Delays
sorry for the wait but I got sidetracked by Christmas and after Christmas family trip.
Anyway, I have come to terms with a few things since the last time I posted and I would
at least like to get one off of my chest before I go on with more Vegas…
This is my last year of teaching Drumline at South High School. I have been teaching and
writing music there for 6 years. It’s argubly been the biggest part of my life other than
Alyssa and this is the last year that I am doing it. It’s been really hard to come to grips
with that. I have been ignoring it for a long time even though I knew it would end someday. I
used to think that I could just pick up and walk away from. I came to that conclusion
after a particular incident with the group where a parent ask that I be fired/reprimanded.
It was for something stupid (on my and her part) but it pissed me off so much that they
would get rid of me on some parents whim. I decided that if it ever came to that again, that
I would leave. And even the last 2 years I have been doing it, I have been weary of doing it
cause … well I am not quite even sure but I knew that I was becoming bored by it. But now
this chapter is coming to a close so I decided I would let a few of you (the very few who read
this blog) in on some of my many memories of the 6 years I have spent there. Just a way to
get some of it out of me so I don’t have to dwell on it cause as my wife can attest, this is
very hard for me to let go of.
Anyway, on with the show.
1. The earliest accomplishment I can remember at South High School was writing a winter show.
Yeah yeah, big deal, I do it every year right? But this one I did when I was a junior in high
school. It really was nothing special but it consumed me in high school. I spent every waking
moment working on it. Sadly, we didn’t play it and instead spent $100+ on music that was bought
to compete with but I didn’t give up on it. I heard about a special summer school for artists
from a friend of mine and submitted my piece with my application. Luckily enough, I was one of
the very few students chosen for the school. One of only 6 from Kern County. This started me
on my path toward music education and composition and performance.
2. My senior year in high school reads like my junior year with a few big differences. First off,
I now have an extensive knowledge of music theory (learn about 2 years worth in one summer) and
secondly I have a great deal of confidence in myself. I again write a winter percussion piece
to compete with but this time we actually play it. I still have the scores and I plan on giving
all of them to South when I leave but the actual accomplishement I am writing about here is very
different than just writing a winter piece. This was born of tragedy (or stupidity based on how
you look at it). We had the drumline all set with some serious talent on the line and for some
unknown reason one of the snare drummers and one of the tenor drummers decide one night to break
into the school and steal their teachers stereo system. Of course this genius idea leaves us
without a snare or tenor drummer. I recruit myself for tenors, we knight 2 of our best freshmen
to the role of snare but we still have a tenor hole. Well, there is this young cymbal player by
the name of Brandon Pickett who has been dying to do something other than cymbals so we decide
what’s the harm? All of these events wouldn’t have been so bad except that they all occured a
week before our first competition. Well, Brandon, with no high school drumming experience, and
myself, with no tenor playing experience, lock ourselves up in a room for a week straight and come
out a week later knowing our entire 6 minute show. I gave Brandon (and myself) the absolute worst
crash course in tenor drum playing and we came out victorius. Luck I guess, but it was a great season.
We took first at that first competition and got silver medals at championships.
3. One of the coolest achievement has got to be the 3 in a row. In bakersfield, after the demise
of the Arvin Band Review, the “big” competition in the county became the Cenntenial Music in Motion
compeition. This single competition became the “championships” for Bakersfield Bands. As a result,
you have a lot to prove when you come to this venue and you gain a lot of respect if you do well.
Not to mention that Cenntennial goes completely overboard and gives the hugest trophies at this
competition. No exaggeration here, but the Sweepstakes GE (overall high everything super award) is
taller than me. Well, here’s how it goes: My first year teaching there, 1st place percussion, huge
ass trophy, huge ass party, wild time. My second year teaching there, 1st place percussion, huge ass
trophy, huge ass party, even wilder time. My third year teaching there and my first year by myself
(yes I did start out as an assistant just like Jared and Eddie) 1st place percussion, huge ass trophy,
huge ass party, out of control time. Everytime was amazing, because everytime it was unexpected. We
did mediocre for the whole season and then all of sudden, BAM, 1st place. To watch a group of kids
achieve something they set out to do is an amazing thing to be a part of. I got to watch it happen
three years in a row. So the next time you go to the band room, check out the old huge Cenntennial
Trophies we have above the drum room. 3 high percussions in a row!!!
More moments to come and thank you all for reading and COMMENTING (yes comment more)