Anaheim Tour (Yes, Tour!)

So yeah. It was that time of year. Little Bg Band went on tour. We played our hearts out, literally and metaphorically. We spent hours on a bus, hours in a clinic, hours at Disneyland creating memories that last forever. Who wouldn't want to spend time with some of their best friends in a bus, talking and laughing away the care-free time of their lives?

Day 1- Bus Ride!

I woke up at 6 am in my own bed, not really waking up. Are you kidding me? I was awake the whole night! I got ready and flew to the car with my horn and suitcase. The drive to the studio was the worst- I couldn't sit still. We finally got there, and I ran around frantically trying to find Caroleine. We loaded our stuff on the bus and sat together.

I think we talked the entire time, laughing about things like the Copacabana and stupid books while eating Ben & Jerry's.  With Caroline living pretty far away from me, it's pretty hard to get bonding time with a friend like her. We sat giggling and laughing with most people listening silently to music. I think we beat them in the fun mode.

Because Snapchat. 

We eventually arrived after I had a heart attack. Caleb told us our room arrangements and gave us our keys. Our roommates were two other fabulous girls- Bryn Chapman and Malaeka Kariuki. Even though I had a near-death experience that day, I wanted to join the rest of the band kids in the pool. We swan and enjoyed ourselves maybe a little too much, cause we were too worn out after that. 

Day 2- Disneyland!

So you were probably imagining another night of not much sleep. Bingo. We got up barely in time to make it to the tour bus. As we sat there with too much anticipation inside us, Caleb passed out our tickets and told us the rules. For most of the time, I stuck with a group of Caroleine, Josh, and Lane. We had a blast waiting two and a half hours for Disney's Pixar Cars ride. Caroleine and I even rode a carousel and felt like five-year-olds again. But when you're at Disneyland, who wouldn't feel like a child? It's the happiest place on Earth for a reason.

A couple hours later, we met up with a large group of boys like Sully(the person, not the blue monster), Joseph, Ethan, Ryan, Brian, Coby, Salem, Zane, Matt, Sam, and Charlie. While waiting in line for Toy Story Adventure, Caroleine and I had tried to learn a game called Snaps. Not fun.

- A Short and Stupid Story -

Once upon a time, I had asked to sit next to Sully on Toy Story Adventure. If you'd been on that ride before, you'd know that its a video game ride, and you get points for shooting objects. Well, here's the thing: Sully was very competitive, and he had a high score. At the end of the ride, the cart stopped at the point screen. He tried to take a picture with his phone, but he dropped it when the cart started moving again. We hit a bump and continued to exit the ride. 

Sully, Caroleine and I waited against the wall while someone went inside the ride to retrieve his phone. Needless to say, they didn't come back with a phone. They came back with a bag of battery acid.

We had a great day riding California Screamin' and eating macaroons and just being kids. Did you ever notice how many different songs the parks play?  Just imagine: you have absolutely nothing on your to-do list. You're in California on a bright, sunny day. Sunglasses on, your best friend right next to you. Your heart lifts from your chest and butterflies take the place of your stomach. The smile on your face is similar to the one when you learned how to jump rope. It's you two against the world- and the only thing you can't do is leave. You look at your best friends' face, and her smile is bigger than yours. Your heart lifts higher, and you can't help but wish this day would never end.

We rode more rides and had more fun. When the sun crept past the hills, we decided to eat dinner. The restaurant we chose had a live jazz trio swinging famous disney melodies like Colors of the Wind. Us Little Big Band kids- yeah, we ate it up. We then went to ride in a casket inside the Haunted Mansion. Because of my bad luck, the ride broke while we were in the middle of the mansion. I will never speak of the actual terror that happened in that house ever again. 

Boys being boys, everyone had wanted to ride the Tower of Terror. Allow me to tell you that the Tower of Terror is super sketchy, despite what everyone else tells you. Bryan used to tell me stories of his Anaheim tour with Little Big Band, and one of them was how he'd literally fall down the tower. He'd pull his seatbelt all the way out and sit on it, so he could fly out of his seat at the top. Bryan suggested I do it, but I didn't want to die.

