Oui!

Warning, Long Post!

Where to begin, where to begin.

I suppose the big news is the trip. We ended up finding a reserve of cash in the band's name (thanks to FPS Paintball). So at the end of the day only three students had to pay $10, for the rest of us the trip was free!

My car had an enjoyable trip down there. We got lost briefly....twice...but eventually made it to the hotel. After a brief respite to change into uniform, we went to the arena.

We entered during halftime of the previous games (The Bison vs the Bucaneers). During the game we cheered both sides, and generally relaxed. Then the Chargers game. Although we lost, I can say that I've never been prouder of the band. Especially when we were 12 points behind and the Band turned up the cheering 3 fold!

But we lost the game. We had a pizza party at the hotel to celebrate the end of the band year, stayed up late, and dismissed the band to do what they want to on Saturday. My group did some shopping, and decided to outrun the rain back to Huntsville.

Suppose that's the main news...

On the bad side, as of March 5, I've been laid off of my job at Digium, and am currently and very ungainfully unemployed. Mine was one of 21~24 jobs eliminated (depending on who you ask). Right now I'm going through outplacement and job search placement Digium hired for those of us who were laid off. I'm only one of five doing that - as sad percentage of us new victims of the Recession.

It still feels kind of off - like I'll wake up tomorrow and go to work as if nothing happened. I know this isn't the case, and am working to fix that, but it's definitely and odd feeling.

I do have some good news. My clarinet is finally out of the shop (okay, so it's been out of the shop since about the first...). I've had to put lessons on hold until I can afford it...but I've been practicing on my own, and am picking it up fairly quickly. Don't worry, I still actively practice on my flute and piccolo too. Can't have me going back to Pep band next year not being able to play my own instrument.

Trip Ramp up!

Well, preparations for the trip are now in full swing. We've done what fundraising we can, and now we need to work on details. Right now we have a price break with $40 for those who didn't help out in fundraising, $25 for those who did, with drivers (such as yours truly) being refunded $10 per person. However that is subject to change.

We will leave Friday noonish, by the look of things right now. Now comes the part I hate: Trying to get through the week before the band trip. Oh well, see you next time!

Fundraising Bonanza!

Our planning for the GSC Basketball Tournament is in full swing, and things are progressing nicely. We have a $500 pledge from the conference, which brings us about halfway to us going. If necessary the band students have agreed to pay $40 to go on the trip, but we would LOVE for them to only have to pay for their food. We're picky like that. So we have scheduled several fundraisers:

Donut Sale - On Campus, Friday, February 20
Car Wash - Location TBD, Saturday, February 21
FPS Paintball Night - FPS Paintball, Thursday, February 26
Car Wash Redux (if needed), Saturday, February 28

I'm setting up and managing the FPS night - I used to volunteer there as a ref, and still have alot of the connections. So, I want a big turnout! So come out, bring that guy you don't like from work, and shoot him in the back while you are on the field. It's very fun - trust me!

Busy days and Sick nights

Well, last night was the second game I've missed this week (and I think the third game ever). Thursday evening I was stuck at home watching Christian (my 5 yo little brother) while my Mom rested and recovered, and also I think I was contracting this thing from her at that time.

Saturday morning it hits me like a ton of bricks. Anyone who knows me knows I'm not the most sure footed person, but then you add dizzyness and light-headedness -- well, the answer was I wasn't even safe to drive. Not a good prospect if you live 35 minutes (driving) from UAH. Add the fever confirmed by the thermometer...yeah, my butt wasn't going anywhere.

ON a much lighter note, you may have noticed I haven't done a blog in a while. That's because me and the rest of the executive board have been really busy. We have been informed, by the commissioner of the Gulf South Conference (the conference for all our non-Hockey sports) that the rules have changed and they would allow bands to the Basketball Tournament. So the Board has been going into overtime trying to figure out how we can get the funds to go. We would like this to be nearly free for our members (students may have to pay for some meals). Which means we have to somehow arrange transport and hotel. Beg borrow and steal time boys.

News will be pending on this I'm sure. Until then, I'm going my butt back to bed and try to get better.

The UAH SPIRIT Band!

There are times I worry about the future of the band. This weekend isn't one of those times.

