Just when I thought I had grown out of my love for marching percussion ("drum line" for the layperson), it creeps back into my life. While teaching and coordinating a drum line is part of my job, I certainly don't devote the time and energy to the activity that I once did. This weekend, however, was an exception.
Saturday was spent running our second summer percussion workshop at ECU. The student turnout was great -- about 90% -- and we made significant progress in our preparations for the 2007 season. The overall talent level is the best I've had in my two years here, and we should be able to tackle even more challenging music. Now we just need new drums!
The next day, on a whim, I decided to drive to Dallas with a friend and colleague here in Ada for the Red River Thunder drum and bugle corps show. We had a great time talking shop, watching drum lines, and being general percussion geeks. Since I barely make it to even one show a year these days, I tend to forget how much I enjoy them. I also ran into a couple of friends from graduate school, and was able to do a little (very little) catching up. The only thing I don't miss about drum corps shows is the crowd. Strange, though. You'd think spending three hours with 15,000 band nerds (many of whom are in high school) would be a textbook recipe for a great time. Who knew?
Saturday was spent running our second summer percussion workshop at ECU. The student turnout was great -- about 90% -- and we made significant progress in our preparations for the 2007 season. The overall talent level is the best I've had in my two years here, and we should be able to tackle even more challenging music. Now we just need new drums!
The next day, on a whim, I decided to drive to Dallas with a friend and colleague here in Ada for the Red River Thunder drum and bugle corps show. We had a great time talking shop, watching drum lines, and being general percussion geeks. Since I barely make it to even one show a year these days, I tend to forget how much I enjoy them. I also ran into a couple of friends from graduate school, and was able to do a little (very little) catching up. The only thing I don't miss about drum corps shows is the crowd. Strange, though. You'd think spending three hours with 15,000 band nerds (many of whom are in high school) would be a textbook recipe for a great time. Who knew?
Ben
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