After it got dark around ten, we were stupid enough to decide to go on water rides. We rode the Bear Creek Rapids. Not once, but about five times until the park closed. This ride was really special, because on the last run of the ride our float had started singing Katy Perry's Firework. When we got to the peak of the mountain and started floating downhill, actual fireworks went off.

We got back to our hotel room exhausted, ready to sleep. That so didn't happen. There was a lot of sugar and adrenaline in our system. Bryn and Malaeka were really excited too, but we needed to sleep because of our big performance the next day.

Day 3-  Clinic!

At around noon, we had a small performance in a deserted high school in front of Wayne Bergeron and Francisco Torres. Those two men are some of my idols, so it was slightly nerve-wracking to me. Wayne played with the trumpets for a bit and Francisco played with us trombones for a bit. It was great to have such a wonderful opportunity to play for musically accomplished professionals.  

Sometimes one of the two would stop us in the middle of a song to help fix a line or some intonation. However, the big picture we learned form them is that we need to play music. That doesn't make sense to you, does it? Well, it means that just like any other form of art, we need to make it art. Sure we can play notes and rhythms on the paper, but what about articulation, dynamics, and just plain stage presence? 

Wayne Bergeron teaching us a thing or two

Francisco Torres is one of my favorite people of all time. He picked up his horn to show us something, and WOW! He had amazing tone quality and time. He played a solo on one of the tunes and blew our metaphorical socks off.  He inspired me to work even harder to practice and sound similar to him. 

Me and the cooliest: Francisco Torres

Later, we had a performance at the Anaheim Garden Walk. It was one of the most awkward performances I've ever had, mostly because it was at a shopping mall. Little Big Band still managed to draw a big audience, especially because of our rockin' tunes. 

When we got back to our hotel room, we we happy and tired. I consider it an honor to be able to play for Francisco and Wayne. But man, do they scare me. Everyone actually slept in our room tonight; the excitement from the day wore us out.

Day 4- Performance!

Because of some higher power, we managed to drag our tired bodies out of bed early in the morning to get ready for a performance at the Santa Ana Zoo. Those two hours of performing really seemed to go by fast. I just love it! I can't think of anything I've enjoyed more than seeing real-life princesses. Yet agin, the band had a fair size audience. Man, nobody can resist the tunes of Gordon Goodwin played by a ton of fourteen-year-olds.

You're never gonna guess what we did after that- more Disneyland! I decided I was destined to ride the Tower of Terror without getting scared. However, because I was scared, I managed to put it off till the end of the night. I got to ride Space Mountain(my new favorite!) and my old favorite, The Matterhorn. Splash Mountain, I have to say, with a boat full of kids who can sing in tune stuck in a tunnel.... it got pretty weird in there. 

No one wanted that night to end. Who would? It felt like the greatest time of my life. Up until now, it totally was. There's nothing I would trade for spending time with musicians, princess, bandmates, human-like mouses, or my best friend.  When we got back to the hotel last night, there was a gloomy sorrow floating in the air.

Day 5- Bus Ride...

There's' really not much I have to say here. We went home. Tears were shed. Tours are just fun, you know? That's all there is to it- fun. Performances, friends, great memories. This, being my first tour, with plenty more to come, will not be forgotten.

To Caroleine: You are the most amazing girl I've met. Each and everyday is a blast with you. I love you like the sister I've never had. Your personality is so eccentric and great just the way it is. What would I not give up to spend time with you every day? Please realize how talented you are, and how I am thankful to have met you.

The One Reason I Hate Summer

Everyone loves summer. Who wouldn't want a three-month break from pencils, books, and the teacher's dirty looks? Endless nights with your friends, sleeping until noon- it all sounds so great! Did I mention the part about no math? You can do whatever you want whenever you want, as long as your mom approves.

As summer comes around the corner at the end of every year, you must remember that the five classes you had with your best friend this year is not gauranteed. You must remember that more expectations are going to be put on you the next year simply because you're growing up. Especially, when things are just the way you like it, you know it's never going to last because school changes in a blink. Got a cool subsitute while your teacher is in the Bahamas? Yeah, not for long.

