Winter Break Distractions

1. Pick 15 of your favorite movies.
2. Go to IMDb and find a quote from each movie.
3. Post them here for everyone to guess.
4. Strike it out when someone guesses correctly, put who guessed it, and the movie.
5. NO GOOGLING/using IMDb search or other search functions.
6. No checking peoples’ Facebook or My Space profiles where they list their favorite movies

Got this from Midwest Teacher

Well, here's the ones nobody got (bold)

1. "I don't mind a parasite. I object to a cut-rate one." Rick Blaine - Casablanca

2. "Come on now, be honest! Which one of you wouldn't rather listen to his hairdresser than Hercules? Or Horatius, or Orpheus... people so lofty they sound as if they shit marble!" Wolfgang "Wolfie" Amadeus Mozart - Amadeus

3. "Do you not know that in the service one must always choose the lesser of two weevils?" Capt. Jack Aubrey - Master & Commander, The Far Side of the World, guessed by Lani

4. "Let's face it... this is not the worst thing you've caught me doing." Tony Stark - Iron Man, guessed by OKP

5. "Wait a minute. What am I doing? This is a very interesting situation. Hmmm...A man doesn't get in a situation like this every day. Not in Bedford Falls, anyway. This requires a little thought here." George Bailey - It's a Wonderful Life, guessed by Midwest Teacher.

6. "You look strong enough to pull the ears off a Gundark." Han Solo - Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back, guessed by Q6

7. "If the Pirates of the Caribbean breaks down, the pirates don't eat the tourists." Ian Malcolm - Jurassic Park, guessed by Q6

8. "I will eviscerate you in fiction. Every pimple, every character flaw. I was naked for a day; you will be naked for eternity." Geoffrey Chaucer - A Knight's Tale

9. "So now I'm in deep trouble. I mean, one more jolt of this death ray and I'm an epitaph. Somehow I manage to find cover and what does Baron von Ruthless do? He starts monologuing! He starts like, this prepared speech about how feeble I am compared to him, how inevitable my defeat is, how the world will soon be his, yadda yadda yadda. Yammering! I mean, the guy has me on a platter and he won't shut up!" Lucius Best / Frozone - The Incredibles, Guessed by Q6

10. "Excuse me, Sheriff, I'm a gambler who'd like to run an honest game in your town. To whom do I speak about that? [notices the dead man lying in the dirt] I hope it's not this gentleman." "Slick" Calvin Stanhope - Silverado, guessed by Q6

11. "It is a strange fate that we should suffer so much fear and doubt over so small a thing." Boromir - Lord of the Rings: Fellowship of the Ring, guessed by Midwest Teacher

12. " To crush your enemies, see them driven before you, and to hear the lamentation of the women." [On what is best in life] Conan - Conan the Barbarian

13. "Give an Arab a sword, he makes a knife..... When you die, can I give that to my daughter?" Weath the Musician - 13th Warrior

14. "Looking at the cake is like looking at the future, until you've tasted it what do you really know? And then, of course, it's too late." Merlin - Excalibur

15. "They're not gonna catch us. We're on a mission from God." Elwood Blues - The Blues Brothers, guessed by english maven

Peace at Last

So much to write about this month... and only now have I had a chance to sit down and write it all out. December is, after all, a busy month for musicians. So busy this year that I actually almost missed the holiday spirit myself.... almost. I didn't put up any decorations. I got my holiday shopping started very late. I didn't go out of my way to wear Christmasy things. Heck, if I wasn't dragging my choir all over So. Cal caroling for cash, I wouldn't know it was Christmas at all. But like Ebenezer Scrooge, I did manage to find my "Peace on Earth, good will to men"... if not a little late.

Here are the highlights of the December:

The End of the Football Season (Finally)

I resolved myself that I was going to have to play the remaining games for football play-offs. Fortunately, there was only one more after the fateful Thanksgiving game. I managed to get a decent students turn-out, but I had to cancel some personal plans (which put me in a bad mood). It did, however, earn me some brownie points with Assistant Principal Bob, who knew that I had places to be that weekend. This is the issue that probably delayed my holiday cheer early on.

I would like to add that after all that talk about school spirit and how sad it is that I don't support the athletic teams enough... none of the administrators, coaches or athletic parents bothered to show up to either of our winter concerts (see below). Funny how that works, isn't it?

Winter Instrumental Concert

It went pretty well, actually. Everyone did well... even band. (They managed to pull it out of their butts at the last minute). Lovesick Choir Mom rallied the parents together to provide a massive reception (which is interesting given that she doesn't have a kid in the instrumental program... but then it's really no surprise, either.) Actually, in the weeks before the concert she managed to stress me out more than help. I think she wants to help so badly, but not being a musician she doesn't know how to contribute to the musical product... so she frets about all the peripheral stuff, and throws things like receptions to the forefront of my attention. That usually does nothing but tax my already stretched attention span even more (and folks... I do not multitask well.)

Vocal Concert

This also went pretty well. The funny thing is... I wasn't looking forward to it the way I usually did. By the time this concert rolled around I was just tired and stressed out. So what pulled me out of my funk? Maybe it was the girl singing the Brazilian pop song to her sobbing mother in the front row. Maybe it was listening to the vocal duet that I heard being rehearsed back in September... and realizing how far a journey that they had come with that song. Maybe it was the fact that more than anything else I was worried that little Autistic Billy might have a meltdown in front of an audience. But once he got on and off the stage (without incident, I might add)... well.... everything seemed to just mellow out. When we finally got everything packed up afterwards, it was the firts time I felt that "good" kind of tired.

New Sherrif in Town

So... the new drum coach came in to meet the 3rd period drummers. They liked him.... no... they loved him. I left him alone with the durmmer for one period, after which they told me they learned more from him in one day than they had learned from the old drum guy in a whole semester. Probably and exaggeration... but the point is... it looks like drum line is set.

Holiday Caroling

So... my advanced choir has been doing caroling gigs since early December. It's usually one of my favorite things to do. This year it felt kind of like a "job"... you know... I was showing up to everything and getting the task done... but all the while I'm thinking "Okay, when do we get the check?"

The last few gigs turned that around:

A) Singing for the teachers and staff at the yearly PTA holiday party - We got lots of warm fuzzies for that (we do every year)

B) Caroling through the school halls on the day before winter break - I get a kick out of hearing things from students like "Wow... we have a choir?...... and they're good?"

C) Choir Party/Caroling in residential area - I had a bad taste in my mouth from last year's party; some of last year's seniors had gotten kind of cynical and almost ruined it. This year was different. We even had alumni show up and join us as we walked up and down the streets singing our gig set. There's something about knocking on a door and letting loose with a gorgeous arrangement of "Angel's We Have Heard On High" on unsuspecting residents and holiday party-goers. But the best reaction... well that was bringing a little holiday cheer to 90-year-old Harriet (Who I am told is not long for this world)... watching the look on her face as she stood on her balcony... held up by her family members so she could see over the railing... well that sort of thing stays with you.

So... after weeks of aching for winter break, I find myself mulling over the photos I took over the last few weeks... and I realize how proud I am of my students, and how I'll miss the joy of the holiday music.

Happy Holidays everyone.

Perspective

Every once in a while life reminds me that my problems are small in comparison with others. Here's what's happening in the lives of my students:

* Ms. Glossy Violist hasn't been in class for a couple days. Today I found out her dad up and abandoned the family on Friday.

* The mother of two students in the music program works on campus as a college counselor. I ran into her just before lunch. She told me her husband lost his job last week (a victim of the economy). She said he got a good severance package, and that he has a lot of skills and connections... he should be fine. Still, it's weird to think that my job is a little more stable than that of a lot of people living in the upscale community I work for.

* Today, the parents of the most high-profile autistic student in the whole district awoke to find that he had shaved his eyebrows completely off.

Yeah... things could be worse.

