Seven Nations

So since some of us have been posting links to cool bands and such, here's a vid of one of my favorite bands: 7 Nations.

Rock Music + Bagpipes + Fiddle = AMAZING!

Recognition

Pep band season has officially begun. This past weekend the band played at four basketball games, two on Friday and two on Saturday. All of the games were exciting, the men's game on Saturday in particular.

We were hosting Southwest Minnesota State, and the game went into double overtime. The band hung in there and represented our department in fine style, never complaining (that I could hear, anyway) about the extra time put in. We have also resumed our role as head cheerleaders, making more noise than the rest of the crowd in Rice combined.

Something happened that I'd never seen before: after the conclusion of the game, while the band was playing the victory song, the basketball team came over to the band section, went INTO the band and started high-fiving the kids. I've never seen that, and it was pretty amazing for the players to show appreciation for the band and what they do. In the other places I've been the band has been treated with disinterest at best and animosity and ridicule in other cases. It's this camaraderie that makes Wayne State such a neat place to live and work.

Bravo, pep band! I hope you realize what a special and unique moment that was.

AMAZING Band Performance

Whilst surfing TubeNet I discovered a link to an INCREDIBLE all-girls high school band in Japan. This will blow you away!

As impressive as the technical playing is, I'm an even bigger fan of the flawlessly-in-tune chorale section at 0:49.

Odd but Lovely Winter Weather

Lately in Wayne we're been having freezing fog. I thought that freezing fog sounds like the kind of weather you only hear about in the bible, but it actually has a nice effect on the trees when it builds up over time. I snapped a few photos:

Following my own Rules (or not)

This semester's theme in the WSC Low Brass Studio is PRACTICE HABITS. As in developing them. The entire group has been assigned practice journals, and these blogs, to further that agenda. Unfortunately I myself have not been able to practice, owing to a monster of a cold sore.

I'm treating it, mostly by drinking water by the gallon and putting vitamin E on my lips (break open the gel-filled capsule and rub it on) but my lip still splits every time I smile or take a big bite of something (and I LOVE smiling and taking big bites of something!)

Ah, well. Hopefully I heal up soon so I can get back to tooting!

You'd Think I'd Dropped off the Face of the Earth...

...but that won't happen until 2012. Kidding.

I decided to take a(nother) page from John Manning's book and have my students at Wayne State write blogs, related to music. Since it's only fair I do one too, I figured I'd better get back into this. You ought to see regular posts from me in the future.