If you haven't noticed yet, I hate change. It has benefits, but it is not fun. The are good changes like going into an advanced math class, but what if you have to move away? Not to mention the part where you graduate from college, and your entire life up to that point pretty much gets thrown in a well. Hey, but a benefit is you don't have to ask for your mom's approval. I know life (in the emotional state) doesn't happen without change, but still. I hate it.

One change I just went through is performing in a trio rather than a big band. Man, was it rough. I was the only horn player there. Of course, it meant more eyes on me rather than 17 other people, but it was slightly nerve-wracking. Ryan, Nick, and I made up the trio with Ryan on bass and Nick on piano. We had two rehearsals before we were supposed to perform. We prepared about nine standards and decided to take really long solos on them. It went well, mostly because no one complained that we did something wrong.

Another change I'm going to have to deal with is leaving Little Big Band. The oldest allowed in the group are freshman, and I'm nearing the start of my sophomore year. I also have to part ways with my spot in Soul Research Foundation, because I would have to reaudition again, and auditions just never go well for me. A good change is that when I finish with Little Big Band, I get a spot in the Voodoo Orchestra. I've been wanting a spot in that band for about four months now, and I can't believe I made it.

Image courtesy of Salt Lake County Library

THEY'RE COMING FOR YOU

Imagine hot, fiery cement, blistering your feet. The cruel heat is continuing to rise, pushing the mercury past 101 degrees. The sun has not even hit the midday heat- it's only ten in the morning. But still you sit there, just waiting, because nothing can move you at this point. Suddenly, it fills your ears like a drum. Oh wait, it is a drum. It's Park City High School Marching Band!

A wild Barski has appeared! 

Image courtesy of Park City Photography

They're marching down the street, straight towards you. Is that Conga you hear? Left, right, left, right. Their robot feet roll towards you. Yet it still has not occurred to you to stand up, to move out of their way. And just like that, you're mere inches from a trombone, trumpet, saxophone player. The drumline thunders on the drums with mechanical movements. Just like that, they're gone, marching towards the end of the parade. 

We work hard to make it look easy, but in reality it's one of the most difficult things I have ever done. Its so hard, we have to exercise before we rehearse. But if we do it right, we can scare others away with our body carriage and our tremendously huge sound for and a thirty-six person band. Marching is currently my favorite way to perform. We get to march pop music that most people know today, and we get an amazing reaction out of the audience. This year, we are marching Conga, and a beautiful Forget Your Uptown Funk mash-up written by Bret Hughes. 

We have already marched most of the parades this year, being that it is way past the Fourth of July and most summer holidays and celebrations. My favorite performance is yet to come, though. During the Homecoming football game, we do a halftime show on the field. It makes the hard work worth it, even though marching ends for the year after that performance. This year, Jake is our drum major. That means he gets to lead the band and conduct us while marching. Drum majors are rather special, because not a lot of people can walk backwards for a long amount of time while conducting. Molly is our section leader, which means she is responsible for how we sound. She also gets to march center in our rank, which is pretty great.

Marching Band is a great way to spend time with your horn. The physical movement of you and your instrument mean that you can develop new ways of learning music, get better chops with increased endurance, and find better ways for your personal technical playing. Not only that, but it's just fun. Being in a parade and having people enjoy your music, no matter how bad, is a wonderful feeling.

On top of doing Marching Band, I have had the opportunity to join another band. Soul Research Foundation is another band under the Caleb Chapman Soundhouse. This band is not like anything I've played in before, mostly because I'm the only trombone. We also play different music than my norm, because I've never played a Stevie Wonder or Diana Ross tune. Even though the band is under Caleb Chapman's name, our producer is Evan Wharton. Bryan is in this band with me, which helps me feel less awkward. We also tour to Telluride Jazz Festival with a few other bands, which will be really exciting. Being the only trombone means I get to whale on most of the tunes, so let's hope it's not a disaster.

Hard Work Pays Off

Do you guys ever get that rush of relief and happiness, but at that same an ominous black pit develops in the bottom of your stomach as your eyes fill with tears? Do you ever feel like the happiest person in the world, and at the same time the most terrified you've ever been in your life? No, I'm not talking about roller coasters or haunted houses. I'm talking about that emotion you feel when you know your life could drastically change, and everything you've done to prevent that from happening will slip out from under your feet with the slightest hesitation.

