Band camp x3

LIVE- okay so I'm not sure how to make things bold...so you'll just have to deal with all caps for the catgory titles. It's summer. I'm spending a lot more time with my wife and kid...and I love it. I love them lots. We've been working slowly on organizing the house. Our downstairs closet is looking better than I ever remember. We're going to start a budget thing soon. By soon, I mean today. we're going to use the leftover cash for a debt reducing crackdown! It'll be exciting. This summer I'm going to be "working" at three band camps. The first one I have already done. It was a marching band leadership(drum major mostly) camp. It was a few days that were FULL of stuff. We did marching fundamentals, commands, squad competitions, conducting classes and an elective class. The walk between each of these activities, which also included eats, was about 15 minutes. Luckily for us, it rained all day for all of the days of the camp. There were two walks on which it didn't rain. Now, I know what you're thinking. That sucks. During that camp, I was only dry when I went to sleep. My feet hurt because of the wetness and walking. They were raw for a few days after I got back. I had to get my wife to bring me extra shoes. The awesome thing about it was the kids at the camp. They were right there with me...I guess I was with them... And there were zero complaints. They trudged through with smiles on their faces the whole way. Even when it was buckets, they were laughing and having a good time. I was thoroughly impressed with these kids. They didn't complain about the rain or the lots of walking or having to do all their marching in a parking garage or in a room that was way too small. They just got it done and succeeded. Awesome. I'm going to another band camp next week that is a concert band camp. I'll get to teach a class in this one! I have no idea what it will be though. I'll let you know. LOVE- I loved the band camp and the kids. That showed me that I'm definitely getting into the right business. Something I loved more though, was coming home. I missed my wife. I missed my kid. They are the ones I care most about. They are the ones I love most...even though the kid is in a hitting phase... I love being a father and husband. And not just because of my father's day present. But I'll tell you about it anyway :) I was up with my wife visiting her family for the week prior to father's day. Her mom has an iPad. I used it every chance I could...Mostly because they're super cool. So one day my wife and her mom went out together...as part of a late mother's day present and when they came back...SHAZOWIE! iPad for daddy day. I don't know if I'd go as far as oprah and say its the greatest invention ever in the history of man, but it's pretty awesome. I also got a $0.99 iPhone. MAKE MUSIC- before the marching camp, I thought I'd try my horn again. Up to that point I'd only been playing the trumpet for the most part. When Iicked it up, at first, I thought that I sounded kinda stuffy and contained. After I played a little I realized that that's how I'm supposed to sound. I was used to the trumpet which is much more bright and cutting in its tone. This just goes to show you...keep playing! Also, remember when I said I got a iPad? Well I got some apps that I really like that are music related. I first got a tuner and a metronome. Those are great. The metronome is just called tempo. It's good. It's got the tap feature and a bunch of different accent patterns and you can have presets and it has the tempo marking too (eg andante, allegro, presto). I recommend it. It's a whole lot cheaper than Dr. Beat...unless you have to buy the iPad...but it's on iPhone too. I also got these classical music apps. Theres two volumes. There's a free trial version that has partial songs on it. Then there's the full version. It's like $5. People were complaining in the reviews about the partial songs but they're a bunch of crazies. There's like 110 or 120 songs for 5 dollars. Try and find that on iTunes. There's also the iReal b app. Without the in app purchases, it's mostly a pocket rhythm section for any jazzers to improve your improv skills. Finally, and my favorite, is the Fingerings app. It has all the Fingerings for all the band instruments in multiple clefs and with...wait for it...tril Fingerings up to a major third trill.

Remember me?

Remember when I used to blog a lot... no?

Well... it's been too long anyway.

Live- It's summer. Summer is good. I'm getting to spend a lot of time with my wife and with my daughter. Our days were starting to feel unproductive. I know that's kind of the point of summer, but we were kind of over that part of the summer and were on to the let's start doing stuff stage. We made a schedule to follow when we're home together in which we have family play time, individual get 'er done times and time for projects and such. It's been working pretty well. I think I'm figuring out that I'm a schedule kind of guy. This does not mean that I'm good at planning. My wife sometimes has to make sure I brushed my teeth within the last few days...normally I have. I do think, though, that having a certain time to get stuff done is usually better than have a certain amount to get done. Things get done faster.

