salience
September 17, 2003
1. La mama is coming up for Parents' Weekend, although it will be more like Parent Week. She is using a free ticket to fly up here, except the latest she can get a flight up is the preceding Wednesday afternoon and the earliest she can leave is the following Tuesday afternoon. She has asked that our common room be her lodging for the six days. And at first, I'll admit, I was shocked. What we had discussed being a three day, not even, venture, had multiplied considerably. And having your mother live with you, amongst your friends, especially for that long, is odd. I've talked to the girls and they are cool with it, as am I. Really she is coming up for the Boston Pops and BC Chorale performance that Friday night and to see our show on Saturday. The rest of the time she will be in one of the libraries with my laptop, working on el papa's business stuff. It will be an interesting time, for sure.
2. We played at a funeral today. Was that ever weird. The former Director of Bands at BC passed away this past Saturday and his daughter requested a small ensemble to play outside the church after the service. Dave got us all together, a few from each section, this morning and we went through Anchors Aweigh ('cause apparently this guy was in the Navy for a time) and For Boston. A little before 10am we made our way to St. Ignatius and the awkwardness ensued. Not only had we just met this guy once, but here we are outside the church with our marching instruments. Not kosher. Dave explained that he was going to join in the service and that we were welcome, but not obligated to, as well. Watching Dave walk through those doors, there was a collective hesitation. Finally Dave Faleris said what we had all been thinking, we all knew we should be in there out of respect. We left our instruments and music in the chapel and headed in. Many of the university clergy were there, along with former students, family and friends. The service itself was respectable, although rather surreal. All of us bandnicks sat together, observing. In under an hour, the priests had finished the non-demoninational mass and suddenly we were outside, instruments in hand, waiting for the casket. And all through our two songs, the appreciative applause, the smiles and the tears from these people who had known Peter Siragusa so well, I kept wondering, how can I not feel a thing?
2. We played at a funeral today. Was that ever weird. The former Director of Bands at BC passed away this past Saturday and his daughter requested a small ensemble to play outside the church after the service. Dave got us all together, a few from each section, this morning and we went through Anchors Aweigh ('cause apparently this guy was in the Navy for a time) and For Boston. A little before 10am we made our way to St. Ignatius and the awkwardness ensued. Not only had we just met this guy once, but here we are outside the church with our marching instruments. Not kosher. Dave explained that he was going to join in the service and that we were welcome, but not obligated to, as well. Watching Dave walk through those doors, there was a collective hesitation. Finally Dave Faleris said what we had all been thinking, we all knew we should be in there out of respect. We left our instruments and music in the chapel and headed in. Many of the university clergy were there, along with former students, family and friends. The service itself was respectable, although rather surreal. All of us bandnicks sat together, observing. In under an hour, the priests had finished the non-demoninational mass and suddenly we were outside, instruments in hand, waiting for the casket. And all through our two songs, the appreciative applause, the smiles and the tears from these people who had known Peter Siragusa so well, I kept wondering, how can I not feel a thing?
lasaliente, 23:37