Now, that may be a slight dramatization. One night, Caleb Chapman hosted yet another Awards Ceremony. However, this ceremony was the first one I've attended. The Awards Ceremony usually just congratulates musicians on their hard work during the year. Graduating seniors get awards, outstanding soloists get awards (Ahem, Bryan), and one lucky teacher is picked for an award for their dedicated approach to teaching music. My school music teacher, Mr. Taylor, was picked for that award a few years back.  All of the bands under Caleb Chapman's program played that night. Little Big Band got lucky and played two pieces. The Jazz Police was up first, and then we played Cry Me A River to support Jocie for her Downbeat vocal soloist award.

Little Big Band performing at the Ceremony

After everyone performed, we gathered on the stage for a large group photo. As soon as the camera flashed, I suddenly released how fast time goes. Some of the people I've played with this year- Amaya, Max, Tyler, they will all be going off to college. I won't be able to play with them for a while, maybe not until I'm off to college. What happens when we leave? I don't think much changes over the course of the year, but I don't have long until I graduate. Amaya and Max might have felt the same way until they walked across a stage in a cap and gown. But hey, with this time that we have left in high school, I'd much rather enjoy it.

The night after, we had our school's final concert of the year. I, stuck in Symphonic Band for one more performance, was sad to be performing because most of my friends did not make it into Wind Ensemble. However, the performance must go on, right? We played three tunes, and I bet you can guess what they were. Out last concert was our pop concert, where we play tunes from movies and art. Symphonic Band played Ashokan Farewell, The Incredibles, and Disney at the Movies. Trombones got to crank on The Incredibles, which of course was the best part of the song. Disney at the Movies, well, you can hear the magic happen yourself.

During that concert, a few students also received their band letter. I was one of the few freshmen to receive a first year letter, and it was awesome. Somehow, I have earned enough letter points to receive one. The letters were a great end to what is the beginning of my journey as a student muwsician. My year of hard practice and work finally paid off.

Rules Aren't Meant To Be Broken

If you're like me, you're a natural rule follower. The one kid who likes to have rules and structure to follow. Unless, that, is, you're ticked off. I have only once been ticked off by music when it was my fault. The trumpet section however... that's a completely different story.

Even though it's not so recent, I have discovered Wynton Marsalis's 12 Rules of Practicing. Wynton Marsalis comes from a family of musicians, including Ellis, Branford, Jason, and Delfeayo Marsalis. Wynton was born in New Orleans. When he was just fourteen, he performed with the New Orleans Philharmonic. He is the youngest person to be admitted to Tanglewood's Berkshire Music Center, and also won the Harvey Shapiro Award for being an outstanding brass student. He then moved and attended Juilliard, cause, you know, when you're that good, why not.

 Wynton doing his thing

Image courtesy of Juilliard

Wynton Marsalis' Twelve Rules of Practice

1. Seek out the best private instruction you can afford.

2. Write/work out a regular practice schedule.

3. Set realistic goals.

4. Concentrate when practicing

5. Relax and practice slowly

6. Practice what you can’t play. – (The hard parts.)

7. Always play with maximum expression.

8. Don’t be too hard on yourself.

9. Don’t show off.

10. Think for yourself. – (Don’t rely on methods.)

11. Be optimistic. – “Music washes away the dust of everyday life.”

12. Look for connections between your music and other things.

No matter what you think, no, I totally did not tape that to my music stand at all.

Sarcasm.

Way back in the day of 1995, PBS premiered a show called Marsalis On Music. Marsalis On Music is an educational jazz television series, of which the Twelve Rules of Practice came from. I don't know about you, but I find those rules extremely useful when I practice. When I get ticked or upset, I look at number eleven. It really helps to know that music does bring me joy and happiness, and I should feel bubbly and excited when I play rather than angry and frustrated.

Image courtesy of Movie Insider

Another great thing I discovered is a movie called Keep On Keepin' On. The movie is about a blind pianist Justin Kauflin, and a famous jazz trumpeter Clark Terry. Over the course of the movie, Clark helps Justin prepare for a big international jazz competition, the Thelonious Monk Institute of Jazz. It's kind of a big deal, by the way.

