hooray! No. The "sales guy," we'll call him Chet, came over and saw what we were looking at and told us he wasn't sure about inventory. "Things are screwed up," Chet said, "because the vendors don't want to ship computers with Windows Vista on it and then let you upgrade to Windows 7. They want to just ship them with Windows 7."
Now this clearly falls under the "not my problem" heading, but apparently it was our problem. On planet earth, when you're a salesperson making a commission, it's your job to get the sale done no matter what. We gave him every opportunity. The first computer he had, but didn't have the monitor. We asked for a different monitor and he just dismissed the request. The other computer he didn't have at all, but said they usually get shipments in on Tuesdays (we're there on a Wednesday, so WTF?), and Thursdays. My father says, "Can I pay for the package now, and then pick it up?" He was GIVING the guy money...making this sale happen, but Chet had none of it. My father then said, "Can I give you my number and you can call me when they come in and we'll come right down and get it?" Chet started to say that WE could call HIM on Thursday or Friday when my father had enough, turned around, and walked away.
Best Buy people: when someone wants to buy something from you, figure it out. If you can't, get your manager. Don't let people walk out of your store. He didn't even try to sell us something they had in stock!
That has nothing to do with an Eagle Court of honor, but Best Buy gets my MORON OF THE DAY award.
Following our excursion to not buy a computer, we returned to Northeast Philadelphia where my father, the Scoutmaster of Troop 460 at Our Lady of Calvary Church, had to prepare for a court of honor that night.
For the uninitiated, a court of honor is a ceremony held by troops to honor scouts who have earned badges, ranks, and other fun stuff. 460 holds one twice a year...once around Christmas and the other in September. The September one is the big one, because all the kids went to summer camp and worked on merit badges there, so now they get to stand, uncomfortably, in front of all the kids and parents while my dad says how awesome they are. It's every kid's dream.
I remember quite a few of my courts of honor. Of course the big one, the special one, is if you should attain scouting's highest rank, the rank of Eagle Scout.
I earned my Eagle in 1995. I was a senior in high school and very distracted by all of the other activities I was in. From 6th until 9th grade, there was nothing in the world that mattered more to me than scouting. I studied hard, worked hard, learned a lot, ran for leadership positions, served in leadership positions. I even spent half of the summer after my freshman year at Ryan working at Treasure Island summer camp.
But, I didn't quit. Yes, my father was my scoutmaster, and that's probably part of the reason why I didn't quit. It wasn't like he forbade me to quit or that he made me go to meetings or anything like that. In fact, during the marching band season we rehearsed Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday...so in high school it was difficult for me to get to our Wednesday night meetings from September to mid-November. In fact, my father was so hands off with me that it took new kids a while to make the connection that he was my father. At scouts, he wasn't my father. He wanted everything to seem fair to the other kids, so he over-corrected and went out of his way NOT to act like my father most of the time. But, I think that part of the reason I didn't quit was because he was a scout and only achieved the rank of Star. Yet here he was, back in scouting again after all of these years. Scouting was a big deal in my dad's family, and for the most part it was a big deal to me too. I wanted to make him and my family proud by going all the way and achieving what only my Uncle Joe Kilian did...make Eagle.
Why do I bring this up? Well, at the end of my second stay in the hospital for all of this, a doctor very nervously told me that I could no longer play wind instruments again...ever. Of course, I was wearing a "Sax Power" t-shirt at the time, and my mom was crying. Wonderful. This shattered my world, and I really had no idea what to do at that point.
I threw myself back into scouting. It was that following summer that I worked at Treasure Island. I became re-energized, and the whole event gave me a little more perspective on life than most 14 year olds tend to have. This was the catalyst behind me attaining Life rank, the rank just before Eagle.
The next year I spent more time in the hospital. It was a different hospital for different reasons, but no less traumatic, painful, or meaningful as far as the grand scope of my life is concerned. By this point I had received a second opinion on the wind instrument thing, and I was able to play....and play I did. Just as I had re-dedicated myself to scouting, when I was told that I could play again I didn't stop playing for 3 years. The saxophone became my life. My very identity was tied to that horn. They allowed me to play in the hospital, and it was a huge part of my recovery. I became a musician in the walls of that hospital and I developed a deep spirituality and closeness with God that is directly tied and completely inseparable from music.
Scouting took a back seat. I played in every available ensemble at school. I practiced long hours at home and at school. I would skip most of my lunch period to practice, and I would spend a couple hours after school in the band room playing. I fingered parts on a pen when I worked at the movie theater. Even if I couldn't physically play at work, I could still work on something...I could still get better. Every waking moment was an opportunity to improve.
Last night, following the usual court of honor, they had an Eagle Court of Honor. It's a little unorthodox to have one in the context of a troop meeting or court of honor. They're usually a bigger deal, held in the church with friends and family, followed by a reception or something like that. For lots of reasons, that wasn't the case with this young man, and so they did it last night. I went, and I was able to participate in the event. I shared some readings in the ceremony with several other Eagle Scouts who were present, and we were able to be a part of this young man's moment.
Reading through the Eagle Pledge, and the Eagle Charge made me tear up. Seeing the banner that hangs in Calvary's gym with all of the Eagles in 460 since they were chartered in 1966...and there's my name...made me tear up. Wearing my Eagle Scout ring and shaking the hand of this new Eagle Scout made me emotional. It all brought me back to my moment, about 14 years ago, when I pinned my mom with the Eagle Mother's Pin and gave my dad his Eagle Father's tie tack.
It made me think of the camping trips with Matt and Sal, going on hikes singing Billy Joel songs to keep our minds occupied and keep the pace up. I thought about complaining to my first scoutmaster, Mr. Straub, as a young scouter on his second camping trip in 1989 that the patrol leader was just telling us what to do...and thus learning what the term "delegating" means. I thought about all of the great scouts that I joined with or soon before, and how few of them made it to Eagle. I looked at my current situation in life and was able to look at it in the context of the whole of my life, and wondered what lessons I learned on my Trail to Eagle could help me today.
Eagle Scouts aren't perfect people. Your Eagle badge doesn't mean that you're going to be a doctor or a lawyer and have a great life. Sure, that happens for some...but for others of us, the lessons we learned on the Trail to Eagle are meant to help us through the difficult times by teaching us about work ethic, integrity, and honesty.
