Friday, November 5, 2010
Friday, October 29, 2010
Indoor drumline is soon here!!!
This is the show that Mechanicsburg's indoor drumline is doing this year :)
It is called "Motivate".
Monday, October 25, 2010
One of my many Pic Lits...
I'm a nerd... but here is a sample of one of my Pic Lits...
See the full PicLit at PicLits.com
Just click the above picture and it will take you to this Pic Lit!
PicLits...
www.piclits.com
If nothing else... check out some of my piclits and let me know how I'm doing!!!
Sunday, October 24, 2010
Life as of late...
Well, my life has been consumed by three things... my job (ever interesting), drumline (of course!), and my pregnant wife (things are starting to become VERY real!) We found out at her last appointment that we are having a BOY! We didn't want it to be a secret or a surprise. I don't think that either of us deal too well with surprises. Anyway...now the only thing we have to do is agree on a name for our son. You see, if we found out we were having a girl, the good thing would be that we at least can agree on a girl's name, but we are in a heated disagreement on what we should name our son. I want the names Jerome, Jameson, or James... she wants the names Jude, Jace, or Jason... hmmm... we can't agree. We are going to give him the middle name Alan, after my father, but the first name is still a mystery. I guess we still have time to decide, but everything is moving FAST!
The baby furniture is still in the garage... we need to paint the bedroom yet and then move the furniture upstairs. I was able to get some very nice used furniture from a colleague of mine whose kids have outgrown it. We also gave our friend Erica some of our spare bedroom furniture to make space for the baby's "stuff".
<--Here is our son saying, "Hello!" Well, waving it, rather...
Band season is almost over (Next week M-burg goes to ACCs, they won their chapter and will hopefully make a good push to the end!), but indoor is just beginning and that means it's time to write some cymbal parts! I am looking over the music and starting to get some ideas. I am excited about the show this year. The music is GREAT!
As for school... well, school is school. The renovations at Red Land have come along nicely. The kids have been great, for the most part. I am looking forward to getting the construction crews out of there, but everyone has dealt nicely.
Bye for now.
Monday, September 13, 2010
Tuesday, August 31, 2010
The first 5 days...
So, it is now the fifth day being back at Red Land for the new school year. So far, things are still mighty hectic around here in regards to the various renovation projects being undertaken, but surprisingly, the students have been very resilient and have "rolled with the punches." I am teaching seniors once again and find that I enjoy teaching this grade level and course more and more. I hope that it is a course in which my boss will allow me to teach for many years to come. I seem to feel that I am improving each year, which is definitely good. I feel more at home here, now, it being my fourth full year on this staff. I have a little more Red Land pride, now. My new classroom is great, although there are a few minor set-backs. For one, there are no blinds on the windows (I know, not that big of a deal, but it makes trying to project something on the screen a lot tougher than you might think). Also, for whatever reason, none of my posters will stay up on my walls. I have now used duct tape on EVERYTHING to try and make it stick, and even some of that is not working. I hope to find a solution to this problem. Any suggestions??? All in all, things are not too bad, I must say. I am hopeful for a quick, but enjoyable school year.
Wednesday, August 18, 2010
Monday, August 9, 2010
Sunday, August 8, 2010
Drum Corps in 2010....
It's amazing how so much changes when you are not involved in an activity for a few years... yet, so much remains the same. In this case, I'm talking about drum corps, an activity that while I am still a HUGE fan of, have not actively been a part of since 2006 and have not eagerly followed (on a day-to-day) basis since 2007. Jen and I went to DCI Eastern Classic (or Regional or whatever) in Allentown last night. It is amazing how things have changed. The use of samplers and synth has not necessarily taken over like some drum corps purest might think, but has actually improved and, in some cases, has been integrated near seamlessly into the shows (ie: just check out the 2010 Bluecoats!) The fan base seems to be more diverse (I saw a TON of young kids at their first ever show) and yet old faces return for more. Jen and I sat next to an elderly couple who claimed to be attending their first drum and bugle corps show since the late 1970s! Jen and I had to fill them in on the current status of now-defunct corps such as The Yankee Rebels and The Hawthorne Muchachos. Also, a short lecture on the difference between All-Age Corps (such as DCA) and DCI was needed as a refresher for these folks, as the gentlemen was wondering why the Hawthorne Caballeros weren't at the show. He remembered the Westshoremen of old, as well, and I explained that probably at a few of those shows in the late 70's he may have seen my parents perform.
In the bottom half we saw some of the corps that are fighting for the lower rankings and just hoping to be top 17 come quarterfinals in Indy. Corps like Jersey Surf, Teal Sound (which, surprisingly did an all Dream Theater music themed show), Mandarins, and Pacific Crest are all fairly recent additions to the World Class level and are still struggling to compete with the "big boys". But also in this grouping we have a couple corps that are familiar faces in the top 12 of old that have fallen a bit, such as the Crossmen (now from San Antonio) and even the Madison Scouts who were big and loud and exciting (and in some cases bad), but still have the loyalty of the fans. When scores were announced and it was seen that Madison Scouts actually dropped a placement from where they came into the show, the crowed booed and awed as if on cue. Somethings never change.
In the top half, the Blue Knights, performing an all classical show, had a great performance and elevated them past the strikingly opposite Madison Scouts. Then came the contenders. The Bosotn Crusaders, celebrating their 70th anniversary, performed a show theme that focused on a king or kingdom or something like that...but never really reached me. They were clean and safe and not all that exciting. Santa Clara Vanguard performed music by composer Bela Bartok infused with a frenzy of modernism and complex drill that was never quite clean. The Phantom Regiment, another fan favorite of folks in Allentown (apparently...they got a loud ovation), performed great musically, but left me wanting more...they were flat and not as exciting as the two corps to come. Now the big boys, these two corps are destined for the top 5. The Cadets performed their show about toy soldiers coming to life in a young boy's imagination. This show as by far the most theatrical and made use of a constant character present in the show and some vocal sampling in the pit. The drill was exciting, but it seemed that nothing especially popped out as a big WOW moment like in most Cadets' shows. The music was great, too, pulling from classical and band music as well as classic drum corps favorites (Russian Sailor's Dance!). The Bluecoats were last on to compete and they raised the bar. This is by far the greatest Bluecoats corps to ever take the field. As an alumni I was simultaneously proud and jealous. Haha. They performed a show entitled Metropolis that definitely borrowed some of its look and theme from the classic 1920's silent film of the same name (directed by Fritz Lang....check it out!) The show is modern and complex and showcases constant movement and music. The visual, which has been a lacking factor in Bluecoats' shows of the past, is vastly improved and effective. The drumline was INSANELY good. I could see this as the year the Bluecoats finally win a caption (maybe even more than one!) at finals.