The competition isn't as important as the friendship that is developed. Justin was 23 when the movie was filmed, and Clark was 86. They were from two completely different generations, and yet they were inseparable. Why? Oh, because you know, music.  I don't remember how they met, but that doesn't matter. They are just two best friends bonding over music. Justin has learned so much from Clark, and they both learn from each others' personality. Isn't that cool?

Image courtesy of Miaje

While we're on the subject of cool jazz movies, another one is Chops. Chops is a movie that follows the earlier years of a few boys before they were picked to go to the Essentially Ellington competition. Wynton Marsalis spoke some in the movie, and had a lot of great quotes. One of the boys caught my attention. I don't remember his name, but he played trombone. There was a scene where his father was talking about how his son would stay up practicing until midnight. I think that is probably some of the best dedication there is in young students. To be able to focus that long on a tiny detail, whether it be a lick or a note, means some serious dedication to what he is doing. I'm quite jealous of that trombone player.

Like I said before, I loved what Wynton Marsalis said in the movie. I looked up some quotes and found possibly some of the best things ever said about music.

"Sustained intensity equals ecstasy."

Now that is one of the truest of true quotes I have ever heard. Have you ever been so focused on something that it makes you absolutely happy?

"The bandstand is a sacred place."

True that. If you don't worship music and respect it enough to play it, don't get on the stand.

Lastly, just to bring back the trumpet jokes, my favorite:

"Trumpet players are just belligerant, and cocky, and you know, just hard-headed."

Pete Escovedo's Orchestra

Something you should know about me is that Latin jazz is my absolute favorite type of music. Latin jazz has a feel unique to music itself and I can never get enough of it. The way the rhythm section grooves together with the timbales and clave- it is just killin' on the stage! Trombone solos are more my style when they're Latin with straight eights and licks that compliment the clave.On one Saturday, a man named Pete Escovedo came to Salt Lake for a concert. 

Pete Escovedo is a seventy-nine year old Latin percussionist. Since the late 1960's Pete has been a large force in Latin music, bringing him to success in many other genres like Latin jazz, salsa, rock, and Latin pop. He had originally played saxophone in high school, until he switched to the vibes later on. Pete had eventually gotten hired by a famous pianist along with his brother for a gig.Then his younger brother had started playing the bass, and the Escovedo Brothers Latin Jazz Sextet was formed. Unfortunately, for a good reason, the sextet was broken up when Pete and one of his brothers was called to play with Santana. Three years later, Pete and his brother had found another group called Azteca, and recorded two albums.

Pete Escovedo playing at the White House

Image courtesy of Pete Escovedo

Pete has performed with many other big names in jazz, such as Herbie Hancock, Woody Herman, Cal Tjader, and Tito Puente. He even led his own orchestra for a while, with his kids Juan, Peter, Michael, and Sheila. Pete has performed with Sheila when she was just a teenager, and had her record on an album with him and Billy Cobham. Sheila E. is quite famous for some of her songs like The Glamorous Life, but she couldn't have done it without her father. 

Caroleine and I both really enjoyed his concert. The first song on the set was a trombone feature and I think I fell out of my chair. After Intermission, Caleb Chapman's La Onda Caribena got to go onstage and play with the orchestra. It was really quite enjoyable. By the end of the concert, Caroleine and I were dancing through the rows and all around the theater and it was absolutely amazing. We also made new friends Debbie and Tom, who were big fans of Pete Escovedo and recently (I had nothing to do with it, I promise) the Little Big Band (Just kidding I was lying), so yay.

Later that week, my school jazz band had a concert. We played three tunes- St. Thomas, My Funny Valentine, and Four Brothers. On St. Thomas, I had a 32-bar solo, which was great, because I was the only one soloing. You know what wasn't great? I HAD THE FLU. THE FREAKING FLU. ON THE NIGHT OF THE CONCERT. My insides wanted to be on my outsides. I had to manage to play like that, but luckily it was short. It wasn't too bad on stage because I was focused on the music, but before and after.... ech.