We went to the park today and my daughter went on the merry-go-round for the first time. She was watching this other kid getting spun by her mom and she decided that she was going to try it. I rode with her the first time but then she was climbing on by herself and even pushing it around...there was no one on it...but it's still fun to see how fast you can spin it...that's what I do anyway.

Love- I've been watching this Ken Burns documentary on Jazz (which was originally Jass by the way) on Hulu Plus. It's great. When I'm done I'll have watched about 20 hours of jazz history. I'm up to Dave Brubeck in the history of jazz. He's the Take Five guy.

After my recital I decided that I was going to take a break from the trombone for a while. It was wearing me out. I was burnt out on it. I was preparing so much for the recital. I was just practicing. I didn't feel like I was making real music with it. I started playing some beginning/intermediate solos for trumpet because...I have one.

After watching one of the episodes of the documentary, it inspired me to get my trombone out and read through my real book. It just how much I love playing some jazz. There's just something about it that feels freeing.

Make Music- As part of the schedule that my wife and I have, I have time everyday for musical things. I've been building my trumpet chops and some jazz chops today. I've also been working on my conducting. I got some wind band standards for Christmas last year. Right now I'm going through Holst Second Suite. I know it's overdone but it's a standard. I also figure it'll be easier to get through because I know that one. I'm working on knowing my fingerings for all the other band instruments too. Thank you red book teacher's edition.

Double "L" Double"M"

Live

Recital is done.

The last full week of classes is done.

Final concert as an undergrad is done.

I'm coming to the end and I like it.

Since my recital, I feel like I'm just going to classes with nothing to do. It's good but weird. All I have left now is a huge 2 page reflection paper, a notebook, and some finals...4 finals.

Made my first car payment yesterday. Sure. I used my wife's money...but that's not the point.

Tomorrow we're going to make a summer list. Have to do, Want to do, and Maybe do if we have a bad case of cabin fever. On my wants...play my trumpet solos, learn flute better, and eat some bratwurst.  

Love

Summer is coming and I'm looking forward to spending time with my awesome wife and my awesome daughter.

I love my wife. She is my best friend and I am very glad that I married her. She makes me happy. I don't know how she manages to do all that she does. She teaches 7! college classes and has a 1 year old and has time to come and let me into my truck when I lock myself out. Amazing.

I love my daughter. She's fun. She is so smart too. She's not yet 13 months old and she walks (almost runs), and can say 20 or more words and knows the meaning of even more even though she can't say them. I can see me in her and my wife too. She dances to her music and loves to read...or be read to. She gets that from her mom.  

Make Music

 I found out where my student teaching is going to be and I'm excited about that. I am going to be one of the few lucky ones that actually gets to do all three levels of music education. My first placement is with a band teacher that teaches middle and high school band. The second one is with an elementary school music teacher that also does an elementary choir. Just so you know...that's SUPERAWESOME.

Before that, however, is summer, YAY SUMMER! You know...it's that time when there's no school...when it's sunny...and hot...and you can go to the beach...and there's no school...and it's hot...and...you know?

This summer I acquired an internship with one of the Smith Walbridge Band Camps. If you haven't heard of those....they're the best marching band camps at all. If you're in the band world, you've heard of BOA camps? It's like those but better. I'm doing one marching band one and one concert band one. It's exciting. It'll also be helpful for my marching band experience at the high school I'm going to be at for my student teaching. I'm going to the high school band camp too. I'm excited to get back into it.
High school marching band is better than college. It's better because the band members are excited. They love it. and they show it. The college marchers love it too. They just complain more and don't care as much about being great...and my college band is pretty good.

The music club is doing good. The numbers are low but today they were great. The thing I'm really excited about for the music club is next year...I won't be there...but I'm excited. I'm working with the assistant principal to make the club next year a beginning band. GO BAND! Now I just have to find some one to teach it next year.

Exciting stuff.

music is as music does

I had voice lesson today.

