Rest Up!

We are live in 3, 2, 1...Ok we are live on Monday morning at 8:00 a.m. Pre-camp is over and now for the main event. BAND CAMP! I think all that show up Monday morning will be happy and maybe a bit surprise at the progress we have made during the past week. But it didn't just happen this week. Everything we did last year that seemed to be "the hard way of doing things" is paying off. I have certainly enjoyed myself over the past week and look forward to what it yet to come. So rest up because I am ready to go!

Best Rookie Camp Ever?

Perhaps! I don't give compliments that I don't really mean so here is one you bank on. We will be very good this year. I have been a head director for 15 years now and this is the best start I can remember. Things are clicking very well indeed. I am excited to think of the possibilities that lay ahead for the band. I am "just keeping it real". Monday will tell a lot for sure as we will have the full band and things really get cranked up. I am now ready for that thanks to my amazing staff and student leaders.

We had a secret guest today also. I really enjoyed visiting with him. I hope we get to see a lot more of him. He has so much to offer us and we will certainly take him up on his offers to help.

Also, a special thank you to another band director that was kind enough to let us borrow two marching baritones. It is a great problem to have when you need to borrow instruments.

I am very fortunate to have great help and wonderful colleges with which to work.

Finally, I think everybody is going to know and feel why we worked so hard last year. Get ready! The time is now.

Rookie Camp - Day 2

"We are for real I feel."

Ha-Ha. That rhymes! Things were even better today. First and foremost, everybody came back! "If you love something let it go. If it comes back, it's yours." I saw that on a bumper sticker once. They must be mine! I have let go a bunch of fish and they have not come back so I guess this was a good one today. We even played and marched at the same time today. I can't remember a rookie camp like this except for one other time. Check out the post on July 22, 2006. Great things happened that year. This is just feeling like a good one so far. Let's keep it up.

Rookie Camp - Day 1

It was a good day in the band world at DF today. Every rookie, except one, that turned in an intent form was present. There were a few that were late but we addressed that pretty quickly. Every guard member was present and all percussionists were as well. We started working on the basics while the percussion section was able to play the opener. Things went well. A few students found out that what we do is not as easy as it looks. They were hot. They were tired. They sat down. Hopefully they will stick with it and come back in more comfortable clothes and better prepared for the day. It can be quite a shock to the system. The student leaders did a great job too. We did have a guest with us today. The new band director at Swansea High School came by to check us out. I am really proud of him because many years ago he was my student teacher. I know he will do a great job at Swansea. They are a great group of people and I look for good things for them in the future.

Tonight is a booster club meeting so it is a long day for sure. I miss Cindy and the boyz.

Day 1 - Year 15!

Wow! Now that is hard to believe. I can still remember my first year as a head director and now here it is number 15. I will try to keep an accurate record of this year. As you may be aware, you can once again post freely on this blog. Let's just make sure it stays that way. OK? I do enjoy this thing and I know many others do too. Here is a real update:

Day 1 - Percussion and leaders - A complete success. I didn't once have to tell anybody to do a thing! That is how it should work. Everybody was present and on time. That's how it should work. Everybody was great and I was glad to see them. Let's keep it up.

Year 15...now that is a different story. How did this happen? I was just saving up some money to get my doctorate.

About Winning...

How do I feel about winning? I feel pressure all the time to be the best and have my bands to be the best. How can you go to a competition and say "I hope we at least place." That's not me and it's not in my nature. We will play to win this year and I will do everything I can to put the band in that position. That is all I can do but it will get my ultimate attention. I don't do things that I don't put my heart and soul into be it band, fishing, my yard, or my marriage. Sometimes second place does't count. I want more this year and I truly believe we have a chance to skip over just being content and feel true greatness. Get ready, the journey begins in less than 24 hours.

"Second place is just the first place loser." - Dale Earnhardt

Ready or Not...

Here comes band! Things get for real Monday morning. Although full band camp does not start for another week, many things will be going on starting Monday. I went fishing today. It was last official day of summer. Lots of things are up in the air but I feel like I have done all I can to be ready and to have stuff ready for the band.

The Pieces are In Place

We have wind music. We have percussion music. We have drill for the entire show. We have the equipment we need, and the staff is in place. We are as ready as we can be. No band could be more prepared to begin the season. We can play and march with best of them. Last year was all prep for what is to come. Just wait. I hope you got your letters today. If not, they should come tomorrow. The field looks great too.

"There are countless ways of attaining greatness, but any road to reaching one's maximum potential must be built on a bedrock of respect for the individual, a commitment to excellence, and a rejection of mediocrity.”

Almost Time...

The countdown is on and I can tell some are getting excited for some band action. I spent this morning working on the band grid. I am painting new lines. I have a bit more to go but it should be finished tomorrow. I use to do this every week when I rehearsed on grass so at least this is a one time a year or so deal but I like doing it. I know that sounds crazy but it makes things real for me. I have even helped other band director line their fields. It is not as easy as you would think. One thing that I do use from high school math is the Pythagorean Theorem. You remember A squared + B squared = C squared. It is the only way to get the corners perfect and if you know me, perfect is what we aim for.

I suggest all band kids to get outside now and start adjusting for the heat. I remember one year my assistant helped me mark the field and we both got sick because it was 100 degrees. Oh well...That's Band!

Another work day

I got some more stuff accomplished today. I cleaned the carpet in my office. I have the mailing ready to go, and I ordered some office type supplies too. Tomorrow I actually have some official business. I told my boss that I would try to find some socks. I haven't worn socks in about 6 weeks. Tick tock goes the summer clock. It's fading fast I am afraid.

A Day of Work

Yep, I went to work today...all day long too. I straighted up the band room a bit although it was pretty clean already as we worked on that at the end of the last school year. I worked on a mailing that will be going out next week so all can expect mail next week sometime. Other than that theirs not too much to do. I will go in again tomorrow to finish the mailing and order some supplies and maybe clean my office's carpet too. It won't be long until the room is full of students though. I suppose I should enjoy the peace now although I did get to see 3 of my students as they stopped by to say hi. That's the good thing about working hard at the end of the school year. It makes things so much easier to start up again.

Almost Band Time

While it has been a great summer. Actually one of the best ever! It is becoming time for band where fishing will have to be done on off time. I think things are mostly in place though. The music is finished, the drill is close, and other things will be completed by the first official day of band on Monday, July 27th. I suppose I am lucky to have a job in which I like doing mostly though. This year will tell a lot. That is for sure.

Happy 4th of July

"When in the Course of human events it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation."

Updates!

I bet you thought I went away. Nope, still here. Here are some updates as to what I have been doing during my break:

1. Relaxing and fishing on my new boat.

2. Working on the show. Work never really stops for me. At least I get to work from home during this time of year.

3. Doing a little bit around the house. Although I am sure Cindy wishes it were more. The yard is beautiful though.

4. We went on vacation to Charleston for a week and it was great.

5. Doing nothing.

Here a few pictures for you too.