An Open House

My music program, Caleb Chapman Music, has an annual open house to promote auditioning and the casual gist of the program. Since I am a part of that program (and so proud to be), I had to play at the studio for an audience. We we able to ask non-members to jump up on the stage and play with us. Shockingly, the only person was a female trombone player in the eighth grade, which was really cool.

I managed to play with most of the bands, Including Voodoo Orchestra, Crescent Super Band, and Time Check. The horn swings in the Crescent Super Band was da bomb, and the trombone soli in La Quema Del Diablo was amazing. Voodoo Orchestra is the band I want to audition for next year with Bryan, Cameron, Molly, and Jake. If we were to all get in, it would be a party. (Caroleine, you need to audition for it!)

The Voodoo Orchestra at its finest

Image courtesy of Master Calender

The Voodoo Orchestra has recently played at the Apollo theater in New York on their tour in April this year. I think it was the other coolest tour for the Caleb Chapman musicians to go to on, other than the Crescent Super Band's trip to Cuba.  Next year, the Voodoo Orchestra gets an international tour of their own- to Ireland, England, and Scotland. Image the differences in the music we make and the music they make. There would certainly be a lot to learn about that culture on the other side of the world. 

After the open house, Little Big Band won an award at Best of State. The only other band that also had won an award was the Crescent Super Band. Bet you didn't see that coming. We played a lot more songs than usual, which was so much much fun! Unfortunately, we were not on TV like the Crescent Super Band. I've never experienced a big award like that before, and it was quite a shocker to see how nonchalant my band members were about the whole thing. I just loved performing so many songs and I really hope I get the chance to perform that much again.

Michael Davis Is A Boss

What do you get when you cross a broke teenage girl with a shiny new trombone?

Nothing, she's broke.

At least I got to touch them. I went to Summerhays with Jake, Leo, and Luca. Summerhays has recently become a dealer for Shire trombones. Congratulations Summerhays, you are now the official dealer of my drug. Shires are like the Ferraris of trombones. A Ferrari that Michael Jordan drove a few miles to go pick up Beyonce in. That is how nice they are. And I got to PLAY one. Two, actually. Their names were Michael Davis and Michael Davis Plus.

Fancy at its best
Image courtesy of Hip-Bone

Just look at how fancy this is. Admire the shine before it makes you blind. This piece of metal costs more than I do. Plus, it is engraved with Michael Davis and a bunch of flowery patterns. Of course, nobody needs the flower pattern, but when you play with an engraved trombone it just shows off your superiority to others. It would make people envy you, just showing off a trombone that costs more than their whole life.

To my surprise, this trombone played really well in all partials and octaves. It is a small bore, which is used more commonly in jazz. I have no idea if Michael Davis meant for this horn to be used for jazz, but it certainly worked well for what I needed. Compared to the Michael Davis Plus, the smaller build of the horn made it easier to reach higher notes, which is optimal for what I do with my solos.

The slightly bigger Michael Davis Plus
Image courtesy of Phil Parker LTD

The Michael Davis Plus is also a really nice horn. Not only because of the flowers engraved on it, but also because of the slightly bigger bore.  The slightly bigger bore made more lower notes sound bigger and fuller. It was so nice! Getting to higher notes was slightly more of a challenge, but it was so good sounding.

Michael Davis must know what he's doing. After all, he's released six albums. He studied at the Eastman School of Music, and is a music entrepreneur. Michael started a company called Hip-Bone Music to write publications for young jazz musicians. Not only this, but the cool dude has written books. On jazz pedagogy, of course.  When Michael plays, he plays so well that nothing can be considered wrong in his his technique. I'm really jealous of his talent, and I really wanna know what goes on in his mind.

Before I went to Summerhays to play the Shires, Little Big Band went to a recording studio. I have no idea what it was called, nor do I care to remember. All I know is that it was hard to play, but it was really fun. Me being me, I also did something really stupid. I sort-of-kinda-almost broke my ankle. Hobbling around a place with a lot of cords and expensive microphones was probably the most stressful thing I've ever done. We recorded three tunes- Mr. P.C., It Don't Mean A Thing, and Cry Me A River. When I was recording my solo, I noticed that we really killed it on the changes. Because yes, I did record a solo. Shocking, I know! I did through, and it was pretty good.