One of the classes at the school of music is a vocal pedagogy class. Part of it is for the students to give voice lessons to other students. I'm also taking trombone lessons as part of my major. It's my main instrument.

There's something I've bee noticing lately...

There are things you can do when you're singing that you can't do when your playing an instrument. I don't mean say text either.

A little while back, I went to a performance of a Wolf Leiderbuch. During the performance sometimes the singers would swell multiple notes that are part of a larger phrase...and that's okay. Today in my voice lesson, I was told to slide into notes to give them more connection and that that was correct. I've also heard people do this too.

If I tried to pull that kind of stuff in my trombone lessons...it wouldn't fly.

I've also never heard from anyone, other than vocal people, that this stuff is the musical thing to do. I've always heard that we don't want to swell individual notes because it's what immature musicians do...and even on the trombone, you aren't to slide around to the notes, even though that's what you do. You try to minimize the uncertainty between the notes and get pure tone.

I just think it's interesting that both are acceptable even if both are performances from the same time period.

I also think it's interesting that a lot of times, it's said that the instruments were meant to imitate the human voice. They also sometimes say to play something as if you were singing it.

YAY SCHOOL!

So. I'm sure you've heard about my recital.

Let me tell you about all the stuff surrounding my recital...

I have...the day before...a symphonic band concert in which I have 3ish solos to worry about...along with the rest of the music, and a marching band project in which I have to write drill to Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy from scratch...not to be confused with the one from company B.

The day after is my daughter's birthday party. That means family is coming into town.

The Tuesday before the recital my wife and I are going to get the ultrasound to see what this next baby is going to be. It better cooperate.

The Wednesday before is my dress rehearsal. I should really find out if my pianist can make that...otherwise...it's just practicing in the big room.

I have quizzes on Tuesday and Thursday in one of my classes.

AND...

man. I'm such a complainer.

It probably won't be that bad. It'll just be full. I guess it'll keep me from worrying so much because I'll have stuff to do.

Recital Prep

My recital is 3 weeks from tomorrow.

woah.

I have narrowed what I'm going to wear down to two get-ups. They both have the same base. We'll see as I get closer.

I've only met with my piano player once. It wasn't quite as good as I hoped. I'm meeting with him again at my lesson tomorrow though. I might have one extra lesson too because one had to be canceled...

I just feel...inconsistent with my solos. Some days, I rock them... Others...I just want to go home. I seem to normally pull it out on performance day...with the 3 I've had.

I've been feeling weird the past day or so too. I think it's because I feel unprepared.

"All I can do is all I can do."

The hard part is...being okay with that.

I wish I got paid for a free rectial...

My recital is coming up soon. It's literally 4 weeks away from tomorrow!!!

AHH!!! FREAK OUT!!!

okay.

Deep breath.

It'll be okay.

My solos got a lot better when March 13th hit. I'm not sure why. Maybe my brain just knew it was a month away and decided to stop messing with my mind. Think about that one...

I haven't worked with my pianist yet though...which is just as good because it's $25 per hour I work with him. What the What?!

There's not really anything I can do though. I gotta have one.

This just helped me to realize one thing...good thing I didn't switch to being a vocal education major!

(They need one every week)

Music Van!

My wife and I bought our first car together this past Monday. we got a new (pretty much...it's a 2010 with 11,000 miles on it) dodge GRAND Caravan. My mom had a caravan back when I was a kid. It was yellowish...with that fake wood paneling on the side...needless to say...ours is much less ugly.

It's silver and it's fancy. It has automatic sliding doors on both sides, an automatic trunk hatch (all which can be opened or closed from the clicker), a key that isn't really a key, the sliding door windows roll down, the little wing windows open with a button, and all the back seats fold flat into the floor. I didn't figure out the cruise control when we were driving home...but I will...oh yes.

I feel like I'm a weird person because driving a minivan doesn't make me feel like a loser. I actually feel like I'm incredibly cool. I guess I like my life that way. I think having a wife that is the best person ever who can teach 7 classes, and deal with an 11 month old who gets into everything and won't let her work in the daylight hours and some of the night time ones, and who is so wonderful at helping me to deal with my piddly little problems and stresses, all while growing another little one.

