Officially Behind!

We are now what I would call officially behind. We have 8 rehearsals until our first scheduled competition and have yet to set the closer. Today it was not our day. Lightning was in the air and it is just not worth the risk to the students or staff. It was too bad because we really need the time on the field. I have to admit I am tired of saying the same old things at practice too. I am not sure why things do not seem to be clicking this year. It could be a number of things but I do know this, it won't matter if it doesn't get better immediately. I get the feeling that my corrections are in one ear and out the other. The band has no sense of urgency about them. I am not sure what to do at this point. A student leader asked me today how to get the band to respond to them. My response was I really don't know, they won't respond to me either. Better days must happen to avoid a very long October. (Or at least a long first three weeks!)

The Trust Factor

So Wednesday is our afternoon off and it often gets me to thinkin'. So I was thinking about some things that make what I do different than the regular teacher. One was trust. My Juniors and Seniors have been with me now for three years. There is no other teacher or person in the school that they have shared as much time with. They must trust me in that I am at least trying to steer them in the right direction. I have some students that are with me half of the day. They must enjoy my class or certainly they would not commit that kind of time to my class. For a band to truly be successful there must be trust. Not only trust in the director but also trust in the students from the director. I am going to work on this aspect of myself a bit more. The way I figure it is that if the students didn't trust in what I was doing...they won't keep coming back. I just want things to happen for us all so bad sometimes that I get tunnel vision and forget to enjoy the things that we have now. Band is different than any other thing in the school at this point. We not only work together, we have to trust each other. When this becomes a norm, watch out we may be far better then anybody is expecting.

Better Day

Today was a better day of band. I was outside from 12:00 noon until about 7:00 p.m. It was worth it to me to feel like we accomplished something. This is always a difficult time of the year. We have started school and football games but the real task at hand has not sunk in yet. I mean I am sure that the spectators at the football games have thought we were good. I am positive that the parent feel their children are great! (My mom thinks everything I do is great!) The real test is what would the judges think. At this point, not much. We have a long way to go and for some the reason why we are working so hard and pushing so much is not even a thought. I will be soon. I always love the way the students look at the first competition when they realize that all across there are band doing and wanting the same thing that we do. I remember very clearly a first year student at her first competition coming up to me and saying "Do we compete against all the bands?" The answer of course was "YES!" That's the thing. We don't get to compete one on one. That would be much easier. We compete against up to 16 bands at once. Maybe I would be better off if I just toned it down a little. It would certainly be easier for me. The problem is I would not be able to look at the band if we weren't competitive or worse still if we didn't even make state. I think the students, parents, and community deserve more. All the complaints, phone calls, tears, and insults were all worth it see my band at lower state marching off the field as champions and to see them all at state with their medals. It is certainly worth it and the seniors don't get a "wait until next year".

A Day Lost?

Today was what I consider a lost day. We may never be able to make up the time we lost today. That is the thing about time. It is the great equalizer. Everybody only has 24 hours in a day. In Texas, marching bands are limited to 8 hours of rehearsal out of the school day. It sounds like a good idea. I am very disappointed because I looked forward to rehearsal all day today. I really thought we were going to get things together. Here is what I had planned:

1. Section leader would warm up their sections and spot check music.

2. Basics block.

3. Clean the ballad and review the interlude.

4. Set at least 3 pages of the closer.

Here is what actually happened:

1. Some sections did what they were supposed to. One section actually did nothing.

2. Basics block did happen.

3. We worked on half of the ballad and none of the interlude.

4. We set none of the closer. The band actually seemed to refuse to even try this.

I sent them home 20 minutes early and they seemed happy for it. Many actually seemed more than happy. I thought we were over this kind of thing but I guess not. I am not going to yell and scream at them. They should want it as bad as I do. Some do but not enough yet. The problem is that it may be way too late when they do. We do not have any of the closer on the field. That will be very difficult to do now. I won't have sent them home if only a few were not doing what they should. I would have dealt with those individuals but more than half the band was not responding so rather then upset myself, I called it. Funny thing about this blog, you can look back at last year's posts and find .4 of a point pretty easily.

