The End Is Near.

Once again, I have been remiss in my blogging duties - and once again you must get the potpourri cover-it-all-in-one-post routine. I'll try to make it short.

Two Concerts In The Can

Well, I'm done with my performances. I dreaded both of them... not the performances themselves, but the logistics of them. I hate going off-campus for concerts, but until they build me something that looks like a concert hall, I kind of have to. Both concerts came off without a hitch... well - either that or I just didn't care about the hitches. I kind of have my concert routine down - I need to relax about that stuff more.

Here's the run-down:

Choir - They did about as well as I expected. The girls did okay, the boys sounded like a mob of zombies.

Advanced Choir - They did fine, but listening to the recording, I was very aware that my advanced choir three years ago was much stronger, esp. the boys. Eh, it's a rebuilding year - what are you going to do?

Jazz - They did fine as well - they were also having a rebuilding year. The trumpets are particularly weak. Being a saxophonist, I wasn't as equipped to help them. Something to look at for next year.

Concert Band - Didn't give as strong a performance as I would have liked... mostly due to the accoustics of the hall - they couldn't hear each other. A shame really, I was looking forward to their last number.

Beginning Instruments - All things considered, they gave one of the strongest performances. They played exactly the way they prepared. I was going to work them until the lqast day, but their concert was so good, I gave them a break.

String Orchestra - Kicked ass.... hard. They had the longest performance, the hardest repertoire, and the most solid execution - and they played better in concert than they did in rehearsal... and you music people know how often that happens! To think they used to be my weakest group!

The Drama With Drama

So here's the outcome of the pit orchestra situation: almost everyone is getting paid. The only one who isn't is the pianist, who never faxed me his paperwork, never returned my calls. Everyone else stepped in line. The result: I came out of this looking like freakin' Moses leading Israel through the Red Sea. People were thanking me for stepping up to the plate and getting it done. And no one loves me more than the ASB business manager, who would have had to track down all those people if I hadn't.

Now, Drama Teacher and I haven't talked yet. I kind of feel like he should have been a little more up front with me about how many people he could afford to hire. I heard through the grapevine that he wants to use all NRHS students - no professionals for the next show - I hope he realizes that his product will greatly be affected. It's not just an ability thing - pros know how to think fast on their feet and cover for mistakes quickly. With an all-student pit, it can all fall apart like a house of cards.

Ugh, I have a feeling it's going to get worse before it gets better, if it does get better. I'm starting to wonder how much longer Drama Teacher can keep working here with the way he does business.

Slackers Redeemed

So now is about the time that all the kids who missed concerts start coming to me to do the "make up" assignment. The "make up" usually comes in the form of the kid donating time to me after school - cleaning or filing or something. Today I had five kids working for me. It was like a little army tearing down folders, putting things in storage rooms and cleaning music stands.

I should have more kids skip out on concerts....

Wow.... Just Wow...

Senior class parting gift: A blue T-Shirt with a Superman shield on it... except the letter in the middle is an "M" (for Maestro) instead of an "S".

It was the one of the bests gifts I ever got.