A Fine How-Do-You-Do

This one is good folks...I've been waiting to blog about this one.... Had to wait to see how some of it worked out, first.

For the last year or so, one of the choir moms has been doing an insane amount of organizing for me. She's been taking the point on just about every project I have going: concert receptions, parent communications, special events. You name it, she has her hands in it. (This, by the way, is the same parent who organized my massive 40th birthday party)

Well, a couple of weeks ago she let me know in quite clear terms that she has a "thing" for me. She had come to see me in my office on usual music dept. business... and in the course of the conversation she said "You work so hard... your wife must be very patient." I responded "Yeah... well... I'm out late so often, I'm surprised she doesn't think I'm having an affair." That's when she let it loose: "Well, if you ever considered it... I'd be up for it...."

Holy Jesus H Bartholemew Tap-Dancin Christ.!!!

I didn't know exactly how to respond.... so i didn't. In hindsight, it occurred to me that she had been dropping hints all along, I've just never noticed. I mean, I've had moms hug me before and tell me how special I am... but usually because of what I do for their kid. But now that I think about it...back in September I think she said something about us "having a connection." Man, I should have seen it coming. So yeah, I didn't really address it at the time. Probably should have.

Just a couple days ago she brought it up again. She was volunteering for an event that I was performing at. I told her in passing that if Principal Palpatine was at Empire High for another year, I don't think I could take it. I'd have to leave. She kind of wigged out. She called me later and said she couldn't bear to see me leave EHS. She loved me too much. (She did follow it up quickly with "Maybe that's inappropriate to say," and "I know we can never be together... you have someone else"... but still....)

So there's all sorts of worry built into this situation:

a) I'm married....happily....
b) She's married.... to a guy that looks like a linebacker.
c) It would be bad for students/parents/faculty to find out about this.

Out of all of them, (c) worried me the most. People might assume that something had actually happened, and then I'd be up for forced resignation. To counter that, I went to the middle school principal (not Palpatine) and told him what was going on. He was at his computer when I came into his office, closed the door and told him I had something confidential to discuss. When I laid it on him I could see that he was doing everything he could not to laugh.... and I wouldn't have blamed him after how serious I looked when I walked in the door. He basically said that he would let me deal with it however I felt best, and to keep him posted. That was fine... all I really needed was for someone to know what was going on in case things got.... weird.

Not to say that (a) wasn't a priority... but I figured that since I did not encourage this situation in any way, I probably couldn't be held responsible for it. Still, I consulted with several people before telling my wife. I didn't really want to keep it from her... but I wasn't exactly sure how she would take it. She's met Choir Mom on several occasions, and commented on how dedicated she was.... hah! if she only knew. Anyway, in the course of putting together my B-Day thingy, I think they exchanged cel numbers.... I wasn't sure how that situation would pan out.

I should have trusted my wife more. I finally told her last night. She was cooking dinner when I came home. I said I had something I needed to tell her. She looked at me a little scared. So then I laid it on her... and she started laughing. I wasn't exactly expecting that. But see, she and I had worked out issues regarding trust, jealousy and fidelity years ago... so I guess it shouldn't have been that much of a surprise(1). For the rest of the night she teased me about it. Whew.... talk about marrying the right gal!

So anyway, it looks like all I have to do is manage this so that it doesn't become common knowledge at the school. I'm going to have to talk to Choir Mom and let her know that I can't engage her in any further conversation about her feelings for me... that it makes me uncomfortable and threatens my professional image. I'm also just kind of worried that her family life could explode in ways that would leave a lot of people scarred. I'd just as soon not be party to that.

So yeah... this one is going into my professional memoires for sure....

1) Well... she also has a little work stalker of her own... some guy who works in the same building who goes out of his way just to see her. Harmless.

Use whichever leash chokes the most...

So...

Apparently I've become quite the topic at administration meetings (which include all the principals, assistant principals, ASB advisors and the athetics director.) I'm on pretty good terms with both of the ASB advisors (high school and middle school)... they've actually been my advocates when things come up. Today the middle school advisor caught up with me and told me what was discussed.

Basically, the administration is going to be scrutinizing my "outside performances" that are required as part of my $10,000 stipend. The stipend description says that I am required to do at least fiteen (15) public perfomances, football games or a combination of events "as approved or required by the immediate supervisor."

The annoying part of this is that it seems to say that the "immediate supervisor" (whoever that is) has the power to approve or deny any of my events as counting towards the stipend. If said supervisor decides that only pep band perfoermances at athletic games count... then that's the only thing I can do to get the stipend.

If I wasn't married, planning to buy a house and have kid... I'd tell them to get stuffed.

....*sigh*..... dance puppet, dance!

An Early Christmas Miracle

So... my mood has been swinging back and forth this Thanksgiving weekend. One minute I'm full of hope, and the next I feel my stomach turn as I imagine the inevitable evolution of my job description to read "Does whatever the athletic parents want, by order of her Imperial Majesty, Principal Palpatine"

Anyway, I had to put that aside for a few hours as I was helping execute the fall concert for the youth orchestra I work for on the weekends. Now, understand that I had another whole level of stress over the concert. I'm one of five conductors working with three different performing groups... and going into it I was really worried that my part of the program was going to be the weakest. I was conducting two difficult pieces, and I didn't feel that I had enough podium time on either of them. They were both danger of falling apart. At the last rehearsal (yesterday) they couldn't make them through either one without stopping. I just had to let it go. It was going to be what it was going to be.

So tonight, when I got to the concert hall, I looked at Robert (program director) and said "I don't know about tonight... especially the Brahms. I think it has a 75% chance of falling apart." Robert looked at me and said "It's your call." Jacob, one of the other conductors looked at me and said "Well, we could announce that we're holding off for a later concert." I shook my head, "No... the kids don't like it all that much. If we held on to it for another three months it'll be like punishment. We do it tonight or not at all." Jacob looked at me and smiled "Well, you know what Bernstein said.... 'You never know what might happen'...." I laughed and said, "Okay... let's rock n' roll then."

And wouldn't you know it... the one and only time that group held the Brahms together was on the concert.

I'm really glad I didn't pull it. I'm really glad I put my faith in them. I'm really glad I didn't "apologize" to the audience ahead of time. Yeah, I couldn't have been more proud.

Give and Take

Okay, so here's the update on the pep band situation: I weaseled my way out of this Friday's game.

I had people in place at the admin meeting on Monday who pushed for a loophole that would allow me to cancel if I had less than 10 kids show up. I went ahead and took it. The truth: I think I had less than 10 kids available. For sure, I had less than 10 kids confirm that they would go. There might have been more... but I was already resigned to cancel, so i didn't ask.

I told Principal Palpatine, and she wasn't happy... but she did agree to let me cancel. But I could tell that she was really displeased.

So... where I should have been happy that I got my Friday vacation back, I ended up feeling a) guilty for wiggling out of a commitment and b) fearful for the consequences this may have on my relationship with administration, athletics and the football parents.

But today, I may have turned things around for the better. Before I left school yesterday I put in a call to one of the "big gun" marching band directors in Southern California, a guy who's been around since I was in high school, running one of the most aggressive, competitive programs. I told him that we needed a drum line coach, and wondered if he could give me some names (and some advice.) It turns out Mr. Big Guns was off the entire week. I left the message on his voice mail, expecting him to get back to me on Monday. Maybe.

Well, it turns out Mr. Big Guns is a workaholic like me. He checked his voice mail (via remote) and gave me a call today on his cel (he was at a car dealership waiting for a repair). We talked for about an hour. He gave me the name of a drum line guy that he recommended highly. As soon as I got off the phone with Mr. Big Guns, I called Drum Line Guy straight away. He sounded VERY interested in working with us. He's going to meet with me next week.

So, about an hour ago I fired off an e-mail to Palpatine, as well as our athletics director, the ASB advisor, the football coach, and the assistant principals and told them about the progress I made towards developing the drum line.

