A Couple of Cautions about Water Bottles

Water bottles are all the craze nowadays.

"Back in the day" when I was a student in band the only way to get a drink during rehearsal was to take a swig from the spray water bottle I used with my trombone. 

In choir getting a drink when parched a wishful thinking until rehearsal ended.

As a choir director I do not recall allowing my students to have water bottles in class.  (Some of my former students who might read this may chime in about this.)

Now, as a director of a band, I have "water bottle" listed on the suggestions/necessities for rehearsal.

Times certainly have changed.

I do want to put a couple of cautions out there.

First, know where your water bottle is!

I recall a time during choral society where I had a water bottle carefully tucked under my seat so that I could reach it easily during rehearsal.

I reached for my water bottle, but, alas, it wasn't where it should be.

As I looked under and around my seat for it I noticed my neighbor.

Sipping delicately...ON MY WATER BOTTLE!!

Yes, I knew it was mine because HERS was still under her seat.

I did not say anything and spent the remainder of the rehearsal wishing for a drink of water but there was none to be had.

Second, know which water bottle is yours!

Now this is not prompted by the previous story, but by something that happened at tonight's rehearsal.

I had a water bottle and was working on my laptop so I set it to the side.

Rehearsal started and all was going well.

I picked up my water bottle, talked some, drank some, and just continued rehearsal.

Rehearsal ended and I carried my bottle of water back to where my laptop was.

And yep - you guessed it!

THERE was MY bottle of water next to my laptop.

I looked at the bottle in my hand and felt like I was going to get sick.

I took the offending water bottle and my water bottle and threw both of them away.

I just felt like I needed to wash my mouth out to get the cooties, not to mention germs off my lips and out of my mouth.

I wanted to spit. 

But I did not.

But I wanted to.

*deep breath*

So far I am still alive.

I am sharing these experiences with you so that you may hopefully avoid what happened to me.

My sister suggested I needed to get a coozie (or however in the world that word is spelled) for my water bottles so I would always know which one was mine.

Sounds like a splendid idea!

The Handshake

In American society the handshake is a form of greeting.

It is also a symbol of agreement.

It is also a way to seal the deal or give someone your word.

~*~*~

As a young child I was taught how to shake hands properly with others.

As a young adult I was taught to offer a firm handshake - not a "limp fish" sort of handshake.

As a teacher I have done my part to teach my students about the handshake with many repetitions of the rhyme "Quaker, Quaker, how art thee? Very well, I thank thee!" or Disney's "How d'you do and shake hands."

For you see, in their world it seems to be diminishing in practice.

Nowadays it is the High 5 ...

Or more recently, the fist bump.

~*~*~

In the musical world the handshake is most obvious at a symphony concert when the maestro ("conductor") enters the stage he/she shakes the hand of the concert master (1st violin).

Or the maestro might welcome a soloist to the stage with a handshake and then also congratulate them on a fine performance after they've played.

As a trombonist I have always sat at the back of a large ensemble.

Alas, in my years as a performing artist I have never received the welcoming or congratulatory handshake due to the location of my placement in a group.

That is until 2015!!!!

~*~*~

This past weekend I participated in a reunion of my home town, high school band.

The man who was my band director during my years in high school was going to be directing the ensemble.

That cinched my reason for going.

Band seating charts vary by ensemble and director.

Though on the back row (as always) I was privileged to sit on the outer front edge of the group next to an awesome line-up of trombones.

Anyway, back to why this has anything to do with the handshake.

When my band director finished directing a piece he would walk to my side of the band and raising his arm acknowledging the band's performance.

After conducting "Old Scottish Melody" (Auld Lang Syne) he walked to my side of the band like he had been.

THEN he turned towards me, put his hand out to me and said "Great job!"

I about melted on the spot!

Ever the professional (or at least trying to do what is right) I shook hands and said something.  I don't really remember what.

It was just a handshake, but you have no idea how much that handshake meant to me.

That I was the recipient of the handshake was one thing.  I was proud to be the alumni band's representative at that moment.

That it was from a director I so admire and respect was the main thing.  This was HUGE.

And, if any of my alumni reunion band mates happen to be reading this: I had an awesome time getting to connect musically once again with each of you. I'm so glad you were a part of the performance.

