3 Reasons Why I Can't Go On Tour

Cool photo of San Diego!

A while ago, I was indirectly invited to go on tour to San Diego. Mr. Hughes was going over the tour in Steel Drum Band one day and added as a side note that anyone not going was welcome to pay the $900 required in order to go. I would've liked to, if it weren't for the three reasons why I can't go on tour. But first, you might want to know a little more about this tour to San Diego.

As of yesterday morning, a majority of the high school music students along with three fourths of the music teachers have departed our fair state to travel to San Diego, California to pride themselves with competitions and concerts galore. The majority of the students traveling participate in either Wind Ensemble, Orchestra, and/or Percussion 4. There are a few exceptions, of course, one of them could've been me, if it weren't for the three reasons why I can't go on tour.

The first being that I am not enrolled in any of the three groups that were actually invited to go on tour. I am currently enrolled in Symphonic Band, which is the highest level of band offered that doesn't require auditions. I enjoy Symphonic Band, it's a good place for me right now, Mr. Taylor has relished in how much we've grown since the beginning of the year. I thoroughly enjoy everything about that class... Except when we have a sub.

Substitute teachers in any other class is a party. No matter how hard the school board will try to get teachers who know how to do math and science, they honestly never really do. They may have the knowledge of the lesson, but never the experience of the teaching. This makes lessons easier in classes such as math, science, English, computer tech, or Spanish. Then there's band and percussion. Substitute teachers have no idea what they're doing, no understanding of how the song your class is supposed to be learning, and never conduct the same way as our usual teachers. This makes things frustrating and annoying. So most of the class ends up sitting there wishing they were doing anything but listening to the substitute teacher give the wrong directions.

Reason number two why I can't go on tour: personal preference. To me, I'd rather stay home than go on tour to San Diego with all the kids from the high school who I idolize, sure, but hanging around them and being the only ninth grader there. My friend Nina left for San Diego, but she's in the orchestra. Band and orchestra kids practically never interact in musical means in our school. It's pretty rare. Like, band and orchestra kids can still be friends, but they just normally don't play music together.

And finally, when I actually asked my dad if I could go after one of our concerts about two weeks ago, I was bluntly turned down with the exact words: "I'm not paying $900 for you to go to San Diego to play the blue thing." Let's get one thing straight. The "blue thing" was the shakers. If you're going to complain about my choice of instrument, do it right, please, or it's really not going to be offensive. And yes, I was playing the shakers for the entirety of my Steel Drum's turn to play at the concert simply because I wanted to. I could've played the bongos or the congas or the steel if I wanted to, I just felt like shakers.

How To Be A Band Geek
Rule #18: Sometimes you should just let the older kids impress people on tours. If you're like me, you understand that you still have a ways to go before being the exception kid on tour.