Not ten minutes ago I got a reply from Palpatine:

Mr. Maestro, thank you for moving forward. It is obvious to all of us that you have taken the request to heart and you have spent a lot of time on making this possible. Your efforts will not go unnoticed.

That's what I needed to hear. I can now dig in to Thanksgiving dinner in peace. And I don't feel so bad about Friday's game anymore.

Whew.

Well, here we are again.....

Another sleepless night because of a damn work e-mail I just had to open on frickin Sunday night. I tell you, true-believers, this is getting really frickin old. The funny thing is that this time I'm not worried about what may happen tomorrow. I'm pissed.... and surprisingly enough, I'm not pisssed at Principal Palpatine.

See, this is the thing that I was afraid of: Principal Palpatine is evil, sure... but on this paritcular issue (bands should be servants to the athletic departments) her opinion is shared by a lot of people. Not only that, but the general masses can't bring themselves to realize one simple fact:

My band sucks.

No really.... they do. It's not their fault... nor mine. But what do you expect is going to happen when you shove 60+ mostly 7th and 8th graders, mostly beginners in a band class, and then turn around and expect them to stand horn-to-horn with bigger high school bands? They can't play anything past medium-loudish, they're out of tune, they have bad rhythm.... hell half of them don't even know their fingerings....

And the crowd can't tell the difference.

But you'd better believe the kids can. They know when they're being pounded by a much more developed real high school band. And the other band knows it, too. I don't know how much spirit we give the home team, but I'm pretty sure we provide loads of entertainment to the opposing band.

Folks, I really hate to say it, but in the band world... we're kind of an embarassment. Maybe if we had a normal feeder system in our elementary schools, and maybe if the admin had the good sense not to flood me with random kids who don't even want to be in band... thus giving me a chance to work out a decent product. But never mind that. What's important is that we keep the football parents happy. And again, as long as you can pound out a recognizable rendition of "Go Fight Win"... who could ask for anything more?

A Rock and a Hard Place

So....

Friday our football team had a home game. I didn't take the pep band. The game was off our radar, because it was the first of the playoffs... it wasn't on the master schedule, so I didn't know about it until very late. The thing you have to understand is that for a long time we had an underachieving football team. We never went to playoffs. Well, this year we have a new coach. He's been winning. We're in playoffs. I didn't go to the first game... that was bad.

Strangely enough, it wasn't Principal Palpatine who e-mailed me about the issue (although she was cc'd.) It was the assistant principal... who may be acting under Palpatine's directive, or who just shares the same "Band is the slave of the athletics department" opinion. Whatever.

This was one of those moments where I (wisely) waited at least a good hour before I wrote a reply. I'm already on Palpatine's shit list... I need to stay under her radar as much as possible.

So now, as a show of good faith, I have to take a group to the next game, which is next Friday. And for those of you not in the know (ie. not living in the USA) most of next week is a holiday. That means I'm going to be trying to get kids to show up to a school event on a day they're not even supposed to be thinking about school. I know, I know.... who in their right mind would shedule a game on a holiday? This is American football, folks. It's practically a religion. A football game trumps a holiday like a royal flush.

In hindsight, I should have taken a band to last Friday's game... I would have had way more leverage to skip the coming holiday game. Now I have to put double the effort into making this coming friday's game work.

I've already confirmed that my only two competent drummers will be out-of-town... which means I have to hire a ringer (Already arranged.) And God knows how many more will skip out (and to be honest... I don't blame them).

What Assistant Principal didn't mention was whether or not it is a home game. I replied to his e-mail with a request that if it were an away game, that we recieve accomodations for transportation. I also asked if they could help cover the cost of the ringer on drum set.

Funny thing... when I hit "send" the e-mail was immediately returned with a "Out-Of-Office" reply. It seems Assistant Principal will not be at school until December 1st. Traveling for the holidays I suppose? Lucky him.

Llama of the Week

Kindred Spirits

As per my promise to Principal Palpatine, I've been looking into developing and expanding our Drum Line. Last week I met with a representative form a uniform company... a guy who is going to try to put together an inexpensive but effective package to pitch to our financial support organizations.

So this guy comes into my office during my prep period and immediately noticed the plethora of comic book paraphernalia adorning the walls. He pointed at the posters on my door and said "Hey, I see you have a McFarlane SpiderMan poster.... as well as the Alex Ross Superman/Batman poster..." (Geeks idientify themselves to other geeks by dropping artist's names) A short comic book conversation ensued... followed by a half hour of looking at uniform samples.

When the period ended, the bell rang and my third period class shuffled in. I looked at the uniform rep and said "Hey... my next class is stsarting so I gotta go. But thanks for coming in!" The rep looked at me and said "Yeah, we'll be in touch. I'll put together a sample for you, how's that?" We shook hands, and I walked out of the office... leaving the rep to gather his stuff.

I spent the next ten minutes or so taking roll. I assumed that Uniform Rep Guy had slipped out the back... but when I took the roll sheets back into my office, he was still there. He had brought along a sketch book and was sitting at my desk finishing up this:

When he was done, he tore it out and handed it to me saying "Here... I'm leaving you with a little something extra."

I was flabbergasted. After a minute of staring at the drawing (which was pencilled AND inked) I finally said "Did you just scribble that out... while I was taking roll?"

He shrugged and said "I used to work for an animation studio. When you're under that kind of pressure on a daily basis, you learn to work fast."

Holy Jabezus Tap-Dancin Christ!

You know... I don't know if this whole drum line / uniform thing is going to pan out. But one thing is for sure... I have to hang out with this guy more often.

Llama of the Week

Saving a Family Heirloom

Okay, here's what went down this week:

On Monday, my string coach (Rhonda) accidentally broke my great-grandfather's violin. She had taken it to use with the beginning class, and in the process of carrying it, the case unlatched and fell open... spilling the violin on the ground. It developed a nasty split on the top side that is apparently called a "soundpost crack" It looked scary.

The violin was given to me by my mother who rescued it from being sold off by my aunt to pay some bills. It had been sitting in a closet for the better part of fourty years, at least. My mom decided it should a) stay in the family and b) be in the hands of a musician. So she got it from my aunt, and in exchange she called off a long-standing sum of money that my aunt owed her.

My great grandfather was a professional orchestral player in Scotland. The instrument, while not exactly a Stradivarius, was a good instrument with a rich tone, particularly in the lower register. It dates back to about the mid 1800's (not uncommon when it comes to violins. Most of my friends have instruments that are older than their grandparents.) The case had my GGF's initials printed in gold lettering. Unfortunatley, it didn't latch very well.

For the record, Rhonda coach did not take the violin without my permission. In fact, I encouraged her to use it as much as possible. String instruments deteriorate faster if they aren't played. Since I'm not a violinist, I keep it at school and frequently let my string-inclined friends to play it.

Now, obviously, Rhonda feels horrible about the whole thing and offered to pay for repairs. The only thing is, Rhonda is a recent college grad with a crap day-job that doesn't pay her much. Also add into it the fact that a) she's a good friend, and I don't want to put a lot of strain on our relaitonship and b) I really don;t blame her. So in order to let her work through her guilty feelings, I let her take the violin around to different repair places to get estimates. The feedback we got was really mixed:

Violin Shop A: "This is a horrible instrument. Not worth fixing. But if it has sentimental value, I can glue it together for aesthetic purposes for... say.... $75" Shop A has a reputation for being really "snobby" and over priced. I decided not to go with them.

Violin Shop B: "Yup, I can fix this for... oh... $250" The only problem is, I've done business with Shop B before, and was underwhelmed with the quality. Next.

Violin Shop C: "This is a very fine instrument. I'd appraise it at least $5000... maybe as high as $7000. Definitely worth fixing. Here's what I can do [insert rather long list of problems]. The whole thing will probably be something close to $1,200."

