Band Logo

Please mark March 11 (changed from the 18th) on your calendar for a Band Parent/Boosters Meeting.

Just made this the new profile picture for Facebook.  It is a project Sarah Timmons did for her digital design class.

Our One Tuba

There are 22 tubas in this video of the Michigan State University Spartan Marching Band.  Impressive.  And I didn't know that just as there are drumline wars, there are also tuba wars.  Many college marching bands take their tuba section very seriously.

We have one tuba in our band.  But thank goodness, we have a tuba.  Our one tuba player carries much weight.  He is responsible for the deepest notes and carries the largest brass.  I'm sure he would enjoy some company in his section, but he presses on alone in the midst of larger sections with instruments of smaller size.

Thank you Shane.  Keep up the good work.   :-)

Average White Band Sax

You're probably saying to yourself "Why is our Band Blog posting all of this old music?"  Because it's timeless, and it uses your very own instruments in ways you may never have imagined.  Have any music that fits this criteria, but is current?  Let me know and perhaps we will post it.

Picture yourself in school in 1974 (yea... that's really hard to do.)  You hear this song on the radio.  It's an instrumental, featuring the sax.  The group calls themselves the Average White Band, and fall into the unimaginable music category of "Scottish Funk."  The song goes to the top of the charts.

The picture is of a 45rpm vinyl record, which in prehistoric days was how kids bought music.  A hit single was on the "A" side, and another less popular song was on the "B" side.

Chicago Flute Music

In 1970 the band Chicago released its second album.  Side 3 of the double album contained two songs which became hits, and then this movement entitled "Memories of Love."  It probably took Chicago fans by complete surprise, leaving them in utter shock, perhaps even disgust.  And my guess is that after the first two songs on side 3 were played, the album got flipped over.

Perhaps you will not appreciate the music.  But consider the following.  This was a rock band, and it devoted 9 minutes of their album to this section featuring the  flute  (and perhaps piccolo ?  Help,  Mr. Greeson!)  It was a bold move, and deserves to be listened to, especially if you play the flute.

Beatles Clarinet Music

In 1967,  The Beatles  released "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band".  This song, "When I'm Sixty-Four," features a clarinet trio  (two B-flat soprano clarinets and a bass clarinet).

And here's an interesting fact.  According to Wikipedia, "The song is in the key of D-flat major. The Beatles recorded the song in C major but the master take was sped up in order to raise the key by one semitone at the insistence of McCartney. Martin remembers that McCartney suggested this change in order to make his voice sound younger."

Why We got Involved with the Band Boosters

I went to the first football game alone, as it was on a Thursday night and my wife needed to stay home with our young boys.  This was the first year of marching band for our older daughter, a junior.  The following week, my wife and I sat in the stands during the first home game.  I posed the question to our younger daughter, a freshman, who was sitting with us in the stands - "Where would you rather be... sitting here with us, or out there on the field marching?"  She chose to march.

First 2012 Game at Lake Forest Game

A call came for a band parent meeting and we showed up with a handful of others.  One of the parents, sitting beside another parent, says "We are the Band Boosters (meaning her and the other parent)... we could use some help."

My wife and I immediately knew it was an easy decision for us.  It wasn't just that there was an obvious need.  It wasn't just that we had two girls in the band, with twice the incentive to be part of the boosters.  The fact is, we both knew this was something we would enjoy.  We were going to be attending all the games anyway to watch our girls perform.

So we showed up at the next home game toting 21 pizzas and helped feed the hungry hoard which is our band.  We gradually got to know the other Boosters (my wife already knew one of the parents who is a teacher),  and followed their lead as to what Boosters actually do at games.  We came with zero knowledge.

The whole Booster thing was a perfect fit.  We get to spend game nights with our girls and march in parades.  My wife loves to help organize meals, a real asset since the students stay after school on game nights to practice and need a simple meal before the game.  The kids are polite, appreciative, and a pleasure to serve. Our two young boys both found things they enjoy doing as well. 

On top of all that,  we got to meet a group of people we never would have met apart from the band.  Turns out, we actually like these people, which is a nice perk since we see them regularly.  They have enriched our lives.

Perhaps what really hooked me was the first time we followed the band as they marched from the band room all the way out to the football field.  We act as road guards, fending of anyone who would dare get close to our kids with an automobile.  The drum line led with a cadence.  The kids were small in number, but marched orderly and with pride.  "This is so cool" I thought to myself.  "This is where we belong."