salience
September 29, 2004
Update:
1. Familia stuff is familia stuff. And there is a lot of it. Everyday is a new adventure.
2. Classes are in full swing: Financial Policy; Investments; Philosophy of Tolkien (!!); Native American Folk Song; The Hero's Other Half (Spanish).
3. Band Band Band. Concert Band has started. I have 17 people, 17 clarinets!! We have our own row in the ensemble!! It is intense ya'll. Our first concert is Music of Faith, which translates into a long list of lyrical demands. Marching Band is still insane. It has been nonstop since band camp, we're half way through the season and busy getting the second show (Gershwin/Sinatra) ready for halftime for Parents Weekend, aka this weekend. Even with the monsoon hitting the northeast, the bcmb was still on the field, catching the plague and setting Sinatra. Craziness.
4. Wake Forest Trip. I got to see the familia, which was nice. The bus trip was not so cool, 20 hours there, 17 hours getting back. We had the worst bus drivers and a broken vcr after only one movie on the way down. In the words of a fellow bandnick, our bus evolved into "Lord of the Flies" by the end. The game itself was disappointing, and the entire process was enlightening. The WFUMB had three drum majors, which translated into one conductor for every 25 winds. To top it off, the director conducted most of the literature they played. Some highlights:
--The script WFU Athletics handed us, highlighting the eight times we were allowed to play during the game. Clancy (My AssCon) and I decided we were just going to play. Forget taking cues from the WFUMB director from across the stadium.
--The set up in the WFU stands was crazy. We were not in the end zone, but along the sideline, as there are no stands in either end zone of the WFU stadium. And we weren't compressed into our normal set, but spread all along the seats. I conducted on two chairs, in the midst of the cymbals and drumline to a band who could barely see me.
--Flora left our stands book (with all of the signals so we can communicate what we are going to play to the band/visual teams/cheerleaders) on the bus. We realized this, asked the bus drivers, who were sitting in the front row watching the game, if we could run and get it. It is vital to our stands performance, after all. They declined, saying they were off duty. What is that?!
--The social event was fun and bbq at the WFU baseball field. We rented it out and hand fun planned for the bcmb. It was located next to the football stadium, yet our drivers insisted it wasn't and proceeded to waste another hour of our time, with all of us on the buses, "looking" for it. It was at this point when we all collectively remembered the cases of beer the drivers kept under each bus.
--Our bus experience (for bus #1 out of 4, anyway) was less than ideal. And what with the drivers having to stop every two seconds, as is their "policy," we found ways to entertain ourselves. The best moments were on the way back, when those of us in the back of the bus decided to shut up those in the front of the bus (mostly high brass and visual teamers, lead by none other than the illustrious Steve Ronan, of course) from yelling Disney songs by kidnapping one of the freshman who had joined in, obnoxiously, and dragging him and then locking him in the port a potty. It got everyone's attention, and that was the end of the Disney business. And really, what else are you supposed to do when the baseball of silence doesn't work??
--There is a 24 hour policy in the band where no one can consume altering substances prior to a performance. Well, on a trip, we are constantly performing. Yet, even of clear mind, we decided to do dollar bets. In case you haven't played, it starts with one dollar. Someone has to do a prank, dollar worthy of course, and if completed, that person gets a dollar. They then have to come up with a prank of equal or greater greatness for someone else to pass the dollar along. Dave, our director, was on our bus for the trip, along with his video camera. He sanctioned and taped the bets we came up with. My favorites were when Felt fit his entire sousa carrying person into the overhead storage and when Michelle cried about "losing" her wallet, engaging the entire bus, and then asked the driver if we could please please turn around and head back to our last stop when we only had an hour and a half left of the drive. The reactions were priceless.
But it's good to be back in Mass. Pictures are coming soon, yes ya'll. :)
1. Familia stuff is familia stuff. And there is a lot of it. Everyday is a new adventure.
2. Classes are in full swing: Financial Policy; Investments; Philosophy of Tolkien (!!); Native American Folk Song; The Hero's Other Half (Spanish).
3. Band Band Band. Concert Band has started. I have 17 people, 17 clarinets!! We have our own row in the ensemble!! It is intense ya'll. Our first concert is Music of Faith, which translates into a long list of lyrical demands. Marching Band is still insane. It has been nonstop since band camp, we're half way through the season and busy getting the second show (Gershwin/Sinatra) ready for halftime for Parents Weekend, aka this weekend. Even with the monsoon hitting the northeast, the bcmb was still on the field, catching the plague and setting Sinatra. Craziness.
4. Wake Forest Trip. I got to see the familia, which was nice. The bus trip was not so cool, 20 hours there, 17 hours getting back. We had the worst bus drivers and a broken vcr after only one movie on the way down. In the words of a fellow bandnick, our bus evolved into "Lord of the Flies" by the end. The game itself was disappointing, and the entire process was enlightening. The WFUMB had three drum majors, which translated into one conductor for every 25 winds. To top it off, the director conducted most of the literature they played. Some highlights:
--The script WFU Athletics handed us, highlighting the eight times we were allowed to play during the game. Clancy (My AssCon) and I decided we were just going to play. Forget taking cues from the WFUMB director from across the stadium.
--The set up in the WFU stands was crazy. We were not in the end zone, but along the sideline, as there are no stands in either end zone of the WFU stadium. And we weren't compressed into our normal set, but spread all along the seats. I conducted on two chairs, in the midst of the cymbals and drumline to a band who could barely see me.
--Flora left our stands book (with all of the signals so we can communicate what we are going to play to the band/visual teams/cheerleaders) on the bus. We realized this, asked the bus drivers, who were sitting in the front row watching the game, if we could run and get it. It is vital to our stands performance, after all. They declined, saying they were off duty. What is that?!
--The social event was fun and bbq at the WFU baseball field. We rented it out and hand fun planned for the bcmb. It was located next to the football stadium, yet our drivers insisted it wasn't and proceeded to waste another hour of our time, with all of us on the buses, "looking" for it. It was at this point when we all collectively remembered the cases of beer the drivers kept under each bus.
--Our bus experience (for bus #1 out of 4, anyway) was less than ideal. And what with the drivers having to stop every two seconds, as is their "policy," we found ways to entertain ourselves. The best moments were on the way back, when those of us in the back of the bus decided to shut up those in the front of the bus (mostly high brass and visual teamers, lead by none other than the illustrious Steve Ronan, of course) from yelling Disney songs by kidnapping one of the freshman who had joined in, obnoxiously, and dragging him and then locking him in the port a potty. It got everyone's attention, and that was the end of the Disney business. And really, what else are you supposed to do when the baseball of silence doesn't work??
--There is a 24 hour policy in the band where no one can consume altering substances prior to a performance. Well, on a trip, we are constantly performing. Yet, even of clear mind, we decided to do dollar bets. In case you haven't played, it starts with one dollar. Someone has to do a prank, dollar worthy of course, and if completed, that person gets a dollar. They then have to come up with a prank of equal or greater greatness for someone else to pass the dollar along. Dave, our director, was on our bus for the trip, along with his video camera. He sanctioned and taped the bets we came up with. My favorites were when Felt fit his entire sousa carrying person into the overhead storage and when Michelle cried about "losing" her wallet, engaging the entire bus, and then asked the driver if we could please please turn around and head back to our last stop when we only had an hour and a half left of the drive. The reactions were priceless.
But it's good to be back in Mass. Pictures are coming soon, yes ya'll. :)
lasaliente, 01:22