Now shop C sounded the most like a car dealership.... especially with the appraisal. My Mom once had the same violin appraised at less than $2000. So I didn't know what to think. I asked around and it turns out that Shop C is one of the most trusted shops in all of Southern California. They do good work.... fair..... honest.

I called my Mom to tell her the bad news. She took it about as calmly as I did, saying "Well, these things happen." She also offered to kick in a considerable amount for the repair.

I called Shop C back and told them to go ahead and do it.

The funny thing is... once I get it back, I'll probably still keep it at the school, and still let my friends play it (NO STUDENTS). I'll proabably get a newer case to keep it in, though.

My wife thinks I'm crazy (and actually, I think she's a little pissed that I'm spending money on it... or at least not asking Rhonda for more.) But see... I'd like to think that Great Grand-Pappy would be happy to know that it is being played, rather than sititng on a shelf or in a closet. Who knows, maybe someday my own instrument will be handed down. And to be sure... there's nothing more tragic than a Mark VI sitting gathering dust when it wants to be played... dents and dings be damned.

Llama of the Week (And The Next Four Years)

Oh come on... you knew this was coming :-)

"Yes we can"

... oh I certainly hope so...

In a way I don't envy the man: We're looking at him to be the next Kennedy at a time when we desperately need another Kennedy. I think most people agree that the challenges he faces in the next few years will make his historic campaign look like a walk in the park.

But all of that aside, I'm really happy with the election. I think it goes far beyond a victory for the African-American population. Whether or not Obama is up to the job... the polls prove that the majority of the country is finally ready to set aside petty things like race when it comes to looking for the answers to the really important questions.

I'm hoping that we'll be able to put a lot of things right. For so long, I've felt conflicted about expressing how I felt about being an American. So many noble and enlightened things in our past that I'm proud of, and yet so many things done (recently) "in my best interests" that have disgusted me. Word on the grapevine is that like a lot of us, the rest of the world is looking forward to a better America. I hope we can deliver.

Llama of the Week

A Political Rant

So, for those of you not living in California... we're currently gearing up to vote on one of the more controversial propositions to come down the chute: Proposition 8 - The elimination of the right for same sex couples to marry.

Now, right off the bat I wasn't particularly motivated to vote for Prop 8. Even though it doesn't affect me personally, I don't see any reason to stand in the way of other people entering into a legally binding committed relationship. What's really been annoying me, however, is the pro-8 commercials. They've been claiming that if 8 gets voted down, public schools WILL engage in the process of teaching gay marriage to children, and that parents will not have the right to exempt their kids from said instruction.

WTF?!?!

Last time I checked, public schools didn't teach anything about marriage. We try promote diversity and tolerance, but we do not teach that interracial marriage is okay. We try to encourage gender equity, but we do not preach gender roles in relationships. And what?...... Parent's NOT allowed to exempt their kids from controversial content? What kind of bullshit is that? We can't even speak the words "sex education" without getting signed consent forms in triplicate from the parents. We're also required by law to allow for alternate projects and assignments. I mean political and religious convictions aside.... I find the blatant and ignorant misrepresentation of the intent of the public school system to be staggering.

I know some people find it hard to live in a society that is tolerant of things they find to be wrong... sinful even. After all, we legally allow extra-marital sex, pre-marital sex and all manner of personal habits denounced by various religions and cultures. It just seems to me that a government that allows gay marriage isn't trying to define marriage for everyone. People are still allowed to teach their kids what they think is right and wrong.

In the mean time... leave the schools out of it.

Llama of the Week

On Padawan Leaners

I'm officially maxed out on the number of private students I can take. I currently have four half-hour lessons and four hour lessons. At one time, I took private students so that I could have a little extra spending cash. These days... I don't know... I probably should have started turning people a while ago. Maybe I'm just to nice to say "no." Or maybe it's something else.

Two lessons today: The first was Madeline. She's been my student since 5th grade. She was referred to me by her elementary band teacher. She was progressing faster than what he could accommodate with the class. I took her on. Three years later, we're playing transcribed Mozart duets.. and I'm making more mistakes than she is. Our lessons have transcended mere instruction in rhythm, fingering and intonation, and have entered the realm of discussion about how to interpret various ornamental figures, and the application of nuances and stylistic practices that are not written in by the composer or the arranger. She's an 8th grader. I feel like I should be paying her for the opportunity to play duets with a competent partner.

The second was Marty. 8th grader. Beginner. Marty was one of those kids who joined band because... well because the counselors put him there. He wasn't sure he was going to enjoy it. After a month of basic training, he decided he wanted private lessons. Today was our first session.

Two things about Marty: 1) He's one of those kids who beats himself up over every little mistake. I felt like I spent half the lesson getting him to relax and stop apologizing. 2) He's driven to learn how to play. If he maintains that intensity, he'll be another Madeline before long.

Mom came to pick him up after an hour. I talked with her briefly while Marty was putting his instrument away. Marty apparently grew up without a Dad. He's at that age where he needs role models. Apparently, I've become one.

So... why do I give lessons? Maybe it's because I get a chance to play. Maybe it's because I get a chance to get in close and do some high-octane teaching... the kind that has a big pay-off.

Of course... the cash for new toys is nice, too.

A Desperate Hunter's Trap

Last week Principal Palpatine sent me an e-mail regarding the music stipends that I've been receiving for the last decade. These stipends have been on the books for... well probably since the school opened. They provide for extra duties above and beyond the regular teacher contract. It seems she thinks she has an angle to pin me down on the marching band issue.

Why? I'm not exactly sure... we seemd to come to a mutually beneficial agreement at our last meeting. The only thing I can think of is that she's frustrated that despite the arrangement, she never did get me to agree that marching band is a required part of my job responsibilities. And in all honesty, I think it translates into her being pissed that I didn't kneel before her and offer her an unconditional surrender.

Okay... the truth.... yes I've been getting the stipends. (about $10k worth). But to be honest, I never looked at the description all that closely... until now. After Palpatine e-mailed me regarding them, I talked to people both in the union and on the Roll & Recompense committee. They gave me a copy of the sheet that lays it all out in black-and-white.

Except it isn't all that black-and-white.

Two of the items seemed to be linked to marching band. One refers to football game performances and competitions. The other deals with parade performances. Now... marching band isn't specifically mentioned in either of them, and I think I can at leats defend the stipend for football games by pointing out that I do take a pep band to the home football games. The parade stipend... well... it's kind of hard to defend that one. Fortunately, it's the smallest of the stipends (just over $2k).

Yesterday I got an e-mail from Assistant-Principal Bob who wants to meet with me regarding the stipends. It reeks of Palpatine mainuplation. To be sure, I checked with my union rep (who is also on the R&R committee). She said that it's probably just to confirm the status of my stipends, and to check up on how they are being implemented. I'm willing to bet that when I show up to his office, Palpatine will be there.

Actually, I'm not scared. I already have a game plan. If they ask why I haven't been fullfilling the conditions of the stipend, I will respond that said conditions have never been explained to me. These stipends have been given to the existing music teacher for decades, and I will gleefully point out that my three predecessors also received them without being challenged.... and without maintaining a marching program of any kind.

I will also point out that with the exception of the parade stipdend, marching band is not a specified (or even implied) element.

I will finnish off by saying that if the R&R committee deems that the conditions of any stipend are not being fullfilled, I will willingly surrender the stipend in question.

Cards in my favor:

I can refuse any stipend, even if I already signed for them.

Principal Palpatine is NOT on the R&R committee.

They can not penalize me for stipends paid to me over the last decade.

So... is it a trap? Sure, but I think it's a weak one at best. Her most powerful tool (the basic contract) does not come into play here.

I'll let you all know how it turns out.

Chalk-up Another "Win"

Had the first concert of the year on Tuesday. It went over well... very well. The first concerts are fun, because the families who are just getting to know me realize for the first time that I'm one guy trying to run a three-teacher program. They come up to me afterwords and say "My Gosh.. I had NO idea you had all of those groups under your belt." So yeah, it was chaos (as the first concert always is) but it came off.