Yeah. She rocks.

I think it's cool to have a baby who is awesome when I'm still in college. One that is so stinkin' smart that it amazes me.

I think it's cool to be a father and husband that teaches music to kids.

Would I think it was cool if we were in a '86 caravan that was yellow-ish and had hideous "wood" paneling? Maybe not.

It'll be a music an someday...you know...moving instruments and amps and all that stuff...

For now though...I like the van. In a BIG part because of what it represents to me.

I also like all the buttons :)

Taste o' Life

History Paper is done. Woot!

I feel like I'm going to be teaching a lot this Thursday and Friday. I've got to teach my marching band techniques class. I have to teach forward and backward march in 3 minutes flat. It has to look clean too...luckily, everyone in the class has been in marching band before.

Later on Thursday I'm going to a local middle school and am going to work with their 6th grade beginning band on Little Brazil Suite...I should probably be getting ready for that now...but I"m not. It should be good. It'll be my first experience teaching a middle school band.

I wen to observe the band last week. They were pretty good considering that they have only been playing their instruments for 7 months. What I found really impressive was their listening ability. They were able to assess themselves as an ensemble.

Then on Friday, I'm going to go to the middle school again to work with the same band. I then have my music club at the other middle/high school.

Sometimes they can just be awesome. Sometimes they can be not.

I think we're going to learn about instrument families this week. I'm going to bring in an instrument from each family and demonstrate and have them try it if they want. We'll see how that goes.

It feels like a lot...but that's what I'm going to be doing. It feels like a lot but the teaching part doesn't seem to be something that I really worry about. It's the other school stuff. I guess that's to teach me about the administrivia part of being a teacher.

AHH!

Got a Beethoven paper due on Wednesday, a self evaluation, teaching experience, and rewrite due on Tuesday, an online discussion that was due yesterday...I just remembered...teaching a local middle school band on Thursday and Friday with my normal music club gig, all of which need lesson plans, and I still have to make time to be Awesome!?! Sometimes you just feel like this conductor...

Sweet!

So...on Fridays I'm teaching a music club at a middle school. It's a charter school so they haven't had a music program before.

The first day was awesome. They were paying attention and participating and they were like enjoying it. The next weeks weren't quite as good. But there has been a couple of kids that have come all three times (that's how many times I've done it by the way).

It's great experience on how to manage middle schoolers. It's hard though because the students are grades 6-9. They're all at different levels. I'm slowly finding things that work though. My game, which I like to call Double Treble, worked pretty well.

This week, the plan it to use rap/popular music to teach about rhythm. I'm going old school with DJ Jazzy Jeff and the Fresh Prince and Run DMC and all. We're going to try some beat boxing and double treble again. Hopefully it goes well.

I feel like this would be easier to figure out if I didn't only do it once a week. It just seems like a slow learning curve. I am going to observe a band teacher today. We'll see how this guy does it.

I'll keep you up to date.

The intro...

It's the night before my first test in music history 3. I hear that this professor is difficult and I'm not sure what to expect...but I've studied as much as I'm going to. We'll see how it goes.

It's also Valentine's Day. Studying is not the preferable Valentine's night activity...I'd rather be doing something with my wife (movies...ice cream...being at the playground at the park...it's a good place at night)...I guess I could be spending time with her now. We did some good stuff. I made one of those cheesy cards. You know...the ones with the construction paper folded in half to make the heart that you used to make in elementary school. It was pretty sweet. I also got her some flowers and made dinner (lamb with roasted red potatoes, green beans, and a special sauce I created). Yeah. I'm gourmet like that.

My daughter, who is 10 months old, has been waking up a lot lately. She's a super cute little girl. When she was about 3 months old, she started sleeping through the night...like all the way. It was awesome. Then, she just stopped. We're not sure why but we hope and pray that she'll start sleeping again.

Right now I'm taking 18 credit hours at the University and my wife is teaching 7 classes online and taking care of the daughter and gestating. So...our plate's are pretty near full.

I'm working on graduating this December. It'll be good.

Be ready for updates on my life and to delve into the depths of my mind...of my mind.