My how the time flies when you are having fun. I guess I have been having fun…
Does doing what God created you to do count as fun? Maybe I could count this as a vocation? Certainly not a vacation… If you love what you are doing, does it really count as work? Even if you get paid for it?
Here is what I have been doing since I checked in last:
I took on the job of coaching the local high school drum line. This is part of my dream job. If they would offer me the position of Percussion Studies Coordinator, I would leave the job I am doing right now instantly. Of course they would have to actually create the position first, but hey I can dream.
Anyway, the kids gave me two goals that they wanted to accomplish. They wanted to beat their rival high school in a drum off, and they wanted to qualify for the State Marching band competition.
I hate drum offs. I see absolutely no redeeming qualities in them at all. I wish they had never made the movie Drumline because everything that I try to teach- precision, musicianship, skill, playing as a unit, etc. goes out the window when we try to re create the Sharks and the Jets behind the concession stand at a football game. Nobody gives a damn about skill or playing together. The only thing that gets rewarded in these things are playing a funky hip hop groove, and playing it as loudly as you can. Then you have the “gang leaders” square off and show off their chops. I hate it. If I didn’t have to go to make sure that this didn’t break down into a brawl in some of the unfriendly stadiums, I would refuse to take any part of it at all.
But I digress. They wanted to beat their rivals. We were to meet them on the last game of the season. Then the weather report called for an 1’1/2” of rain that evening. We stayed home. Yay!
Oh, and we march in the state band contest this coming Sunday. State contest requires that the band achieve a Superior rating overall from a panel of judges in a State Sanctioned contest. Percussion brought home the first Superior rating in their category this year. (High fives self).
At the same time, my quartet was getting ready to compete at the District contest. Our district is composed of Ohio, West Virginia, and the Western half of Pennsylvania. We had already qualified to go to District by scoring high enough at our Division contest (West half of Ohio). We placed 12th, and were only a couple of points from top 10. Very cool for a group that has only been together since April.
So, hopefully you will understand why I have been gone so long.
Thanks for staying around. The posts will come more frequently now.
Peace
Troubador