And... surprise, surprise.... Principal Palpatine was there. Standing beside her was Assistant Principal Bob. I'm not sure what their reaction was... neither one so much as sent me an e-mail ... but I know a few parents and students got a chance to talk to her.

My department chair says Palpatine has been acting a little funny... she's been visiting the art classes and going out her way to be nice to the art teachers. Dept. Chair thinks Palpatine was given order from mount-high to make amends wiuth her arts department "Which... if it's true... would lead one to think that the nasty-gram she e-mailed to me and cc'd to district brass may have worked against her, not for her. (I'd like to think that's how it went down.)

There was also a school board member in the audience.... surprisingly enough, it wasn't Mark (the former band teacher who helped me with my last crisis with Palpatine.) It was Dan, the retired police opfficer who has been on the board for... well before my time. Dan isn't even the representative for our side of the district: I met him six years ago at random while reporting to the county courthouse for jury duty (he was there for the same reason). He's made it a point to say hi to me when he sees me, and attends my concerts once in a blue moon. It was good to have him there.

I don't know what was going through Palpatine's mind while watching my concert.... but I'm guessing it was frustration. What she saw was a packed house of happy parents, and a stage full of happy students who were making music. Here's all this evidence that I'm doing a great job... and yet I'm still NOT doing the job that SHE wants me to do.

What's a tyrant to do?

Llama of the Week

Okay, I SWEAR I didn't notice at the time that the position of the guy and the llama looks really... unnatural... but I caught it later and re-drew it before any of the kids saw it:















I did, however leave the original posted here to see how you'd react :-)

Equilibrium

So it seems that the powers-that-be have decided that since my Birthday is passed, all sense of normality should return to my life. In fact, in order to keep me from having to big an ego about the last few days, they decided to throw me a few curve balls:

Case in point - Taking a couple hundred dollars from my "play money" stash to buy some games for my new Wii on Saturday... getting to Circuit City and realizing that I grabbed a $20 instead of the $100 bill that I had intended. No matter, I still had enough at the counter. Only today I re-counted the stash and realized that I was indeed missing a $100 bill. So I must have grabbed it on Saturday.... and yet, it wasn't in my wallet when I got to the store. Conclusion: I must have inadvertently tipped the waiter at IHOP with a $100 bill (hidden underneath a $1). Sounds crazy, but it's the only other place I went that day, and I can't be sure that I looked at the tip all that closely.

So... what's the protocol on this? Go back to the restaurant and say "Dude, that was a mistake... can I have my $100 back?" Something about that seems really wrong. Of course, being that I'm a regular, and on first-name basis with the waiter... he might figure it out and offer to give it back to me the next time he sees me. Or maybe, I lost the $100 somewhere else and it didn't even end up at the IHOP to begin with. Who knows. Bummer.

Case in point: This morning, my car decided to completely shut down on me. First I thought I left an interior light on all night, but then I realized that the battery seemed fine (lights were all on full strength.) But it wouldn't turn over. I dragged my wife out of bed at 6 a.m. to try and jump-start it. No dice. So then she offered to drive me to work.

I managed to get here before my first class started, but not early enough to get my usual Starbucks, etc. Small sacrifice, really. Could have been a lot worse.

I'm thinking what may have happened is that I pulled the car up to far into the space, so that the front end hung just above the sprinkler nozzle outside my apartment. (It's happened before). So then the underside and part of my engine gets a continuous barrage of water for... what... an hour or so? The last time it started up after sitting for the better part of a day. I hope it's that simple. If not, then my wife is going to have to get up early for a couple more days while we get it fixed. Bleah.

To make it more fun, we had to push it out of the parking spot in "neutral" to have enough space to try the jumper cables, then push it back when that didn't work (up an incline :-] ) Add in the fact that it was windy as hell, and the gushing air threw the car door against my leg as I sat trying to steer with one leg out the door, gently pushing and guiding the powerless vehicle out of the parking space.... yeah I think I got a bruise from that.l

Whatever. Neither event was enough to ruin the weekend. Bring on the rain... the parade already happened!

The Love You Take Pt. II / Llama of the Week

So I figured that since they threw the gala lunchtime birthday bash for me on Thursday, the kids would fore go the usual office decoration invasion. I figured wrong.

Yesterday we had a pep band gig at a football game. Afterwords, the helper crew brought all the stuff back to the music rooms as per usual, and headed off to a local restaurant for post-game munchies. I ended up going home about 11 p.m. All the kids (about 8 of them) split and went their separate directions... or so I thought. Apparently, they circled back to the school and proceeded with the usual office shenanigans.

I saw it this morning when I came in for the youth orchestra rehearsal. They even left me a little a little love on the office Mac... A new desktop photo of themselves crowded around the desk with a big "Happy B-Day" Sign. I laughed myself silly.

But that wasn't the end of it...

When the Orchestra staff showed up, Susan and James (her husband) brought cupcakes and had the kids sing Happy Birthday to me, and Brad, the conductor of the top orchestra, let me conduct the 2nd movement of Beethoven 7 (Possibly my favorite piece of all time).

Folks... my birthday is tomorrow.... how can it possibly get any better?

"The Love You Take...

...is equal to the love you make" - Paul McCartney

So let me tell you about my 40th birthday. Well, actually it hasn't happened yet (it's Sunday). And yet, it's the best birthday I'll probably ever have. Some weeks ago, some of the music parents started conspiring to throw a birthday bash honoring my Big Four-Oh.... complete with a collection from students for a nice gift and a party. It wasn't entirely unexpected.... every year my students usually break into my office and decorate it, leaving behind little trails of Reese's Peanut Butter Cups (some of which I don't find until June.) And someone usually makes the rounds to get me something nice.

This year, however, the scope and magnitude of the birthday offerings was... humbling. I mean, I got the idea that something was up, but I had no idea it was going to be as big as it ended up being! They threw the party today during lunch. I didn't even know that the music parents were on campus: They came in during my 4th period class and set up in the choir room while I was busy lecturing in AP Theory in the instrumental room next door. Then right before the bell rang, I noticed someone had come in and sat down right behind me... It was Spencer, my good friend who conducts the orchestra at a local university. He comes by to see me once in a while, so it didn't tip me off at first. But then he lured me outside, where I saw the door to the choir room open and people streaming in and out of it. That's when I realized what was going on. When I walked over and looked in, I was shocked to see how many people were there... Easily over half of the music department, as well as parents, alumni, fellow faculty, friends from off campus... oh, and did I mention that my wife took off time from work to drive over, and my mom drove from her house almost 2 hours away to attend?

One of my uber-talented alumni from last year showed up and sang a song for me (which was the best part,) and somewhere in the middle of it I was presented with the big gift: A Wii game system (with accessories.)

Okay... this is the part where I'm so overwhelmed, I'm almost paralyzed with shock.

I went to make a little speech, but it came out kind of... well, less than eloquent, I think. I said something about teachers often wondering the extent to which they are effective in peoples lives... and how I was so lucky to have this kind of feedback.

The truth is, I know what I do for these kids. I know because I've had teachers do it for me... I know how powerful the gift is. And I do get a good amount of positive, warm-fuzzy, heartfelt-feedback.... I just don't usually get it in such great quantities at one time!

Eat your heart out, Mr. Holland.


P.S. Two things tickled me about today:

1) Food services called me after lunch, they complained that their lunch sales were significantly affected by the number of kids who went to the party instead of buying lunch from the cafeteria. I apologized, and explained to them that being a surprise B-Day party organized and executed by off-campus individuals, there is no way I could have warned them. They said "It's okay" and added a "Happy Birthday" in for good measure.

2) Some of the parents actually went to Principal Palpatine to ask for permission to do this. She said no... and they did it anyway. I love that.