For those of you not in the know, We faced our local basketball rival (UNA) for both a mens and womens game. The Charger women...didn't do so hot. Sorry ladies. The Men's game however...it was epic. We matched them point for point almost the entire game.

However, with about two minutes left in the game, we suddenly went down by as much as 6 points with about 5 minutes left and momentum definitely against us. From experience, I knew this could potentially be a spirit killer for the band, which is a shame because that's normally when we need to be the loudest.

This was not the case this past weekend. The band I saw then looked very much like the band cheering on the Charger's Hockey team in Iowa with a 4 point deficit a few years back. The amp didn't just go to 11, it went to 15. I don't think we stopped cheering until the buzzer sounded.

Sadly, the game ended with a dunk at the buzzer being missed and the Chargers losing by 2. However, watching the spirit of the band Saturday, I'll take the loss. It was a good day for the band.

Incidentally, we really should start working on nicknames. First we need to rebuild the darken cavern with spot lights for the Elders and the hooded robes. Oh Doug....

Inaugural Recordings

I heard a story that really got under my skin today. I'm honestly not sure exactly why it got to me so badly, or why I should care, but it did and I do. So please bear with my rantings and maybe I can figure it out for myself.

For those of us who watch the Inauguration last Tuesday (Jan 20, 2009), Right before President Obama's Oath of Office was a wonderful quartet composed by John Williams. On top of that, it was performed by some really outstanding artists, including Cello Virtuoso Yo-Yo Ma. I enjoyed the piece as it used a variation on one of my favorite themes (Simple Gifts, and old Shaker song).

Well, the story came out today that the version we heard had actually been recorded earlier in a studio, and that the quartet had rigged their instruments to play silently. The logic was that it was much to cold to be able to keep their instruments in tune.

This is where I have to call BS. I play for a Pep Band. We play at a Hockey Game. You know, that sport played on several thousand gallons of frozen water. And We don't get that badly out of tune. My instrument is shorter than my forearm and about as big around is a pencil, and I still keep it close to in tune!

I suppose the other part that bothered me is all the musicians were happy to essentially commit the sin of lip syncing. Singers have been all but executed for such a sin, but it's fine for us?

The reason they were happy to do so is because they viewed this performance as "too big to fail" (to borrow the words from the Bush Administration). But I say by recording ahead of time, they cheapened the experience. I happen to take the stance of Nina Perlove of the Real Flute project ( www.realfluteproject.com ). Music is meant to be an expression of art, and art is to be and expression of Humanity. And humans are an exclusively imperfect. With practice we can guarantee that we'll get a piece right 99.9% of the time, but sometimes we'll get careless and goof. These are as much a part of the art we do as is the flawless performances.

If flutes as a personality type (which I remind everyone I qualify as) are guilty of anything, it's our persistent habit of overachieving. We. have. to. be. perfect. Period. So for someone as practiced and talented as Miss Perlove to come out and say that it's perfectly alright, if not a bit preferred to be slightly imperfect, that my friends is quiet a statement. I really look up to her as a musician.

So to have such a blatantly opposite opinion come from some one else I look up to as a musician really does leave a bad taste in my mouth. Maybe that's what is really bothering me. That it goes against the very understanding I have of what it is to be a musician. I don't know, right now I think I'm going back to being a computer expert. Stuff makes sense there.

Game time....Almost

Yeah, band has more or less taken over most of the life I haven't already sold to Digium. Here we are in the busiest part of the season, and I'm getting antsy for the next game. This stuff is worse than crack. Maybe it's the scotchies...(Curse you Mouse, Cuuurse yoooou!)

For the second week in a row, we haven't had an executive board meeting. Although we have much to talk about, and we are finally a recognized student group, stuff keeps coming up. This week our President is out of town, and without him it doesn't seem worth holding a meeting.

On a side note, I need to see what is in the bylaws about modifying our jerseys beyond what everyone will have done. I've had an awesome idea for a section patch, and the other piccolo player also thinks this is an awesome idea. I can even have them made for cheap. I'm just not sure if we can modify the jerseys as such, even if it isn't permanent.

Well, t-1 day, 1 hr and 45 minutes until report time. And I still need to get more noise makers. Oh Mouse, feel like a trip to Oriental Trading?