I sit, I play, and I realize: THIS is why I am in band!

My Musical Childhood

 

The following question was posed as a topic for a recent online chat.

This week we are asking you to share your own musical experiences at ages 5, 7, 11 and 14

Then we want to reflect on how this has shaped you as a music educator or if you aren't one, how it's had an impact on you since.

~*~*~

What follows are my responses.

Age 5
Music experience thus far in my short life has been primarily singing with my parents and family. Singing is an important thing to my family. My daddy is always singing something. My momma sings children's songs and Bible school songs with me and my brothers and sister. She can also be found playing and singing along with folk songs on the chord organ.  Interestingly enough, by this age I have already participated in my first singing school at the church where my daddy preaches.  I have been introduced to music notation, shaped notes, and how to song lead (conduct).

Age 7
By this time I have been continuing what I did at age 5. I can add having music in school (though I don't remember my first music teacher's name) and participating in school programs. I don't have a lot of memories of music at this time, but I do recall singing "Oh Come All Ye Faithful" at the Christmas program each year.

Age 11
A LOT has changed since age 7. My family has moved to a new town. Now I have music each week. A music teacher comes to our classroom to teach us. She often pushes a big piano into the room for music class. I remember thinking she must be strong! I also like when she bring a cart filled with xylophones. We sing a song called "Shenandoah" and my friend and I laugh when we sing the last word "misery" knowing it is really "Missouri."

In 5th grade my music teacher has an afterschool choir. We sing funny things like "Mah-may-me-moh-moo." It makes me laugh. I think we all sound like a bunch of monkeys!  We also learned a funny song called "High Hopes." That silly ol' ant! [I still have the song sheet we used.]

A man, called a band director comes to our class. He has us learn to play something called a flutophone. We learned to play a lot of songs, but my favorite is "The Lion Sleeps Tonight." I love that song!

Then this band director man talks to us about being in band. My older sister and brother are in band so, of course, I will be in band. I begin playing a trombone.  I don't think I knew what a trombone was until I learned about it from the band director man.  I tried real hard to blow into it and learned to hold a note for 4 beats while my foot went up and down, up and down.

In 6th grade I am in band, choir, and music class.

I am not so very good in band at the beginning of the year. I am 2nd chair from the END out of about 16 or 17 trombone players. At some point during the year I switch to tuba. Oom-pa-pa! It is a HUGE instrument made out of brass. I can barely hold it. It's a good thing my daddy has a station wagon otherwise I'd never get that thing home to practice it!  I'm not sure, but at some point during the year I switch back to trombone. I'm not really sure how that came about.  All I know is that whereas at the beginning of the year I was so bad, by the end of the year I am FIRST chair!!! WOW!  Somehow I got better.  Maybe there is something to this practicing thing.  I remember playing some piece called "Soul-Mobile."  Funny name, but we rocked!

I was honored at the end of my 6th grade year to receive an award for "Most Improved." I certainly did not expect that. I was so surprised when my name was called.

I know I sang in choir this year, but I can't remember much about it.

I do remember music class. My music teacher had us work out of packets. We learned music notes and a lot of other stuff. [Yes, after 40 years, I still have that packet.]

Age 14
Once again these past few years in junior high I have been in band, choir, and music class.

In band I sit 2nd chair my 7th grade year (2nd to an 8th grade boy). By 8th grade I am first chair again. A girl - 1st chair trombone! Our band director makes us do these silly breath impulse rhythm things EVERY day in rehearsal. It is SOOOO tiring. Then he makes us play a scale. I FINALLY learn what those little things at the beginning of each line of music are: key signatures! They tell me when to play Eb and Ab. Oh yes and a # too. I've learned those little things are important.  My band director tells us we give him an Exedrin headache and tells the drummers to stop being Russians! At first I don't understand this, but then I get it - he's making jokes!  Later I learn it's because we were trying his patience and the drummers were speeding up.

In choir we sing songs that includes the boys. So we sing 3-part songs. That's kind of hard so we work really hard at it. I sing alto! I find I can sing as low as a lot of the boys, but I don't sing their part.

In music class I remember working out of packets. What is it with these packets? And I remember learning to play the guitar. I learn to strum "Zum Gali Gali." I am a rock star on my guitar! No, not really, but I pretend I am.