Deals with the Devil Pt. II

Another meeting with principal Palpatine today. Hopefully, the last in a long time. I think we finally put this issue to rest (of course, that's what I thought after the last meeting.) We agreed to move forward with the promotion of our already existing drum line... new equipment, uniforms... all the trappings Palpatine wants in a smaller package. Then we'll see if it grows into a genuine interst in a marching band. As always, I find myself walking away from the table... knowing that the devil is grinning ear to ear, wondering how this deal will come back to haunt me.

Of course, she had to open the meeting with a blatant attempt to subjugate me with a direct question: "Mr. Maestro, do you not feel that it falls within your jurisdiction to expand the Music Department to meet the needs of the students of *OUR SCHOOL*"

I held my ground.

"Mrs. Palpatine.... whether or not I am willing to meet the needs of my students is not in question. What we have yet to determine is whether the establishment of a marching program at *OUR SCHOOL* meets the needs of the music students, or merely the people who wish to see the program, but not participate in it. Would you not agree that every school program, academic or extra-curricular, should, first and foremost, statisfy the needs of the students enrolled in said program?"

No... you don't own me.

She tried multiple times from multiple angles to get a positive response from me, until finally she concluded that I had indeed answered her question in not-so-many-words. (I let it go... there was bigger fish to fry). Her eyes also flared up when I stated quite plainly that the music department in general, should be focused on the needs of the students, not the approval of the surrounding community. I could tell she was offended by that idea.

Yeah... did I mention the "not owning" part?

Sigh.... Oh Principal Palpatine.... for all your cunning and trickery, you fall short of being a truly masterful manipulator. Throughout this meeting you had so many opporunities to simply tell me what I wanted to hear... all you had to do was lie to me and tell me that you fully supported a music program that was more about the music students than the football parents. All you had to do was take the term "school spirit" and the phrase "Everyone wants to see it" out of the conversation. All you had to do was try to make me feel that the music program wasn't being used... and you would have gotten a lot less resistance from me. There were so many things you could have said and done that would have made it a lot easier.

Alas.... you are a idiot.

Anyway, it doesn't matter. You got what you wanted. I got what I wanted. Let me get back to the music.

Llama of the Week

Yup... it's back :-)

WHO STOLE MY PRECIOUS??!!!???

Yesterday's student drama: Nate the yuba player in 3rd period comes up to me at the end of class and says "Someone took my iPod." "Where was it?" I asked. "In my backpack... I left it alone for a couple minutes as I was moving my stand and chair back to the main room, when I cam back, my backpack had been moved, and the Ipod was gone."

Wow... pretty good timing. It's almost as if someone knew where it was, knew exactly when he would leave it alone, and moved in for a quick theft with surgical precision. I was almost impressed with the efficiency.

I didn't know what to tell him except "Well, I'll keep an eye out for it... and I'll notify the administration, but I don;t know how much good it'll do."

Well, the kid's mom called and e-mailed me later that day. I didn't get either since I went home early. She was pissed. Luckily, not at me. She was upset that band was the boy's favorite class, and that I tried so hard to teach good citizenship... how could someone from the band community do something like this. She made it clear that they were going to the police and pressing charges. (Against who, I'm not sure... it's not like we had any leads.) She wanted us to detain every kid in band for questioning.

Right.

Anyway, I responded that I'm not sure admin would allow us to do that, but I promised to at least address the class. Apparently this wasn;t enough for her. She used a recently sent mass-email from my parent helpers to "reply-all" an angry e-mail to my entire parent base.

Yikes.

So this morning in 3rd period, I started to build-up to the best guilt trip I could muster:

Me: "Ladies and gentlemen... apparently yesterday someone discovered their iPod was missing from their backpack. Now it saddenss me to think that someone in this class would...."

Kid: "Um... Mr. Maestro?....." (hand raised)

Me: "yes?"

Kid: "Is that it over there?" (points)

There in one of the cabinet shelves right behind where Nate sits was a small device in a black case. The kid grabs it and holds it up. Nate looks at it, embarassed. "Yeah, it's mine."

Now, is it possible that Nate's mom scared someone into putting the iPod on the shelf? Sure, maybe, but how much you want to bet that Nate put it there and forgot? In any case, he got it back, and everyone should be happy.

Lessons to be learned:

1) If something goes missing, give it a few days before you start throwing accusations around.

2) BCC is a beautiful thing.

Looking for Silver Linings

I've talked to a lot of people in the last couple days. Union people. Colleagues. Students. Parents. I have tons of morale support, but the truth is that I have to eventually face Principal Palpatine with no more backing than my union rep, and I've come to understand that even that may be denied me. It's been a roller coaster of hope and despair.

Least useful: Our union president. I don't mean to imply that she isn't sympathetic to my cause. But being that she's the one who dances with the district brass the most frequently, she's probably the least capable of throwing weight around in a teachers defence. Most of her e-mails to me have been explaining the extent of administrative rights and powers, as well as the restrictions of the union. She's the one who told me that the district has already flexed its muscle in refusing to allow a union rep to sit in a meeting that wasn't a formal disciplinary action. Her best advice: "Take lots of notes, and good luck"

Most useful: Mark - School Board member. As I said in my last post, I e-mailed Mark and asked him if he would agree to meet. He's a former band teacher himself, and he and I had worked together on several projects. Mark came to my classroom today, we talked for over an hour. I was very careful not to ask for any favors, only advice. But in the course of explaining the events as they unfolded, I told mark about Palpatine's formal e-mail cc'd to two assistant superintendents. "She cc'd Carl?" he asked me. I nodded. He said, "I'm meeting with Carl tomorrow. I'll have a word with him."

That may do wonders for damage control, but that wasn't the best thing about my talk with Mark. He gave me lots of advice about how to proceed with Palpatine. A lot of it echoed things that everyone else was telling me: Don't take a hard stance, don't give her reason to bring down a charge of insubordination. At the same time he gave me advice that only another music teacher could have given. He reminded me that there was no way that a band teacher could be expected to produce a marching product starting in October. It would be the end of the football season before we even got people hired. "She'll have to wait until next year, at the very least. There's leadership training, show design, uniform and equipment purchasing, music selection, parent organization... That all takes a long time. And... well... how long has she got left anyway? Do this right, and you can wait her out."

I hope so. My closest friend on campus (Elaine - English teacher extraordinaire) told me that it may be best to think of Palpatine as a permanent fixture. Everyone knows Palpy has her eyes on a higher district job, and will most likely be gone... maybe soon. But you never know. As far as I know, she's not yet finnished her doctorate and there's never a gaurantee that she would find another job immediately. Elaine: "It might not be a bad idea to have feelers out there."

In the mean time.... despite having gotten a full night's sleep, I still haven't recovered from my Sunday-night worry-fest. Grades reports are due tomorrow, and I haven't had a cohesive lesson plan in AP Theory since Friday. Wait... huh? I'm supposed to teach music?

Another Sleepless Night

I promised myself not to check my school mail this weekend. I couldn't resist. Here's the story as short as I can make it:

An e-mail exchange with Principal Palpatine now has me cornered with promises I may or may not have made, based on misunderstandings from my last big meeting with her. She is now accusing me of ignoring the blatant needs of the students of *My School* in a long, detailed e-mail (full of twisted words, irrelevant information and misrepresentations) that she CCd to two of the top district brass (We're talking assistant superintendents).

However low I may have been on her radar... I have officially become front and center in her cross-hairs. My good friend (Former AP) Jeff tells me that I'm walking on glass, and that the road before me could *possibly* lead to dismissal if I'm not careful.

I am at least careful enough to refrain from responding immediately, if at all. I need to regroup (again) and plot ,my course much more carefully. My mistake this time was over-reacting to an e-mail that I should have just let go. Now I've forced the issue.

Pro: I still have my deartment chair and colleagues batting for me.

