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Right on.
A buddy of mine made it to all-state level in Massachusetts several times. Our senior year in high school he was even nominated for All Eastern. All Eastern. My home town has a ridiculously good music program, and has had one for going on 34 years, becaue our music director is extremely passionate. Under his direction, he's sent countless students to All State level, brought the band to perform throughout Europe, to Canada, and across the US. Naturally this wasn't all in the same year, but over the years he has had phenomenal bands. Throughout my High School career, our band went to Symphony Hall in Boston twice. We traveled to Disney World in Florida and received a Gold Medal at some competition, performed at Epcot (I think it was Epcot, we weren't under the giant golf ball but we were in the park), hung around for a week.
Our greatest concert band ever was in 1998 (which was nearly matched my senior year, 2004-2005). Our greatest Jazz ensemble was in 1993, which Macrina will remember for the rest of his life - that group performed an excellent arrangement of Hey, Jude under the Eiffel Tower.
Thing is, though, that Macrina can hardly ever get a band that is great in every section, like last year. Usually he'll get only a really good wind section but a lousy brass section, or the winds will be okay and the trumpets will rock, but the french horns and the trombones will kinda be dull. But for the last three years, we've had phenomenal players in almost every section. And this is, I guess, a rarity: 5 awesome french horn players three years in a row. We had good lead trumpets. If Macrina's best were 10s in 1998, last year we had 8s and 9s. Our trombone section was, naturally, great. 10 students, 3 of us were seniors. Unfortunately, it seems that we three seniors carried most of the section, because now there are only two or three that really care to play, out of 11 this year. Cowell was on lead (he's the one who almost made All Eastern), Conroy second chair, playing first, and myself in the back, rocking the bass trombone. I miss it. We had like 30 clarinets, all of whom were maniacs, 15 or so flutes, all very skilled, some unbelieveable alto and tenor saxes, three great bari saxes, euphs, tubas ... and my GOD, the percussion! Our percussion section was unbelieveable. Really quite good.
I talk big. My numbers may or may not surprise you (graduating class: 850, not a typo). Soon, I'm going to get some of last years recordings up for all ya'll to hear.
THIS year I was in the UMASS Minuteman Marching Band, under the direction of George Parks. I guess he's a big deal. If anyone knows about him or what he's so great for, fill me in. I'm sort of oblivious to this stuff.
And this after noon I'm working in the Hoop Band, performing in one last basketball game under Thom Hannum, who we've been told is like, The Percussion Guru or something. Matter of fact, I have to go do that in ten minutes, and I still have to browse the rest of the forum before I go.
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is anybody a band nerd?
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Band Nerd wannabe