The First Performance of the Year

Last night was our first true test of the year. We performed the opener for the home crowd at half-time and after the game. It has been my experience that you never quite know what to expect with the first time out. We had not been on any field except our practice field at all. I told a few of the students that this was the true test of how well we rehearsed. That may sound strange but it is true. Some people wonder why we rehearse so hard only to put on a 12 minute show. Why? That is simple...when it counts there are no nerves to get in the way. We don't need to worry about things. They went just as planned. The band was (and if you know me, you know I don't just hand out complements) outstanding! This is year 13 for me as a head band director and I can honestly say, I have never had a band perform this well at the first game. If you ever watch a great sports team it is almost like they know what the other team is going to do before it happens. That was us last night. There were no surprises because we don't just go through the motions at rehearsal. We knew what to expect and what to do and we did it. I have never seen a band so excited to go on the field. If you do it right, you aren't nervous, just ready to go! I don't know if I am becoming a better band director or if the Swansea band is becoming a better band, but I have a feeling it is both. I have always wanted a band to work with and grow with. It seems I may have found what I was looking for. I am so proud of them for their work last night. Next week is very important in that we must get to work on the closer and have 3 great rehearsals. Today and tomorrow are yours Tiger Band but Monday it is back to work. Thanks for the feeling of success you gave me last night.

Got to Get In Shape

We are out of shape as a band. We have not be able to do our daily basic block due to the extreme heat but that should change next week. Basic block not only helps us perform, but it also get us in shape. The opener is a calisthenic work out at best and with us out of shape things are just not going to progress very quickly. This years opener is even more demanding than last years. Not only do we have 41 pages of drill but velocity is incredible. The band is literally all over the field. There is always the risk of "biting off more than we can chew". Meaning that we won't be able to clean it due to the difficulty. That almost got us last year. We really were not clean until lower state. Time is short and a great equalizer. I am glad that there is still something in which hard work counts. We need to get out our "funk" and figure out how bad we want it! This band has more potential to see true success than any band I have worked with but potential is just that...just a thought.

You Can't Get...

You can't get anything done in this heat! That is not true. One senior told that this was the best first after school rehearsal they had seen. I feel like we got things accomplished. It was not easy by any means. The temperatures were around 100 degrees for most of the rehearsal and we took breaks at least every 15 minutes but we got better. Just think if we can make up ground when it is hot, what can we do when the weather gets better? Believe me if I thought we could take off on days like today, I would! But the reality is that, you can't expect to get the results that are expected this year by taking days off. We need to get some consistency to really make substantial progress, but I do view today as a victory against the elements. Next roadblock...THE BOX!

Sports-A-Rama ( or how to lose 5 pounds due to sweating in 2.5 hours)

Friday night went very well for the band. We had a few things to overcome though. At about 4:00 p.m. a terrible storm hit the Swansea area. We had quarter size hail and high winds. The rain continued which made us change our equipment plans. We were going to put the equipment on an open trailer and strap it down but with the rain, we had to make adjustments. Just a few years ago this would have resulted in a lot of chaos, but not this Friday. Adjustments were made and we were on our way. Not so fast! One of the buses would not start for about 15 minutes. I am sorry that the students sat on hot buses while people tried to get the bus to start. Soon we were on our way though. Once we made it things went really well. The band played very well and the behavior was excellent. All and all it was a very good start for the Tiger Marching Band. Rest up because now the real work starts.

Rehearsing rehearsal

Yeah, what in the world does that mean? Well today we rehearsed like it was an after school rehearsal. I purposely arrived early so that everything would be ready to go right at 8:00 a.m. and the drum majors gave the downbeat for warm-up right at 8:00 a.m. We then ran basics and then went to cleaning drill. It was amazing how quickly 2.5 hours went outside! Rehearsal today was much better although we continue to lose time to talking and playing around in the tight sets (remember .4!) We then went in to rehearse stands music. That was fun. We have 9 tunes ready to go for tomorrow night. They are as follows:

Tiger Rag - fight song

Eye of the Tiger

Louie, Louie

25 or 6 to 4

Smoke on the Water

Hey Ya!

Mustang Sally

Crazy Train

Iron Man

If we are going to play in the stands, we are going to sound great! Think about it, we don't even have to do 100 pages of drill to play in the stands. We will add several more in the coming weeks. Sports-a-Rama here we come!