I'm again humbled by the accomplishment. I used to think that perhaps I didn't deserve it because my parents had to get involved and push me to finish. I had to ask for help...and when I didn't ask, they helped me anyway. But now I realize that doing it yourself is great, but it takes a lot for someone to admit they can't do it on their own and ask for help. It takes an even bigger person to recognize that someone is losing their way and reach out to help them. For me, my Eagle Scout award is shared fully with my parents.
Scouting has come under attack in the last 15 years or so for lots of reasons, some legitimate (like pedophiles) and some not (like the stupid City of Philadelphia trying to kick them out of a building downtown that the scouts built). There was the whole thing with the National office declaring that scouting is a religious based organization and has the right to refuse homosexuals. I've heard it all...but none of that stuff ever has to do with the kids. It's about the kids.
Scouting is about kids learning to be men, learning to be responsible American citizens, learning self reliance, self esteem, and the importance of hard work. Scouting isn't about adults making rules and writing memos and fighting over buildings. Scouting is one of the most worthwhile activities for a young boy that I can think of. Any organization that works so hard for the betterment of the youth of this country should be revered. Don't blame the scouting movement or kids in uniform for what the adults do or say. I've run across this in every activity I've been apart of, especially band...when parents forget WHY they're there...for the kids...and start exaggerating their importance in the whole thing...everything gets screwed up.
So, that's part of my Eagle story. There are so many layers to this, I could write a book (I almost have with the length of this post), but it probably wouldn't mean anything to anyone but me and maybe my kids. It just feels good to talk about this stuff...organize my thoughts and talk about something that means a lot to me, whether anyone ever reads this or not.
Wednesday, September 23, 2009
My Take on Michael Jackson
eah, it's been a while since the self proclaimed "King of Pop" died, but the time has come for me to weigh in on the life and death of one the musicians who has had the biggest influence on me: Michael Jackson.
I was born in 77. It's commonly accepted that children develop long term memory around the age of 3. This was unfortunate for me, since that means I remember all of the 1980's...a decade known as much for its bad music as it was for big hair, male rock bands dressing like women and women digging it (?!?), personal computers with no internal hard drive, cell phones so big you had to carry them in a bag over your shoulder, and male shorts that were too short...seriously, who thought that was a good idea.
I hated 80's music, on the whole. Now, don't get me wrong...I can dig on some early Madonna, Cindy Lauper, some Duran Duran, and some of the more popular stuff that didn't suck and had some redeeming musical content. But, I was never into the whole synth sound. I took up saxophone in 4th grade, and from that point forward there was nothing that pissed me off more than listening to someone like Steve Winwood playing a solo on a song that is obviously a saxophone patch of some kind (2:42 on the recording below), or backing brass hits played on a synth. COME ON. There are musicians out of work, and here you are with your crappy Moog rubbing it in their face.
I hate Steve Winwood. It's true. Not sure if you could tell.
Anyway, I spent a lot of time in doctors' offices as a child, so I had to listen to a lot of this nonsense. It was always playing. Maybe it reminds me of getting tubes in my ears or sinus surgery. I don't know. It sucks.
So, what's a 7 year old boy to do when all the music available to him is a steaming pile? MICHAEL JACKSON.
I was not aware of "Off the Wall" when I first got into MJ. "Thriller" was released in 1982, and I immediately begged my parents for it. MJ engaged in a revolutionary marketing strategy, putting together a mini-movie / music video to be shown on the networks. There was no MTV, and music videos in general were crappy and not often made since there was no outlet for it. Later on the 80's there was Friday Night Videos, which premiered in 1983 as a network outlet for this blossoming art, but at the time there was nothing. MJ said, "I'll see your nothing and raise you AWESOME!" The world bought in, and Michael Jackson was instantly the coolest thing on the planet.
Once we got Thriller I listened to it constantly. I learned the words to every song. Are there synths in Thriller, absolutely...but the difference was that they weren't the central focus point like they are with morons like Steve Winwood. The songs were built around MJ's vocal lines, RHYTHM, and the bass. I hadn't been exposed to any pop music like this before, and it changed the way that I looked at music forever.
After Thriller, I became interested in buying up anything Michael Jackson that I could. Of course, my parents had something to say about that, since at age 5 and 6 I had little of my own money. What money I did have came from my $.50 a week allowance for folding my brother's and sister's reusable diapers and doing other chores. That wasn't enough to buy a "Beat It" jacket with all those cool zippers. I STILL want one of those things, but now I think my wife would have something to say about that. DAMN!
Luckily, my dad was a Motown guy, so we went out and got some cool Jackson 5 stuff. Unbelievable. He was MY AGE (at the time) and he could sing like that. I could barely roller skate, and here was this 6, 7 year old kid wailing on stage in front of thousands of screaming fans. I wanted that life. The interesting thing to me was how different the music was than what he ended up producing with Thriller. I needed to find out how he got from point A to point C.
Point B was "Off the Wall". In my opinion, Off the Wall is Michael Jackson's magnum opus...it's his Sistine Chapel, his Mona Lisa. Off the Wall is an album created by two geniuses, Michael Jackson and Quincy Jones. This collaboration is how Michael became Michael. This is still, to this day, one of my favorite albums of all time. It's timeless.
The rhythms were contagious and made me get off my white butt and dance around the basement like I was MJ. I learned how to Moonwalk
I was born in 77. It's commonly accepted that children develop long term memory around the age of 3. This was unfortunate for me, since that means I remember all of the 1980's...a decade known as much for its bad music as it was for big hair, male rock bands dressing like women and women digging it (?!?), personal computers with no internal hard drive, cell phones so big you had to carry them in a bag over your shoulder, and male shorts that were too short...seriously, who thought that was a good idea.
I hated 80's music, on the whole. Now, don't get me wrong...I can dig on some early Madonna, Cindy Lauper, some Duran Duran, and some of the more popular stuff that didn't suck and had some redeeming musical content. But, I was never into the whole synth sound. I took up saxophone in 4th grade, and from that point forward there was nothing that pissed me off more than listening to someone like Steve Winwood playing a solo on a song that is obviously a saxophone patch of some kind (2:42 on the recording below), or backing brass hits played on a synth. COME ON. There are musicians out of work, and here you are with your crappy Moog rubbing it in their face.