It is during this time I get my first experiences performing at solo & ensemble contest and at organizational contest. I also get my first medals. I started playing a trombone duet with a boy. :)

One thing I will not miss in about junior high music classes is having to climb up 3 floors of stairs twice and sometimes three times a day!

During the summers I go to a music camp in Iowa. While there I play in a band, sing in a choir, and have classes in theory and conducting. I won a scholarship to get to go to camp. I am so proud. I am going to work hard and learn a lot!

By the time I actually turn 14 I am in my first year of high school. I am going to have so many musical opportunities!  I get to march in a squad of 4 trombones in marching band. We get to march at football games and parades. I am singing in the freshman choir. Once again I am singing alto. We have to sight sing after our warm ups. I'm pretty good at this, but others don't like it. I start taking private lessons in trombone and voice during this year.

~*~*~

Reflection

My music education during the years described above were VERY influential in my becoming a music teacher.

Every music teacher from age 7 on has had a huge impact on me as a musician and on me as a teacher. Sometimes I do something in class and realize that "Mr. B. or Mr. K. or Mr. M or Mr. R. or Miss W. or Miss H." had done that too. And I just smile.

I learned that to be successful I have to work hard. I have to practice. And practice.

I learned how to read rhythms VERY well thanks to those breath impulse rhythm exercises.

I have to have an eye for detail - every element of the music being played or performed. 

I have learned to listen to myself and to others. 

I have learned to watch the conductor.

I have learned to work well with others. 

I have learned that an entire band or choir can all breathe together, pause, then play or sing beautifully together.

I have learned....oh so very much that doesn't have anything to do with music too!

I can never really thank those who shaped my musical childhood and influenced my musical career for all that they have done for me.

B-O-S-S

A colleague once told me, as a young-ish teacher, that regardless of how one feels about one's principal one should always remember that the principal has the title of B-O-S-S.

That advice has stuck with me all these years.

Not just in regards to my principal or supervisors, but also in my music.

In the classroom the teacher is usually the B-O-S-S.

In the ensemble - band, chorus, orchestra, etc. - the conductor is the B-O-S-S.

Despite not always agreeing with the directors I have had in my nearly 40 years of ensemble work, I have always respected their position as "the one in charge."

40 years.

Wow!

I started ensemble work in 5th grade with both band and choir.

I have played/sung in nearly every type of ensemble possible.

Mainly because I'm a music nerd.

But also because I have had wonderful opportunities which resulted in wonderful experiences.

When I think about all the directors I have had since 5th grade I really can't begin to name all of them [some I can though], but I can recall the places/times I've rehearsed/performed over the years.

Counting all the directors at schools, music camps, honor bands/choirs, workshops, community groups...

A guess of 150 is plausible.

Wow!

I have been "under the baton" of nearly 150 conductors.

I have observed perhaps 75 more.

To their credit I have respected each one and have been privileged to be in one of their ensembles.

Sure, I've seen the majority of these directors throw some sort of fit - in varying degrees of anger from: stomping from the room and slamming the door, a baton thrown to the floor, suit jackets flung across the room, to megaphones bouncing down the practice field, to chairs and/or stands thrown being smashed against the wall.

Sure, I've been the target of some of these fits. And usually deservedly so. (My precocious behavior of my youth is not the topic of this post.)

However, I have been fortunate to have never had one of these conductors abuse their role of B-O-S-S and direct personal jabs at me or a fellow band/choir/orchestra mate.

Fits were a response to behavior, frustration, ....whatever.

But none...out of 150...have made the tirade a personal tirade against any one student.

I believe that when a conductor, especially one who is also in the role of teacher (but then, they are all teachers in some way, are they not?), abuses that position he/she loses a bit of respect in the eyes of the ensemble.

And once that is lost, it is difficult to regain.

Part of the responsibility of being a conductor is self-control, integrity, patience, and understanding.

Actually, the characteristics of a conductor could go on and on.

Don't get me wrong, there are countless phenomenal conductors out there.

Sadly, the few rotten apples ruin the whole basket.

Today's post is dedicated to them.

Sadly, they more than likely don't know who they are.