Not Too Good?

Today's rehearsal was not what we need to reach our end goal. I will say that the guard and battery really were outstanding all day though. Things started well but at about 10:30 thing started to come apart. I am not sure why. This was the best weather we have had in weeks. This is for sure...Actions like today will have an affect on the future! Again we can all make up excuses. "We were tired." "I didn't feel good." "It's hot." All these things may be true but I have a remedy that will make it all better...Win State! Winning state is something that will last forever! Nobody will ever be able to take our Lower State Championship away from us but just think how it would feel to make finals at BOA and the entire county would know that but to win state would be...well amazing! I don't push students to be mean to them. Honestly it would be so much easier to just have a goal of making state or even top 5, but I think for me to allow that to happen would be wrong to me, the students, the parents, the school district, and the community. They all desire more...Much More! I hope I see and hear a different band on Thursday because you can only have so many poor rehearsals before...Well I think this may make a point... .4! If you don't know what that means, then think about it.

We Made It!

Band Camp 2007 is over! We have 68 pages of drill out on the field and the goal has been accomplished. I am very proud of all of my students. You are what it is all about! I have a feeling this could be the year we grow into being just a little more than contenders for a state title. South Carolina is a great state but it just seems a little small lately. Perhaps we should extend our goals and horizons just a bit.

We are not finished yet we still have closer to get on the field but we have next Tuesday and Thursday to work on that. It is a comfort to know that school does not start for another week and a half. I like the new (old to me) school calendar.

Any way, I will not be able to post for a few days due to my move to Brady Manor. (Ok, it's just a new house.)

Thank you to all my students, parents, and staff for a wonderful band camp. The students for being there and working so hard. The parents for getting them up and making them come even if they didn't want to, and the staff for teaching them. Have a great weekend!

P.S. Does anybody want some treats! STAND BY! The 2007 competition season is HERE!

The End is Near!

Band camp 2007 is approaching its end. Tomorrow we need to set about 3 pages of drill to accomplish the goal I had set for band camp. The heat was almost unbearable today but we made it though. We will not have our entire show on the field by the end of band camp and that is OK with me. I use to think that you had to have it all on by the end of camp or you were behind. As I have matured as a band director, I have realized that most of the top bands never have there entire show on the field by the end of camp. Some of them don't even have them out there until the beginning of October. How can this be? Well the truth is you don't have to worry about difficultly...unless want to win! Early in the competitive season, easy beats hard most the time. Then about the beginning of October something happens. The easy shows start losing ground and you start to see all kinds of strange attempts to gain ground occur. New props, interesting body moves, and adding more guard equipment. What do the bands with the really great shows do? They just get better! So what is the point in having 90+ pages of drill and really hard music and guard work. Nothing at all ...unless you want to be famous! This could be the year we become famous. At least in the band world.

Hot again!

Today may have the hottest day yet of band camp 2007, but we continued to get things accomplished. We stayed out until noon and then went inside. I decided we could spend a little time on some stands music. It is encouraging to the band playing stands pieces so well the first time. I guess my old saying "band is band is band" is true. It doesn't matter what kind of music or in what situation you are in, if you can play, you can play. And we can play. This is my third year at Swansea and that is about right to see the true results. I don't take shortcuts but in the end things are much easier for everybody. I think it will be a fun year for all involved in this band. Remember it is supposed to be fun!

A Few General Guidelines for the Blog

As marching band season is in full swing, the blog (my blog) has become more popular again. If you have been away, you can see that I still blog on a regular basis. If you are new, you can see that this has been going on for quite a while. It is poorly kept secret at best. Here are few guidelines that I hope you will follow as you enjoy (or disagree with) the blog:

1. You are encouraged to make comments. This blog is open to all comments (as of now) and I hope to be able to continue that.

2. Please do not use proper names of any students. If you look back, you will not see this on the blog.

3. You may comment about me but don't be surprised if I comment back.

4. This blog is intended to be fun. I enjoy doing it or I would not. Please keep that in mind.

5. Mostly, keep in mind that this is the blog of feeble, unstable band director that has basically spend his entire life in band. This is not a diary. It is open to the public for examination. I make mistakes like everybody else. This blog is just that. My thoughts about what is going on in my life. These are nobody else's opinions and are not meant to sway anybody else's opinions or ideas.