Con: Palpatine will try (probably successfully) to take them out of the equation. She managed to sneak my department chair's e-mail out of the reply boxes. I made sure they got forwarded.

Pro: My union rep is right there in the middle with me.

Con: The union rep's notes from the last meeting seem to favor Palpatine.

Pro: I am not unknown to the district brass. Not only have I done several high-profile performances in their presence, I've addressed them directly on more than one occasion at the board meetings. Several of them remember that I was the 2005 "Teacher of the Year" for the entire district.

Con: I don't know how much that will help

Pro: One of the school board members is a former band director. I've e-mailed him asking for his guidance, being that he knows both the music world, and the jungle that is school district politics. We are on VERY good terms. He's agreed to meet with me.

Con: I can NOT ask him to pull strings for me behind the scene. He's not even the representative for our part of the district. Regardless, it would be an exceedingly bad move on my part.

Pro: I haven't yet unleashed my considerable parent support.

Con: Jeff says it won't matter. Besides, the parents sometimes aggrivate rather than help the situation.

I have no idea how this week will unfold. One thing is for sure, I can not show my face up in the front office. I think I've also trippled the work I have to do this week. There WILL be another meeting... soon. I need to be ready. I think I'm going to have to cancel all my private lessons.

In any case, I've just spent most of the night awake, staring at the ceiling.

Perspective

I'll save you the details, because most of you have read too many of my rants, but depite my recent return to a happier state-of-being, I drove to school angry this morning. Angry at Principal Palpatine. Angry at football parents. Angry at the American culture that largely believes that music in schools is an extra-curricular activity at best, and one that should be a slave at the beck-and-call of every other entity on campus. I feel like I'm the only one who thinks that the music program should serve the needs of the music students first.

When I got to school this morning, this was the e-mail that was waiting for me.

It wasn't from Palpatine.

It was from one of last year's seniors.

Hey Mr. M... or is it * MY FIRST NAME* now that im all colleged an that sort....

ANYWAYS, how are things on the southern front. Alot has happened since we've had a heart to heart like the good ol days. Ive been in need of a mentor since my parents got divorced a week after graduation... I distracted myself over summer with working 7 days a week and once i stopped to come up to school and was moving in with only my mom... it really hit me. Well ive kinda been moving through this first month of school aimlessly, and decided i needed your words of wisdom back in my life. I never really got the opportunity to truly express my gratitude for all the support you gave me and how much i appreciated the confidence and chance to grow as a leader. You taught me it was ok to take risks and chances, then fail and pick myself up.

As i go through the first few weeks of college i've looked back at my time in high school and realized this. I don't really miss the people. i separated myself somewhat from them at the beginning of the year due to personal reasons, but i missed you and the lessons you thought me on a weekly basis, through your music. You used the music to express lessons of life that i will never forget and ones i hope to be able to use in the future. But now with out your influence and music in my life... i feel somewhat lost, i feel that i missing a mentor to impart his learnings and life experiences with me. So i hope you will stay in contact and keep me updated on the status of the department. If you ever need help or advice on anything you know where to find me. It often gets lonely here and listening to our music and remembering your stories is a good waste of time.

I broke down a little after reading this. I had no idea what he was going through. None. At the end of the year, his parents threw a graduation party for him, and you never would have suspected that there was trouble. Strangely enough, reading this was exactly what I needed... further justification for why am I who I am, and why I need to keep standing up for the things I believe in. Because there are more important things than worrying about football games.

I know so many unhappy people right now.... for various reasons. Reasons that make my own irritations seem laughably insignificant. I think the timing is right for me to be a beacon to help the people I care about to find their way.

Two New Songs Today

Advanced Choir: "Lonesome Road" - James Taylor

The only pop song I've ever given this group...but it's a damn good one. Sad. Beautiful. I have a history with it... it reminds me of being a kid at summer camp. I remember the counselors singing it to us by moonlight. It had me tearing up... the rehearsal had me tearing up.

Awesome.

Concert Choir: "For Good" from Wicked

I ordered this one for my "2nd" choir, thinking that the fact that it's from "Wicked" will make it an instant hit with the class. It was. But I also forgot that two of my best singers from the class of 08 performed it at graduation. I instantly thought of them, and how I miss them. So there I was tearing up again for the second time in just a couple hours....

*Sigh*

...And to think my parents wanted to talk me out of being a music ed. major in favor of a more "substantial" career....

We learned enough of the song to let the kids try the solo. I discovered some pretty good singers who had been hiding in the class. One of them was a girl who seemed to blossom about six measures in. When she was done, I said "You know, Grace... the singer you turned into about half way through the solo... that's the singer I'd like to hear from the beginning." She looked at me and said "I'll try but... well... this is a really emotional song for me." She gave me a look that seemed to say "You're a grown-up, how can you possibly understand?" I tried to give her a smile back that said "I do, kid... more than you'll ever know."

Vanities and Rivalries

I may have offered this confession before about my ugly inner-competitive nature, and my less-than-flattering opinion about a colleague/rival... but it's fresh on my mind again. Please forgive the way I come off as a rat-bastard. I'm just looking into the corners of my mind and writing things I would never have the guts to admit anywhere but the internet.

So....Lets talk about Roger, my counterpart at *OUR RIVAL SCHOOL*. Like me, he teaches vocal and instrumental . He and I get along well enough. We're friendly. We do each other favors. Underneath the surface, we have a rivalry going. He's the big Texas-style band director. I'm the classical music snob. He has the big marching band (easily four times the size of my band). I have the district's only string orchestra, as well as the district's only AP Music Theory class.

Now... I have tried to tell myself for years that I'm not about competition or comparison.... but the ugly truth is that deep down inside I compare myself with him all the time. I think I choose better repertoire, and aim for far more artistic goals. And though it sounds like a horrible thing to say, I must let it out - I believe in my blackened heart that I am the better musician. What pisses me off is that for all of my "noble intentions" there is one glaring annoying fact I can't get around: his kids are stronger performers.

Now I can rationalize this about a dozen different ways: He does mostly band all day long (one choir, band and jazz), my attentions are split between five different mediums and an academic class. He doesn't have to deal with beginners in his program. I have beginners mixed in with the intermediate and advanced kids. He has a feeder school. I have to feed myself. But there it is... his kids just play better. I keep thinking "Wow... what I could do with that band" But the problem is... I can't shake the thought that if they were my band they might not play so well.

I have a Masters in instrumental conducting. I know how to wave a stick. I know the really good band rep. I can analyze a piece and philosophize about the relationship between themes and the function of the harmonic progressions. I've conducted most of the band war-horses, and continue to discover more great pieces every summer at the music institute I work for. But see, those kids aren't mine. I borrow them from districts that have really great programs. I'm not responsible for them being great players... I just put great music in front of them and give them a little guidance. Maybe I don't have what it takes to grow great players. It irks me to think that Roger, as disconnected as he is with the art, surpasses me greatly in that field. (He just doesn't know what to do with them once they figure out how the instrument works.)

Last Saturday I ran into the drama teacher from *OUR RIVAL SCHOOL*. I knew for some time that she didn't get along with Roger so well.(1) In our ensuing conversation, I heard it for the first time from her own lips. She was frustrated with Roger because he refused to participate in music theater (2) and because he was just difficult to work with. She kept telling me that she wished I was over at *OUR RIVAL SCHOOL*. That made me feel good (although there is no way I could ever bring myself to move, shold the opportunity arise.). Later, she sent me an e-mail:

Hi Mr. Maestro,

I really enjoyed talking to you on Saturday. I am always impressed with your vision and creativity, and it was wonderful to just spend time discussing your kids and your program. Don't let anyone destroy what you have built. You are an amazing educator who deserves only the best.

Obviously, I was very flattered... but at the same time I felt a little guilty for the tingle it sent up my spine, having come from one of Roger's colleagues (and an arts person, no less.)