I hate Steve Winwood. It's true. Not sure if you could tell.
Anyway, I spent a lot of time in doctors' offices as a child, so I had to listen to a lot of this nonsense. It was always playing. Maybe it reminds me of getting tubes in my ears or sinus surgery. I don't know. It sucks.
So, what's a 7 year old boy to do when all the music available to him is a steaming pile? MICHAEL JACKSON.
I was not aware of "Off the Wall" when I first got into MJ. "Thriller" was released in 1982, and I immediately begged my parents for it. MJ engaged in a revolutionary marketing strategy, putting together a mini-movie / music video to be shown on the networks. There was no MTV, and music videos in general were crappy and not often made since there was no outlet for it. Later on the 80's there was Friday Night Videos, which premiered in 1983 as a network outlet for this blossoming art, but at the time there was nothing. MJ said, "I'll see your nothing and raise you AWESOME!" The world bought in, and Michael Jackson was instantly the coolest thing on the planet.
Once we got Thriller I listened to it constantly. I learned the words to every song. Are there synths in Thriller, absolutely...but the difference was that they weren't the central focus point like they are with morons like Steve Winwood. The songs were built around MJ's vocal lines, RHYTHM, and the bass. I hadn't been exposed to any pop music like this before, and it changed the way that I looked at music forever.
After Thriller, I became interested in buying up anything Michael Jackson that I could. Of course, my parents had something to say about that, since at age 5 and 6 I had little of my own money. What money I did have came from my $.50 a week allowance for folding my brother's and sister's reusable diapers and doing other chores. That wasn't enough to buy a "Beat It" jacket with all those cool zippers. I STILL want one of those things, but now I think my wife would have something to say about that. DAMN!
Luckily, my dad was a Motown guy, so we went out and got some cool Jackson 5 stuff. Unbelievable. He was MY AGE (at the time) and he could sing like that. I could barely roller skate, and here was this 6, 7 year old kid wailing on stage in front of thousands of screaming fans. I wanted that life. The interesting thing to me was how different the music was than what he ended up producing with Thriller. I needed to find out how he got from point A to point C.
Point B was "Off the Wall". In my opinion, Off the Wall is Michael Jackson's magnum opus...it's his Sistine Chapel, his Mona Lisa. Off the Wall is an album created by two geniuses, Michael Jackson and Quincy Jones. This collaboration is how Michael became Michael. This is still, to this day, one of my favorite albums of all time. It's timeless.
The rhythms were contagious and made me get off my white butt and dance around the basement like I was MJ. I learned how to Moonwalk
I learned every word to every song. My brother and sister got into it too! When my parents would have to go out for some reason and my dad's folks would come over to watch us, we'd drag them down to the basement and put on lip syncing concerts for them. BOY, were they pleased. I immediately picked up on the fact that they did not enjoy the MJ like we did. It didn't matter though. Once we started, there was no stopping us because we "Don't Stop Til You Get Enough."
I remember everything from the hair on fire incident in the Pepsi commercial (I used to think he lived at the Pepsi plant near our house) to his ever changing look. I wasn't too into "Bad," when it came out, and then pretty much everything after that goes into the trash for me.
Rhythm is what I learned from Michael Jackson. Layering of different rhythms, how it all works together, how rhythm can be melody, and the integration of all of the various elements of music.
I learned melody and harmony from Elton John and Billy Joel. MJ, EJ, and BJ were my best friends growing up. I spent countless hours listening to song after song...each time focusing on a different instrument or a different moving line...trying to learn as much as I possibly could. Of course, at the time I didn't realize that I was learning, or I probably wouldn't have done it. I have always been a critical listener. It's just how I enjoy music. I didn't realize that most people just listen to music for entertainment. I was truly hearing the music and dissecting it in my brain...practice for the musician I would later become.
In the 1990's I diversified my listening enjoyment a bit and got into the Stone Temple Pilots, Rage Against the Machine, Pearl Jam, and others...listening to music just for music's sake is a skill I had to teach myself. But, I've always held onto my respect for Michael Jackson's contribution to the musical landscape. His ability to rise above the nonsense in the 80's with Thriller and just do his own thing is why it has become such an endearing legacy. He had as much of an effect on music as any composer ever had on their musical era. Is his music as complex as Bach? No...of course not...but like Bach, he worked and innovated within the established system and set himself apart.
Don't be so quick to discount popular music as legitimate music. Music is music, and to dismiss Michael Jackson's influence on the art is closed minded and a mistake.
So, thank you, Michael Jackson, for working hard and doing what you did for so long. It's a shame that things turned out for you like they did, but your legacy lives on in my life and in the lives of millions of others. You may be gone, but you'll never be "...Out of My Life."
Tuesday, September 22, 2009
Kicking off the drum corps season
"dance one year in, kiss one goodbye."
That's a line from the Bushwackers' corps song "The Perfect Year," and it absolutely catches the spirit of this time of the year.
For 14 consecutive years now, I have ended my drum corps season Labor Day weekend, sulked around for a couple of weeks, and then got right back into the swing of things for the next season. 2010 has already started for both the Bushwackers and for me, and now it's time to really get this thing groovin'.
Last year was a difficult year competitively due to the fact that we were small, and there were some chemestry issues on the staff and within the membership to a certain degree. A lot of that stuff has been dealt with so far, and a lot more is being worked on behind the scenes. The corps is going through a metamorphosis, if you will, that is going to put us in a better position to have sustainable success.
Sustainable success should be the aim of every organization. You can get a bunch of hired guns in there for one year and win, but what happens after that? At what cost did victory come? No...I want to help build a solid foundation here on which we can build sustainable success.
Drum corps has fundamentally changed. I don't think that's news to anyone who's been in the activity for a while. It used to be that you could have equipment held together with duct tape and willpower, uniforms with stains and tears in them, and dents in horns and whatnot and still be competitive. You simply can't get away with that anymore. Drum corps has become too corporate. There's a lot of money that goes into each competitive season. Staff salaries and equipment prices have gone through the roof...even in all-age corps.