Crazy Heat!

Today continued the heat wave, but we are getting stuff done. We completed the drill for the ballad which brings us up to page 52. The goal tomorrow is to set about 8 more pages. The interlude should set quickly as the winds don't play too much. It is basically a percussion feature based on the Rite of Spring. Everybody that has seen and heard the band has been pretty impressed so far but if we are going to be a factor this year, we must press forward to get better. I do feel like the band coming together as a group. Just think if we can get this much done in 100+ degree weather, what can we do when October comes around?

The picture is what I felt like at about 11:30 a.m. today!

The Heat is On!

That just about sums up the day. It was hot! We came inside at 12:00 noon today because a heat advisory was posted from 1:00 p.m. until 7:00 p.m. It is just not worth the health risks to say outside during that kind of heat. At 4:00p.m. the actual temperature was 100 degrees. The band drank about 60 gallons of water during the morning session. If the heat continues, which it is predicted to do so, at least we will play well leaving camp. The goal for tomorrow is to finished setting the drill for the ballad.

P.S. Negative comments about individuals will not be tolerated on this site. They will simply be deleted. If you would like to bash me, go ahead. This board is simply a way for me to express how things are going in the band world. It is a shame that few bad apples seem to ruin things but I wonder if this board has not ran its course.

Band Camp: The 1st Week in Review

Week one of band camp 2007 is over. What did we do:

1. We have the opener and 38 pages of drill set with music and guard work (sort of!).

2. We drank about 300 gallons of water.

3. We can play the entire show from beginning to end (some you in the band world know this is quite and accomplishment for a Brady band since I have been known to pick some of the hardest music known to man! I am morally opposed to "watering it down").

4. We are becoming a family and our family is getting larger. This is what it is really about. The students may not ever remember much about who they sat next to in English class but I can guarantee they will remember who they marched next to in this year's show.

5. We have had fun! It is after all supposed to be fun and I think we have had a pretty good time.

Next week will hold more challenges but we will overcome them too. I hope everybody has a great weekend!

P.S. I have a new house!!!!

Band Camp: Day 4

So what is going on in the world of band camp? Today it was for real. This was our 4th day all the stories that everybody has heard about band camp were now...well, they were for real. Everybody was tired at least a little. It was hot and people were starting to get to each other. I have some great help this year and everybody on staff is certainly pulling their weight, but there are somethings that only I can do. It is days like today that I wish there was two of me. Maybe one could do paperwork while the other rehearses the trumpets. Maybe one could check on the guard while the other one warms up the band. Maybe one could console a young student that is having trouble while the other fixes drill. Maybe one could point out the finer points of sunscreen to the guard while the other takes out the trash.

So where is my favorite place to be during band camp? Maybe my office in the air conditioning? Nope. Maybe in the main office away from everybody? Nope. My favorite place to be during band camp is with the students where ever they are. I love the morning stretches when I see all of them together for the first time of the day. I love full band music rehearsal and yes I truly love the last session of the day outside. So where is my place to be? In front of a band. It just makes me feel good because as I have stated before...I truly love band. These are the days in which that a band becomes successful. State is not won in October!

Chaos!

Today seemed to be very chaotic from the start. The day started with an important member of our group quiting. Luckily we are in a position with some very dedicated students that step up to fill our needs. One thing that has given me so much hope for this year is the fact I have had several students tell me "I will do what ever is needed to make the group better." This is something that most people do not give teenagers enough credit for. I have always tried to treat my students as the young adults they are. I have the highest respect for the students with this kind of attitude. What they do is not easy. In contrast is extremely difficult and today was a day of adjustments. The shoe people came...early! We had to fill a spot...in hard to find instrument. There was a problem with the drill...at least I got to see the drill writer in person. It was HOT!...interestingly the band seemed to work better in the heat. Perhaps all the chaos is over with in one day and things will be smoothed out. I know there will be other challenges. I just hope they don't come all at once.

P.S. I do think this show is HOT. When we get it down, others will know why we are working so hard.