Things are Good!

I feel a bit out of round today. Maybe it was the chicken sandwich I ate yesterday? It had bones in it! Now when I order a chicken sandwich it should not have bones it it! I felt like I was going to pass out before the awards at Irmo. That was the high point of the night! So you want the insights of a high school band director? You should stop now and click on the X at the upper right hand corner if you really don't want to hear them.............................................................................................

Still here? OK, here it goes. We had a great day yesterday. Wonderful weather. Great band booster club. They were truly the stars of yesterday. Our parents did everything above and beyond. Everything was where it was supposed to be when it was supposed to be. I can't tell you how much I personally appreciate that. I never heard any cross words, any complaining, no power trips. My booster club was great. The best I have ever worked with. It reminded me of my days with The Mill. We won two state championships and were the national champions in AA at BOA. I bet a lot of you didn't know that. That's a problem with age. People start to forget what you did when you were young. Not to mention the numerous recordings I made at younger age when I was actively performing as one of the best musicians in the country! ON A TUBA! Oh well enough of that... Back to yesterday.

We were third at both contests. We are getting slammed in visual execution. Strange because that was a high point last year. We have a great guard and the drill is good. We are having trouble getting our feet together. So where does that put us? In a great position to win it all! How? Our music scores tell it all. We can play! Our feet will catch up with our music. Gary Gribble, a nationally ranked judge, scored us a 13.8 out of 15 at Spring Valley. That is 92% on Sept. 30!!!! We scored a 35.9 out of 40 in music at Irmo. That is 90% on Sept. 30! Our feet will catch up to the music.

Maybe we didn't get the ultimate goal of 1st place yesterday but I would not have chosen to be with any other band yesterday. (By band I mean students, booster club, parents, friends, family, and supporters.) Because everybody that saw and heard us yesterday knows we were incredible. They tried to take that feeling away....They did not succeed!

I was happy to be with Swansea yesterday. My kids are great and they make me and my family happy to be with.

I love my kids. There will be better days, but I sure would rather have a day of defeat now rather than 3 weeks from now.

Today I relish not in our victories yesterday but in our accomplishments this year and the hope of future accoplishments.

Remember kids, just when you think its impossible and you can't get any better...That is when you are about to take the next step. That is the step so few people take......The step to greatness.