Oh Lord, please forgive me for this vanity that plagues me. And by all means feel free to send me a little smack-down should my ego really jump the fence. (3)


1. I make it a point to be on good terms with our drama teacher (we share too many kids).

2. Neither did I when I first started teaching, but once I got into it I really enjoyed it.

3. There I go again, talking to a God I'm not entirely sure exists.

Kickin' Ass and Takin' Names

So yeah, this year has definitely started on a high. I'm definitely out of the whiny/depressed funk that I was in the 2007-2008 school year. Not that Principal Palpatine is trying to make my life any easier... Oh no.... what with the 65-count, 7-12 grade, beginner + intermediate + advanced horde that got shoved into 3rd period band. If not for that , I would have a really comfy teaching assignment this year. (The rest of my classes are just darling.)

But really... this wasn't meant to be another bitch blog. I actually wanted to rave about all the stuff that's going well... really well. In some ways... best ever.

* Personal Enthusiasm Restored - Four years ago, I was the guy who would never leave my classroom if not for the fact that I had a wife to go home to. I completely reorganized the music rooms and transformed the office into quite the happenin' pad. I even preferred eating lunch with students to eating with adults. My job was my life. Two years later, I was the guy torn between the thought of leaving a school I loved and getting away from an administrator who was determined to use me like a chess piece, no matter how miserable it made me. Things started to slip. Piles of clutter started gathering in my room. I let my communications with just about everybody slip. My level of happiness was noticeably depleted.

Last year, I tried to force the "happy me" back. I made little steps towards recovery, but it felt kind of... well... forced. This year everything just snapped back into pre-Palpatine mode. I can tell because I'm not waking up with that dread of going to work. I'm not scrambling to get out the door at the end of the day. I'm keeping the room clean... and my office. Paperwork is getting done. It's all good.

* The Wonders of Modern Technology - Well, the down side is that the district pulled all access to the FTP server that I was (unbeknownst to them) piggy-backing my department website on. The up-side is that they brought in this fancy all-inclusive on-line system for... well for everyone: students, parents, teachers, administrators.... everyone. From now on we all keep our gradebooks in the system, which are also instantaneously posted for students and parnets to see. We can put an assignment on our calendar, which is followed up by automatic reminders e-mailed home to everyone. We can send communication to some or all of our classes, individual studemnts and parents, all teachers of a particular student. We can post events on the school calendar. They're not done working all the glitches out, and not everyone likes it. I think it rocks. It's already making my life a lot easier.

* Having The Right People In Your Corner - Oh where do I begin? How about the fact that my student leadership team is about the best it's ever been. Not that I haven't had great kids working for me before, but this year there's less dead weight and more general enthusiasm. They just pulled off a very successful beach party. The trick will be to keep the steam going all year... but it's a darn good start.

Then there's the parents. At the last school I worked at, the parents were the bane of my existence. Here, they've been a key element in my survival. They are far more likely to ask "What can we do to help?" than they would complain (or tell me how to do my job.) There's one in particular who's been helping me with a lot of my paperwork and stuff. It's amazing.

Finally, there's my colleagues; my fellow arts teachers, my union rep, and all the people on campus who have shown a concern for my well-being. They've been coming out of the woodwork lately. It's all very inspiring.

* Maestro Mojo In Full Swing - One thing I know about myself: I'm not a heavy disciplinarian. I try to inspire cooperation through the establishment of a healthy rapport with my students. Over the years, I've refined this process to an art form. So as much as I may complain about the "3rd period horde"... the truth is, I'm likely to win a large majority of them over. This was evident in the number of new kids who showed up to the beach party.

* Christmas Came Early This Year - In addition to a $10,000 grant that dropped into my lap recently (new instruments!), I also got word that the school's booster organization agreed to buy us an additional choral riser (we were having trouble fitting on the set we have now) as well as safety rails. I wasn't sure that they would go for it... the etsimate was more than that group usually grants to school programs. But one of the booster parents told me "You hardly make any requests, which is why we're more likely to grant them." Awesome.

Yup... things are good. And it's about damn time.

By the way..... I hope you had a happy "Talk Like a Pirate" Day

Lunchtime Blues

I should have been paying attention more this morning when I made myself that bagel sandwich: I'm pretty sure the roast beef is more than a few days past it's due date. So what I have is a sandwich that looks great but smells suspect. *Sigh* At least I brought the wife's leftover pasta (about six solid bites) from Macaroni Grill as back-up.

Deals with the Devil

So, yesterday's meeting with Palpatine turned out to be the battle that never started. My department chair told me that having the union rep in the room helped a lot. (1)

But yeah, everyone was smiles and handshakes. So much so that I couldn't help but think "This is too easy. How is this going to turn bad for me later on down the road?"

Anyway, here's what we came up with:

* People in the community have been belly-aching about a marching band. But mostly that's been athletics parents who want a band out there supporting their kids. We don't know if there's much of a need from parents for their own kid to be in marching band (or from the students who would be filling the ranks of said marching band.) We're going to develop a survey to see where they stand on that.

* If it turns out that there is interest in being in marching band, then we're going to look into hiring someone to do it. It doesn't have to be me.

* If not that many people respond, then Principal Palpatine can go back to the whiners and say "Look, we put the bait out there, and hardly anyone bit. I'm sorry but unless you're kid is going to pull double duty and march in the band themself... it isn't going to happen."

* We are not going to run a marching program that tricks, blackmails or forces kids to be in it.

I can live with that.

It is a little strange to finally have come to some common ground with Principal Palpatine.... I've gotten so used to distrusting her. What started to cross my mind during the meeting was the possibility that the pressure she's been putting on me may have been a result of the pressure people in the community have been putting on her. But this is Palpatine we're talking about... she isn't exactly honest about conversations she may or may not have had with other people. Also, I'm pretty sure that the idea of marching band as a dumping ground for the "middle" kids is still very appealing to her.

The really freaky thing, though, is the thought that after all this time longing for the day that Palpatine would just pack her bags and go.... she may have just become the "devil I know." Not only that, I may have just cleared the one and only hurdle that lay in our path.

Wow.

Regardless, I'm counting yesterday's meeting as a victory for my sanity. My good friend / former AP Jeff says that I probably earned some respect from Palpatine just by having the balls to show up to that meeting with an entourage that meant business.



1. Also, I've been taking codeine-laced cough syrup the last few days. It kind of takes the edge off.

The Eve of Battle

Tomorrow is the big marching band meeting with myself, my department chair, counselors, the district music coordinator, the middle school principal, and Principal Palpatine. My department chair suggested that I ask the union rep to show up as well. She agreed. Palpatine doesn't know about that . . . yet.

Let's back up about twelve hours to this morning's department meeting. What was supposed to be an hour and a half of talking about all sorts of cross-curricular planning and needs assessments turned into a very long discussion about my predicament. The verdict: the arts teachers have decided to put up a united front on my behalf with the department chair leading the way. The message: Palpatine does not have the right to dictate the purpose and direction of the arts programs. I've never seen so many people's fuses lit on my behalf. I almost teared up at several times. I had to duck out early because of my 0 period class, but before I left I looked at them and said, "Thank you all for not letting me go through this alone."

Oh, and you remember that bit that the union president told me? Well the drama teacher put it in another perspective:

"Anything that happens outside of school hours is extra curricular. Whether or not it's related to your subject, they can't make you do it. You have the right to refuse the stipend"

Whether or not that holds true, it sounds briliant.

But you know what was the best part about today? It was the sophmore trombone player in 3rd period. She came up to me today and asked "So... what.... are they really forcing us to do this?" I looked at her and said "I don't know.... we haven't had 'the big meeting' yet." She turned to go to her seat, but then she faced me again and said, "You know, Mr. Maestro.... I really don't want to do it, but if they're makingyou do it.... I'd go along with it. Just for you."

Dude.

That's loyalty you can't buy at any price