Like I said, there's a lot of work being done behind the scenes to help ensure that the Bushwackers will continue to ruin drum corps for many more years beyond 2010. :) I'm looking forward to being able to make some of the announcements that will be forthcoming from the corps. It's an exciting time to be a Bushwacker.
If you're interested in more information, definitely visit http://www.bushwackers.org/ or just message me. I have a lot of great plans in store for BUSH BRASS this year, so jump on board. This is definitely the year you want to march here!
That's a line from the Bushwackers' corps song "The Perfect Year," and it absolutely catches the spirit of this time of the year.
For 14 consecutive years now, I have ended my drum corps season Labor Day weekend, sulked around for a couple of weeks, and then got right back into the swing of things for the next season. 2010 has already started for both the Bushwackers and for me, and now it's time to really get this thing groovin'.
Last year was a difficult year competitively due to the fact that we were small, and there were some chemestry issues on the staff and within the membership to a certain degree. A lot of that stuff has been dealt with so far, and a lot more is being worked on behind the scenes. The corps is going through a metamorphosis, if you will, that is going to put us in a better position to have sustainable success.
Sustainable success should be the aim of every organization. You can get a bunch of hired guns in there for one year and win, but what happens after that? At what cost did victory come? No...I want to help build a solid foundation here on which we can build sustainable success.
Drum corps has fundamentally changed. I don't think that's news to anyone who's been in the activity for a while. It used to be that you could have equipment held together with duct tape and willpower, uniforms with stains and tears in them, and dents in horns and whatnot and still be competitive. You simply can't get away with that anymore. Drum corps has become too corporate. There's a lot of money that goes into each competitive season. Staff salaries and equipment prices have gone through the roof...even in all-age corps.
Like I said, there's a lot of work being done behind the scenes to help ensure that the Bushwackers will continue to ruin drum corps for many more years beyond 2010. :) I'm looking forward to being able to make some of the announcements that will be forthcoming from the corps. It's an exciting time to be a Bushwacker.
If you're interested in more information, definitely visit http://www.bushwackers.org/ or just message me. I have a lot of great plans in store for BUSH BRASS this year, so jump on board. This is definitely the year you want to march here!
Monday, September 21, 2009
Interesting Weekend
It's 6 a.m. and I've been up for hours due to strange dreams about my brother and waking up to full on panic attacks. Something is about to break...I can sense it. Hopefully it's just my mind getting ready to do everything that's necessary right now to be successful. I just wish I knew what the next step was.
Does LinkedIn work? I checked my email and a friend added me to her network. It was an old profile I set up the last time I was out of work, so I decided to go on and update everything, join some groups, try some networking. I guess we'll see. I've never had anyone tell me that they've found a job or success through LinkedIn, but it's certainly worth a shot.
I'm always on the razor's edge between success and total failure. Most of the time I feel like I'm teetering to the wrong side. I have little guidance...not many people to talk to about things, people to bounce ideas off of, people to help point me in the right direction. I spend a lot of time just thinking and planning to myself, not really having any idea where I'm going or what the consequences of my actions might be down the road. Right now, I just have so many situations that I don't have any idea how to control, fix, or deal with in general. It's frustrating and creates a lot of anxiety for me...something that's not good for my psychological well being. We all have our issues, and mine are well documented. I've lived a really interesting life so far. If I wrote some of this stuff down, most people wouldn't believe it. Even the people who are close to me would have a hard time with it.
I try not to be one of those ego-centric people who think that the world revolves around me and that the story of my life somehow impacts everyone I know. I'm fully aware that we all have our own stories and that there are plenty out there way more successful and interesting than mine. I'm simply stating that the list of things I've done with the backdrop of all the things that have happened to me in my life creates a very interesting story. Quite honestly, it's amazing that I'm still alive, so it's hard to get down about things. Right now, though, I'm finding it really difficult to be positive.
Things obviously change when you get married. For all intents and purposes I've been married to Dena for way longer than just the year it's been official. I try hard to put her first and to do what's in the best interest of our shared life together. I thought that taking the time now, while we don't have children, to start my own business...something I've always wanted to do...would be a great way to help ensure our financial future and give our future family the kind of life it deserves...the kind of life every man wants to provide for his family. Unfortunately, I picked a bad time. Teachers in her district don't get paid over the summer.
So, what now? I'm looking for a job...any job, really...but it's not really happening right now. I've felt the full impact of this economic downturn, having been laid off from several jobs due to the financial constraints and downsizing. I'm hoping that things turn around. I know they will. It's just that right now it's getting harder and harder to keep my chin up. I've been in bigger pickles than this, but it's not just about me anymore. I can't just quietly soldier through knowing that at some point I'll figure it out and things will be okay. I have to solve the problems, and I have to do it now.
Does LinkedIn work? I checked my email and a friend added me to her network. It was an old profile I set up the last time I was out of work, so I decided to go on and update everything, join some groups, try some networking. I guess we'll see. I've never had anyone tell me that they've found a job or success through LinkedIn, but it's certainly worth a shot.
I'm always on the razor's edge between success and total failure. Most of the time I feel like I'm teetering to the wrong side. I have little guidance...not many people to talk to about things, people to bounce ideas off of, people to help point me in the right direction. I spend a lot of time just thinking and planning to myself, not really having any idea where I'm going or what the consequences of my actions might be down the road. Right now, I just have so many situations that I don't have any idea how to control, fix, or deal with in general. It's frustrating and creates a lot of anxiety for me...something that's not good for my psychological well being. We all have our issues, and mine are well documented. I've lived a really interesting life so far. If I wrote some of this stuff down, most people wouldn't believe it. Even the people who are close to me would have a hard time with it.
I try not to be one of those ego-centric people who think that the world revolves around me and that the story of my life somehow impacts everyone I know. I'm fully aware that we all have our own stories and that there are plenty out there way more successful and interesting than mine. I'm simply stating that the list of things I've done with the backdrop of all the things that have happened to me in my life creates a very interesting story. Quite honestly, it's amazing that I'm still alive, so it's hard to get down about things. Right now, though, I'm finding it really difficult to be positive.
