Teaching Disrespectful 8th Graders How to March

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Today, Mr. Hughes and Mr. Taylor are flying out to Chicago for some music convention or something like that, leaving us behind to figure out what to do. For those of you who haven't caught on, Mr. Hughes is the percussion teacher and Mr. Taylor is the band teacher. Anyway, it's not like we had to really figure out what to do, because they left us in the wake of our TA's. (TA stands for Teacher Assistant). With this, our Percussion class combined with the 8th grade band that was also taking place in the room next door at the period. The one thing we spent the most time on is the one thing that gives me a purpose during the summer. Marching band. I haven't talked on this topic much since our final day at the Homecoming Halftime, but now it can be resurrected from the winter death in this wonderful hour and a half of teaching a bunch of newbies how to march.
Despite my love for marching band, that was a pretty bad class. Like most of my class was last year, the 8th graders had no idea how to march, or even listen to instructions. I mean really! What do they think Paige is saying when she tells them to be quiet?
Ignoring the complete rudeness of the majority of the 8th graders, the rest of us paid attention and polished up our marching skills. I hate to admit I was a little off, and pretty shaky, due to my lack of practice in the last couple months, but I still did my best to be right and have fun.

Aside from our small marching recap class, I have some really exciting news that all my friends who are reading this should already know due to my excessive boasting of it. Yesterday, in band class, we show up and hang in our band arrangement for a while. It was really lax and everyone was chatting within their sections and friend groups as normal. Mr. Taylor then comes in wearing this really cool costume that has something to do with Star Wars (seeing he had a light savor) and he had contacts that made his eyes red and yellow. It was really creepy at first but then you got used to it. For our warmup, Mr. Taylor conducted with his light savor, and it was kinda funny. We were then split up into our sections to go find music and play it. My chamber groups, also known as the clarinet choir, were on par with The Hanging Tree from The Hunger Games, Harry Potter and The Goblet of Fire from Harry Potter, and Super Smash Brothers. We ended up deciding on the Harry Potter song, which made me very joyful. I happily played it for my dad, mom, and sister when I got home, seeing as my whole family are Harry Potter fans.

While coming in to write this, I realized I didn't write anything about the concert I had last week. It was a week ago today, actually. I, personally, had to play nine songs for three different groups. This means quite a bit of running around for me. The first song I was on to play would be Celebration for Winds and Percussion, with the 8th grade band. But seeing as I play clarinet in Symphonic Band, the reason I played that song was because some people from my percussion class are picked to play the percussion parts for band.
The start of the concert was pretty rapid, having arrived, gotten dressed, and done some last minute prep, my friends and I soon end up in the audience of the Eccles Center to watch the sax quartet play. They were really good, but by the end of the song I was told by one of my percussion classmates that Mr. Taylor was looking for me. I flew out in a panic, realizing that the band you could hear warming up behind the closed curtains was the 8th grade band and that I was supposed to be up there. Now.
Luckily, Mr. Taylor (much like Mr. Hughes) is a very understanding person. It was a little awkward, walking across the back of the stage with the curtains open and everyone staring at me because everyone else is already on stage, but Mr. Taylor soon arrived to calm my nerves by letting me know that they opened the curtains early and it won't be time to play for another few minutes.
I'm left drifting around the back of the stage, talking to Lauren and trying to subtly wave to Whitney and Sam, who sit in the audience to watch me play. Sure enough, people start to settle down and Mr. Taylor walks on stage. It wasn't long before the first downbeat came, seeing as he doesn't like messing around. As soon as he steps up, we land running.
Playing the timpani was fun, but also horrifying. There are little circles on this little line, and they're supposed to be put in the proper places so that when you change notes, you move the pedal which moves the little arrow to the right note. But seeing as they had brand new drum heads, no one got the opportunity to adjust the notes. This made me a little off... (or maybe a lot) but overall it was pretty good. After that, I sat and watched the rest of the 8th grade band concert, seeing as I didn't get to play any of the other songs which include You're A Mean One Mr. Grinch, and Winter Wonderland. I think there was another song, but I don't remember what it's called. Oh well.
After having finished the 8th grade percussion concert, I dash over to the lobby where I watch my friend Sam play Kaleidoscope. The other groups in her class played songs, and then soon it's time for me to play the instrument I believe is the shakaray for the song Mozambique. Then comes the song Visions of Sugarplums, which Lauren and I both played Percussion 2, which means we were given the sound affects: sleigh bells, crash cymbals, slide whistle, and triangle. After that, I take up the part of shakers for Silent Merry Christmas. Finally, I bustle around the lobby to set up the ballet bar and boomwhakers for Deck The Halls. After finishing, I'll admit: I barely bothered helping to move the ballet bar back to where it was stored because I was needed ASAP in the band room to warm up for the Symphonic Band performance.
I played Bobsled Run, Shalom, Twas' The Night, and Saint's Hallelujah for that portion of my long night in the spotlight. Nothing much to report for those songs. Except I seemed a little less with it for that. I'm pretty sure I was just done with the concert by the last song, and very glad to get out and go home.
This also meant that I may or may not have remembered to help put the percussion stuff away as Mr. Hughes had asked earlier that day. I feel bad, but I don't hold it against myself because I had probably the longest night out of most of the others, due to my nine songs and constant bustling, and it just slipped my mind.
I'm happy to report that that night was one of the first real snowing days we got. The white flakes were easily visible as I walked down the band hallway to go put together my clarinet for the final performance.
Which is great because it's still keeping up the good snow work and so I'm hoping more of my favorite ski resort can be opened by the end of Christmas break, which is coming up. Tomorrow is our last day before our two weeks of school. Yay!

With that, I sign out.

How To Be A Band Geek
Rule #15: You got to be ready to work. But no matter how much it may seem pointless, it's worth it.