Graduation Day came and went. After a while, graduations start to feel the same, just different faces walking by in robes and funny hats. I know that's a bad way of thinking about it... because every class is indeed special. That hits me when I'm back sitting in my office, waiting for the graduation traffic to clear out. It really hits me when I'm preparing the coming year's archives and have to delete the graduating class members from the rosters, locker assignments, instrument check-out, etc....
Ouch.
There was some last minute drama with Darth Dumbass: Since he was rejected to perform at graduation (1), he tried to muscle his way into the quartet that was singing the school's Alma Mater. He made a pretty big stink about being excluded from doing some kind of performance. The group caved in and let him try, but it turned out that he didn't even know the tenor part. That's when I thought the other singers were going to tar-and-feather him. (2) Fortunately, I didn't have to get involved. I didn't pick the performers for graduation, so the decision wasn't mine. The ASB adviser told DD that he only wanted a quartet, and that he'd have to sit out. (3)
I provided pre-show music for graduation again. A lot of music directors like the exposure of performing at graduation. I don't. I just want to say goodbye to my seniors... I don't want to have to worry about moving equipment. The compromise was that we just did a little jazz combo... no playing "Pomp and Circumstance" while the entire senior class walked in. (4)
Once the combo was done, I packed up and got everything back to the music rooms. I did this during the ceremony. It may seem irreverent, but I wanted to get my time in with the grads... and after the ceremony, the crowd makes it impossible to move equipment anyway. It's either get it done during the ceremony, or wait until an hour after. Riiiight.
It's a good thing I have rapport with maintenance guys... they loan me the use of one of their electric carts every year. I've gotten really good at driving up behind the tented stage, loading up the gear and slipping away so that the audience doesn't notice me.(5)
This year I was fast enough to make it back to the stage before my two best singers performed their graduation song. That got me. I was going to take pictures, but I had to slip back behind the tent so that the crowd wouldn't see me get all mushy.
After the whole thing was over, I managed to get a lot of photos in with the grads (although I was surprised at how many slipped away before I could get to them.) The big shocker was that DD's parents invited me to dinner that night... to a fancy restaurant at a local country club. I went as a show of good faith. DD was, after all, a student of mine for six years. DD himself wasn't there. He was at grad-night with the rest of the class. So I spent the evening talking to the family (including the grandparents) and DDs bass teacher. It was pleasant.
Part of me really didn't want to go... not because of the awkwardness of the DD situaiton, but because I really didn't get a chance to decompress after graduation. It might have been a good thing, though. Decompression usually means sitting alone in my office in a freakishly clean and barren rehearsal room feeling waves of empty-nest depression wash over me.
Its for that reason that I throw a beach party for the music kids the day after graduation....
1. He couldn't understand why they picked the girls singing the meaningful message over his noodling around on bass for three minutes.
2. Captain Bass in particular... He was so angry at DD he had to walk away and get his composure back.
3. Classic DD... He doesn't quite get the prepared = opportunity formula that applies to life.
4. You music people know how horrible that gig is. Sitting in the blazing sun playing for what feels like an hour on one piece. The only time I did it willingly was for my Masters degree, and that was because the band was sitting in the shade (while the graduates were sitting in the direct sun). No-brainer there.
5. It all feels very "Ocean's Eleven".... I even hum the "Mission Impossible" theme to myself as I'm driving away.
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