Things obviously change when you get married. For all intents and purposes I've been married to Dena for way longer than just the year it's been official. I try hard to put her first and to do what's in the best interest of our shared life together. I thought that taking the time now, while we don't have children, to start my own business...something I've always wanted to do...would be a great way to help ensure our financial future and give our future family the kind of life it deserves...the kind of life every man wants to provide for his family. Unfortunately, I picked a bad time. Teachers in her district don't get paid over the summer.
So, what now? I'm looking for a job...any job, really...but it's not really happening right now. I've felt the full impact of this economic downturn, having been laid off from several jobs due to the financial constraints and downsizing. I'm hoping that things turn around. I know they will. It's just that right now it's getting harder and harder to keep my chin up. I've been in bigger pickles than this, but it's not just about me anymore. I can't just quietly soldier through knowing that at some point I'll figure it out and things will be okay. I have to solve the problems, and I have to do it now.
Sunday, September 20, 2009
Go Penns Grove!
What a great day of band yesterday for the Penns Grove HS Marching Red Devil Band! It was our first performance day of the year, and you never know how teenagers are going to handle that stuff. We had a football game in the afternoon, and the band was okay. We had some ensemble timing issues and some other things, but the important thing wasn't having a clean performance...but just getting all the nerves out and performing in front of a crowd for the first time. We did it, no one got hurt too bad, and it was over with. The kids handled it well, though, and were enthusiastic and even nervous a little bit for that first performance of the year.
At night we made the long trek to Pennsville (just right down the road) and performed in exhibition at the USSBA show they were hosting. We had no real interest in competing this weekend. We don't have the 3rd number on the field (at least performable) yet, and this was supposed to be all about working out the kinks in front of a crowd that actually cares, as opposed to a football crowd, without putting the extra stress of competition on the kids.
What a great warm up and show. From the moment the kids got off the bus it was "go time." We had a great warm up/rehearsal block before the show, then marched over and took the field confidently and with energy. Many of the ensemble issues from the football game were gone. The kids put more energy into their performance, and the crowd was quite receptive. I'll definitely take that for our first performances of the year.
Since we were in exhibition our scores weren't announced, but let's just say that we would have done really, really well. :)
Friday night I finally was able to hook up with Jay Morlot, the director of the Bushwackers, and talk about the 2010 season. Honestly, I really had no idea what I wanted to do next season. 2009 was way harder than it needed to be for a billion reasons. I was frustrated and I needed to hear that the organization was as committed as my members, my staff, and myself to having a top notch, championship-caliber drum corps...and then would do what is necessary to make that happen. I definitely got that impression from Jay. There is a lot in the works, and I'm excited to announce that I'll be back on board as the brass caption head in 2010. Now, it's time for full speed ahead on planning, recruiting, and all the things that it's going to take to make this thing happen.
We came in 9th place this year. I simply can't have that. It's time for a Bushwacker Revolution.
Today I'm off to participate in the 2nd annual Bushwackers Hall of Fame vote. I helped start the Bushwackers HOF last year to honor our Bushwacker heroes and to help give Bush Alumni a way to get involved and remember their days as a Bushwacker and the people who influenced them. I'm excited.
Thanks for reading. More tomorrow.
At night we made the long trek to Pennsville (just right down the road) and performed in exhibition at the USSBA show they were hosting. We had no real interest in competing this weekend. We don't have the 3rd number on the field (at least performable) yet, and this was supposed to be all about working out the kinks in front of a crowd that actually cares, as opposed to a football crowd, without putting the extra stress of competition on the kids.
What a great warm up and show. From the moment the kids got off the bus it was "go time." We had a great warm up/rehearsal block before the show, then marched over and took the field confidently and with energy. Many of the ensemble issues from the football game were gone. The kids put more energy into their performance, and the crowd was quite receptive. I'll definitely take that for our first performances of the year.
Since we were in exhibition our scores weren't announced, but let's just say that we would have done really, really well. :)
Friday night I finally was able to hook up with Jay Morlot, the director of the Bushwackers, and talk about the 2010 season. Honestly, I really had no idea what I wanted to do next season. 2009 was way harder than it needed to be for a billion reasons. I was frustrated and I needed to hear that the organization was as committed as my members, my staff, and myself to having a top notch, championship-caliber drum corps...and then would do what is necessary to make that happen. I definitely got that impression from Jay. There is a lot in the works, and I'm excited to announce that I'll be back on board as the brass caption head in 2010. Now, it's time for full speed ahead on planning, recruiting, and all the things that it's going to take to make this thing happen.
We came in 9th place this year. I simply can't have that. It's time for a Bushwacker Revolution.
Today I'm off to participate in the 2nd annual Bushwackers Hall of Fame vote. I helped start the Bushwackers HOF last year to honor our Bushwacker heroes and to help give Bush Alumni a way to get involved and remember their days as a Bushwacker and the people who influenced them. I'm excited.
Thanks for reading. More tomorrow.
Friday, September 18, 2009
Why I won't ever move back to Philadelphia
I love Philadelphia. It's a great city with a diverse population, great neighborhoods, some good schools, lots to do, and a lot of pride. One thing they also have is a completely inept, corrupt government.
It's important to know that Philadelphia is a one horse town, or donkey as it were, because the only political party that holds any power at all in the city are the Democrats. Now, this isn't a 'dems suck, republicans rule' post. Competition is a good thing for business and politics. When there are no checks and balances, no competition for your jobs every election day, no competition for control of the government...you just do whatever the hell you want, citizens be damned.
And that's exactly what goes on in Philadelphia. You're talking about a city that took stimulus dollars, has had a 1% sales tax (in addition to the state sales tax of 6%) for years, and has a city wage tax somewhere in the neighborhood of 5-7%. With a city of 1.5 million people...the majority of whom work and pay that wage tax, then turn around and shop in the city, thus paying the sales tax...you'd think that the government would have enough money to not suck as badly as it does.
Yeah, well...apparently all of that isn't enough. While the city has made strides as far as cleaning up certain areas, bringing in developers to build beautiful condos and swanky areas around Spring Garden and other areas...while the city successfully negotiated and built 2 beautiful, world class stadiums that bring in millions of fans a year...all of whom buy something that then kicks back more money into the city's coffers...none of that was enough to avoid a budget crisis that almost cost hundreds of jobs (including police, which this city can't afford to cut back on). It's absolutely ridiculous. Where is the money going?
I was at a parade with the Archbishop Ryan HS Band right after Mayor Nutter was inaugurated. He showed up in a beautiful, new, black SUV with security and a whole entourage. Where does that money come from? What is going on in City Hall that, even with all of the sources of revenue that this city has going for it, they go on TV threatening jobs and a "doomsday budget" that shuts down libraries if "Harrisburg" doesn't do it's job and allow the city to raise its sales tax AGAIN and defer payments into the city's pension fund.
Where is accountability in Philadelphia? Why was someone like John Street...someone the feds though enough of to put hidden cameras in his office...elected to two terms? Why do we keep electing City Council members to the mayor's office? I don't get it. The city looks better than it ever has, but at what cost? Philadelphia has to bribe businesses to stay within the city limits by offering huge tax rebates to companies. Talk about a huge potential revenue stream! Instead, they just tax the hell out of the middle class. Open your eyes, Philadelphians! While people are sitting on their porches all day in North Philly collecting their welfare checks and not looking for a job, you're working hard and then giving a good bit of your paycheck to a city that can't manage the money. Why? You worked for that money. Is it supposed to be a privilege to live and work in the City of Philadelphia?
When will your government treat you like it's a privilege to have you as a citizen?
I'll tell you when...when you stop electing people just because they're Democrat and actually start LISTENING to the words that are coming out of their mouths and then get off your lazy butts and actually research their record.
They don't respect you. They flat out LIE to you and tell you what you want to hear so that you'll elect them, and then they do whatever the hell they want and blow you off when you say, "um...what?" You don't know what you're talking about. This is big boy, government stuff. You just do your job and go to work and keep giving us money. We'll create more programs for the people NOT PAYING TAXES...even wage taxes because they're not working...and give them YOUR money.
It's YOUR money. Yes, the federal, state, and local governments need some of your money so that they can operate...but it's YOUR money so you should have a say in how it's spent. Right? Doesn't that MAKE SENSE??
I moved out of Philadelphia about 3 years ago and I will never live within the city limits again if I can at all help it. I cannot and will not allow that city government to take 5-7% of my paycheck, then add 2% to everything I by just so they can go to Harrisburg and Washington DC and stand there with their hands out threatening to lay people off if they're not given more money.
They're blackmailing the state. This is wrong. Figure it out, Philadelphia. City Council and the mayor's office is laughing at you. They don't respect you. They're not helping you. They're stealing from you and then creating programs that make people dependent on the government.
This is our city, our country, and our lives. Be responsible for yourself, elect people who are going to serve you they way you deserve to be served, and live your life.
Unbelievable. Philadelphia government, I give you the one-fingered salute.
Former Philly Treasurer, Corey Kemp
CONVICTED
Former Councilman Rick Mariano
CONVICTED
Thursday, September 17, 2009
Marching Band and Rain Don't Mix
Well, it's Thursday and raining. That can mean only one thing...we have marching band rehearsal tonight! Oh yeah!
My wife is the band director at Penns Grove High School in South Jersey, and I teach her marching band. It's an interesting gig. One of the cool things about it is that there's a permanent scaffolding structure that allows you to get pretty high up and clean drill. The whole staff could fit up there if we wanted to. It's very convenient.
Anyway, unlike some other places I've taught Penns Grove does not rehearse on a parking lot. Yes, we actually have our own grass field with lights! Good stuff, but it makes rehearsing in inclement weather difficult. The kids don't care...you rehearse in the rain and the mud sometimes. That's just how it goes, but we have to take into consideration that it absolutely destroys the field. Oh well...we'll be out there tonight no matter what since this Saturday we have our first performances.
The opener is pretty cool. The show is a "comic bookey" detective/criminal/dame story. In the first act, the "dame" shows off her prized artwork which is then stolen by a masked burglar. The music in the beginning is all original and then it goes into an arrangement of the "Mission Impossible" theme song. Visually and musically it's pretty good for this time of year. Like many schools, it's hard to get the kids to really put a whole lot of energy into anything, so it's not as clean as it could be...but it's getting there.
The second number is an original composition...a jazzy tune where we meet our detective. The Dame, completely distraught by having her ugly artwork stolen tries to hire the detective, who is rather dismissive and not really all that interested. Of course, she flashes some money under his nose and he takes the case. We have a dancer in the band who is absolutely spectacular. She's "The Dame" and is featured in this song and throughout the show. The detective is played by an actor in the school plays who agreed to be in our little production. He does a good job. Oh, and the burglar is a kid in the pit.
The first part of the closer shows our detective on the prowl. Unfortunately, he's not a very good detective and while the band is marching around playing "James Bond" material, our detective is anything but James Bond. Eventually the whole band gets the detective's attention and points him in the right direction.
Our pit is somewhat on the field and set up in a type of "lair" situation. They're all dressed as burglars, and since they're obviously bad guys, they hide behind their instruments when the detective finally figures it out and arrives on the scene. There's a playful and fun "hide and seek" section between the detective and the pit, but he finally finds his man and they go spilling out onto the field chasing each other around.
During this and most of the rest of the show, the music is original in nature and rhythmic. The detective chases the burglar around for a bit, but loses him. The Dame isn't pleased and really starts giving the detective "the business," when he finds the burglar and finally gets the artwork back. It's hard to explain...it's all something you just need to see.
We have a cool prop that becomes, through MAGIC, a jail cell at the end of the show. The pit kids have some fun at the end as well, and we're done. There's a lot of thought and coordination that goes into doing a theme show like this, but I think that the kids appreciate it and enjoy it a lot more than if we just picked 3 songs and went out there and did that. Plus, it gives them an opportunity to put a little bit of themselves into the production instead of just acting like a bunch of robots out there for the duration of the show.
The staff is small, but good. We could really use another 2 or 3 people, but we just don't have the budget for it. It's okay, though. It's a small band, although we're the biggest we can be in our group. Hopefully the kids put the work in at home, come prepared to rehearsals, and perform when the time comes. If they do, we should be pretty successful this year. We'll see.
My wife is the band director at Penns Grove High School in South Jersey, and I teach her marching band. It's an interesting gig. One of the cool things about it is that there's a permanent scaffolding structure that allows you to get pretty high up and clean drill. The whole staff could fit up there if we wanted to. It's very convenient.
Anyway, unlike some other places I've taught Penns Grove does not rehearse on a parking lot. Yes, we actually have our own grass field with lights! Good stuff, but it makes rehearsing in inclement weather difficult. The kids don't care...you rehearse in the rain and the mud sometimes. That's just how it goes, but we have to take into consideration that it absolutely destroys the field. Oh well...we'll be out there tonight no matter what since this Saturday we have our first performances.
The opener is pretty cool. The show is a "comic bookey" detective/criminal/dame story. In the first act, the "dame" shows off her prized artwork which is then stolen by a masked burglar. The music in the beginning is all original and then it goes into an arrangement of the "Mission Impossible" theme song. Visually and musically it's pretty good for this time of year. Like many schools, it's hard to get the kids to really put a whole lot of energy into anything, so it's not as clean as it could be...but it's getting there.
The second number is an original composition...a jazzy tune where we meet our detective. The Dame, completely distraught by having her ugly artwork stolen tries to hire the detective, who is rather dismissive and not really all that interested. Of course, she flashes some money under his nose and he takes the case. We have a dancer in the band who is absolutely spectacular. She's "The Dame" and is featured in this song and throughout the show. The detective is played by an actor in the school plays who agreed to be in our little production. He does a good job. Oh, and the burglar is a kid in the pit.
The first part of the closer shows our detective on the prowl. Unfortunately, he's not a very good detective and while the band is marching around playing "James Bond" material, our detective is anything but James Bond. Eventually the whole band gets the detective's attention and points him in the right direction.
Our pit is somewhat on the field and set up in a type of "lair" situation. They're all dressed as burglars, and since they're obviously bad guys, they hide behind their instruments when the detective finally figures it out and arrives on the scene. There's a playful and fun "hide and seek" section between the detective and the pit, but he finally finds his man and they go spilling out onto the field chasing each other around.
During this and most of the rest of the show, the music is original in nature and rhythmic. The detective chases the burglar around for a bit, but loses him. The Dame isn't pleased and really starts giving the detective "the business," when he finds the burglar and finally gets the artwork back. It's hard to explain...it's all something you just need to see.
We have a cool prop that becomes, through MAGIC, a jail cell at the end of the show. The pit kids have some fun at the end as well, and we're done. There's a lot of thought and coordination that goes into doing a theme show like this, but I think that the kids appreciate it and enjoy it a lot more than if we just picked 3 songs and went out there and did that. Plus, it gives them an opportunity to put a little bit of themselves into the production instead of just acting like a bunch of robots out there for the duration of the show.
The staff is small, but good. We could really use another 2 or 3 people, but we just don't have the budget for it. It's okay, though. It's a small band, although we're the biggest we can be in our group. Hopefully the kids put the work in at home, come prepared to rehearsals, and perform when the time comes. If they do, we should be pretty successful this year. We'll see.
I'm not racist, so don't label me (a letter to a very special someone)
Sir,
Just because I disagree with someone doesn't mean I'm a racist. Just because I think that they have a hidden agenda (poorly hidden), are less than truthful, and completely and totally wrong doesn't mean I'm a racist bigot who hates people who are different than me.
Not everyone is a racist. In fact, race wasn't even brought up in this debate until you opened your mouth. Not all dissention has a racist undertone. We have huge issues that we're debating here, and to label those who disagree as racist is just a tactic to try to get us to shut up. It's not going to work this time.
You don't know me. You don't know what's in my heart. You don't know why I feel the way I do. For you to assume that I and many others are simply racist because we disagree is ludicrous and, quite frankly, extremely insulting.
Go away. Until I'm told otherwise, and I wouldn't be surprised if down the road I am told otherwise, I still have the freedom in this country to disagree and debate ideas. The fact that you resort to name calling simply because you can't fathom why anyone would disagree with this person is childish.
Sincerely,
Chris Kilian
Just because I disagree with someone doesn't mean I'm a racist. Just because I think that they have a hidden agenda (poorly hidden), are less than truthful, and completely and totally wrong doesn't mean I'm a racist bigot who hates people who are different than me.
Not everyone is a racist. In fact, race wasn't even brought up in this debate until you opened your mouth. Not all dissention has a racist undertone. We have huge issues that we're debating here, and to label those who disagree as racist is just a tactic to try to get us to shut up. It's not going to work this time.
You don't know me. You don't know what's in my heart. You don't know why I feel the way I do. For you to assume that I and many others are simply racist because we disagree is ludicrous and, quite frankly, extremely insulting.
Go away. Until I'm told otherwise, and I wouldn't be surprised if down the road I am told otherwise, I still have the freedom in this country to disagree and debate ideas. The fact that you resort to name calling simply because you can't fathom why anyone would disagree with this person is childish.
Sincerely,
Chris Kilian
Wednesday, September 16, 2009
Writing again!
I'm sitting down today with the task of writing pep music for football games. The pep music Penns Grove has is old, parts are missing, and there are a lot of errors. I got sick of it so I'm just writing a few tunes so we can actually sound decent at football games.
Picked up a gig finishing a show for a local band last night. I'm looking forward to getting started on that. I enjoy arranging a lot, and hope that for next season I can up my load. This year I got started so early on Centennial HS (MD), one of my loyal customers...January, in fact...that I was able to, for the first time, not really have to work on two projects at once. Generally speaking they all overlap. You write one band's opener, then go on to another opener. Finish the openers, and then work on the 2nd tune for each band. At least that's how I usually work if I have a lot of groups all lined up at the same time.
Ideally, enough bands sign on early enough that I'm able to schedule time to work on each show and not worry about any overlapping. This way I can just get myself in the mindset to write one show, then move onto the next. It's rare, but it's nice when it does happen.
This year I got into writing original compositions for two bands (Penns Grove and Crestwood). The shows aren't entirely composed, but a good portion of them are. I enjoy composing more than I remember. Coming out of college I tried doing it a bit, but wasn't in a real good head space for a long time. I found composing difficult and laborious...not artistic, and so I simply dismissed it as a skill I didn't possess. Over time it frustrated me, because I enjoyed arranging so much and the more I arranged the more "original" my arrangements became. They weren't transcriptions, but fresh arrangements and variations. I figured, if I could do that why couldn't I compose something original.
My thought at the time was that I couldn't write melody because, while I love lyrical melodies and lush harmonies, quite often my compositions tend to be more rhythmic. So, who's to say what's a better technique? While some composers write lyrical melodies that flow from the instruments, others write more rhythmic motives and use the harmonic structure within those rhythms to construct their idea of melody. John Adam's "Short Ride in a Fast Machine," for instance, is rhythmic in nature, while the second movement from Samuel Barber's Piano Concerto is incredibly lyrical.
By the way, I love Samuel Barber's Piano Concerto. I find the second movement to be hauntingly beautiful. I'm not generally a big concerto guy. I love orchestral music, but the whole "you go ahead and show off how awesome you are" thing is just not my bag.
If you're a friend of mine and reading this, you're probably chuckling because you knew it was a matter of time before I started extolling the praises of Samuel Barber. So what! He's my favorite composer. I'll write more about him in the future, but here's an article I wrote for an online newspaper about Barber on his 99th birthday earlier this year.
March 12, 2009
----------------------------------------------------------
A very happy belated birthday to one of America's greatest composers, Samuel Osborne Barber! He would be 99 years of age.
Samuel Barber was born on March 9th, 1910 in West Chester, PA. The family home at 107 Church St. still stands and is just blocks from West Chester University. Barber is the composer of the famous "Adagio for Strings," which many people know from the movie "Platoon" and other films. In addition, Barber won Pulitzer Prizes for both his opera "Vanessa," and his incredible piano concerto
While Barber was born and raised in the rural and conservative West Chester, he was schooled in music at the Curtis Institute in Philadelphia. He was one of the first students to walk through Curtis' doors in 1924 and excelled as a student in piano, voice, and composition. It was here that he met his great friend, partner, and collaborator Gian Carlo Menotti. Barber's composition teacher at Curtis, Rosario Scalero, had great influence on the work of the young composer. Samuel Barber's music is unabashedly tonal and lyrical. He had an uncanny ability to relate to the heart and soul of the listener through his music.
Samuel Barber was a quiet, thoughtful man who stayed true to his musical convictions in an age of wild musical experimentation. While his relationship with Menotti became strained over the years, the two reconciled before his death. Barber died at the age of 71 on January 23rd, 1981 in New York. He is buried at the Oaklands Cemetery in West Chester with his parents and beloved sister. There is an empty plot next to Barber's that was reserved for Menotti, but when the composer died in 2007 he was instead buried in Scotland.
I should have written this for my first article because of my personal relationship with his music, but I did not think of it at the time. Samuel Barber's music has served as a great inspiration for me throughout my life, and to have lived so close to the childhood home of one of the greatest composers our country has produced was an amazing experience. In fact, I just took my wife to see his grave just a few weeks ago for the first time. I try to get there once a year or so to play some music, and clear away the leaves and grass...and just to say "hi."
Happy birthday, Samuel Barber!
Picked up a gig finishing a show for a local band last night. I'm looking forward to getting started on that. I enjoy arranging a lot, and hope that for next season I can up my load. This year I got started so early on Centennial HS (MD), one of my loyal customers...January, in fact...that I was able to, for the first time, not really have to work on two projects at once. Generally speaking they all overlap. You write one band's opener, then go on to another opener. Finish the openers, and then work on the 2nd tune for each band. At least that's how I usually work if I have a lot of groups all lined up at the same time.
Ideally, enough bands sign on early enough that I'm able to schedule time to work on each show and not worry about any overlapping. This way I can just get myself in the mindset to write one show, then move onto the next. It's rare, but it's nice when it does happen.
This year I got into writing original compositions for two bands (Penns Grove and Crestwood). The shows aren't entirely composed, but a good portion of them are. I enjoy composing more than I remember. Coming out of college I tried doing it a bit, but wasn't in a real good head space for a long time. I found composing difficult and laborious...not artistic, and so I simply dismissed it as a skill I didn't possess. Over time it frustrated me, because I enjoyed arranging so much and the more I arranged the more "original" my arrangements became. They weren't transcriptions, but fresh arrangements and variations. I figured, if I could do that why couldn't I compose something original.
My thought at the time was that I couldn't write melody because, while I love lyrical melodies and lush harmonies, quite often my compositions tend to be more rhythmic. So, who's to say what's a better technique? While some composers write lyrical melodies that flow from the instruments, others write more rhythmic motives and use the harmonic structure within those rhythms to construct their idea of melody. John Adam's "Short Ride in a Fast Machine," for instance, is rhythmic in nature, while the second movement from Samuel Barber's Piano Concerto is incredibly lyrical.
By the way, I love Samuel Barber's Piano Concerto. I find the second movement to be hauntingly beautiful. I'm not generally a big concerto guy. I love orchestral music, but the whole "you go ahead and show off how awesome you are" thing is just not my bag.
If you're a friend of mine and reading this, you're probably chuckling because you knew it was a matter of time before I started extolling the praises of Samuel Barber. So what! He's my favorite composer. I'll write more about him in the future, but here's an article I wrote for an online newspaper about Barber on his 99th birthday earlier this year.
March 12, 2009
----------------------------------------------------------
A very happy belated birthday to one of America's greatest composers, Samuel Osborne Barber! He would be 99 years of age.
Samuel Barber was born on March 9th, 1910 in West Chester, PA. The family home at 107 Church St. still stands and is just blocks from West Chester University. Barber is the composer of the famous "Adagio for Strings," which many people know from the movie "Platoon" and other films. In addition, Barber won Pulitzer Prizes for both his opera "Vanessa," and his incredible piano concerto
I should have written this for my first article because of my personal relationship with his music, but I did not think of it at the time. Samuel Barber's music has served as a great inspiration for me throughout my life, and to have lived so close to the childhood home of one of the greatest composers our country has produced was an amazing experience. In fact, I just took my wife to see his grave just a few weeks ago for the first time. I try to get there once a year or so to play some music, and clear away the leaves and grass...and just to say "hi."
Happy birthday, Samuel Barber!
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