Without Bryan making me stay to record, I probably wouldn't have recorded one. He is my ride home, so I kinda had to stick with him. It was a lot of emotions all at once. I was scared and happy and excited and nervous and ready and gah. The time has come for me to stop freaking out and just play. So what if the crowd doesn't like what I play? I do, and they have no right to judge my creativity, even though it sucks. Gosh.

In Tone, In Tune, In Time, In Touch

Right now, it is 10:27pm on the tenth of May, 2015.

The school year is coming to an end. I am that much closer to becoming a high school graduate, with only three years left on my journey to find out everything I can about the world and about myself. I have struggled a lot with trying to find out who I am as a person and what my morales are. I have struggled a lot with trying to find my friends, the ones who are always there. I have struggled a lot trying to figure out where to go in this crazy, chaotic, unforgiving world.

What no one ever tells you is how you need to show the world that you are ready for its challenges, its love, its adventure. No one would tell you that it is hard to find a place in this mess, but it is. One year may seem like an eternity, but in the scope of things, it's really not.  No one can tell you who to be, but you can tell yourself that. If there is one thing you need to learn now, it's how to be you. No one can stop you from being what you already are.

This year, I have learned so many things about myself, music, and just random information. I learned that playing trombone makes me feel happy, even if there's a rainstorm of a mess with everything else. I learned that to change the entire feel of a song, you just have to change the accents on a note. I learned that there is an actual place called Tunisia. How much of this matters to you, the one reading this blog? What have you learned from me? Have you learned anything about yourself this year?

As posted on this blog, a lot of crazy things have happened this year. Heck, Mr. Taylor even called me awesome! I found my Heaven on Earth, the Soundhouse. I have met and played with Brian Lynch, Jerry Cortez, Dave Pietro, and Tom Bones Malone. I got up and played in front of hundreds of people, which I never thought I would ever be capable of doing. I competed for a spot in the Wind Ensemble. I practiced consecutively for seventy four days. There are a lot of perks to exploring, and right now I'm exploring happiness and music.

The most important thing that I have learned is that nothing can prevent me from being me. Yes, I get too darn excited over a small thing, like a cool rhythm or solo. I get too nervous playing in front of too many people. Music bring a feeling of euphoria, nostalgic gut-twisting butterflies like right before a roller coaster.  This blog has helped me express my love for music in a way that everyone relates to. I know most of you don't care, but 98% of my time is spent on music, whether it be thinking or daydreaming or practicing.

Courtesy of Austin Music Therapy

Two Words

If there is anything in the English language that can describe me and all of my weirdness, it would be two special words: breath taking.

Now, it's not what you think. I don't mean it in a beautiful and desirable way (of course you can think that if you want), I mean it in a literal and blunt way.

I literally am breath taking.

All I do is breathe. In, out. In, out. Playing my instrument takes oxygen. In, then blow out with as much force needed. Breathe in, and then the same thing all over again. Me, being a slightly shy and nervous person, I lose my breathe a lot. One time, when playing a piece with my friend, a trombone instructor came over to teach and I, well, lost my breath. When I stand to solo, I have to close my eyes and tell my lungs to breathe before I bring my horn to my face because I'm so nervous. Anxiety causes me to just forget to breathe, which isn't too bad, except for the fact that I need to breathe to live.

Now, many of you know that when you're excited, your heart beats like 14548434 times a minute, right? Well, let's just say at one point... I was so excited I forgot to breathe.

So do y'all know who the Utah Wind Symphony is? I sure hope you do. The Utah Wind Symphony ensemble had a concert at my school's auditorium, the Eccles Center. The concert was a very special evening for kids in the Park City High School band program. Not only would the Wind Ensemble play, but they would play with the Utah Wind Symphony. Bryan wasn't excited for some reason. He was pretty meh about the whole thing, and I couldn't understand why. Mr. Hughes even gave out special tickets that had the two bands on it. They even felt like real concert tickets!

The concert was just ASDFGHJKL;ZXCVBNM,.QWERTYUIOP to describe my excitement quite accurately. The Wind Ensemble played first, with a few pieces from their last concert. Then the Utah Wind Symphony was on, with a whole range of pieces. The symphony was having their pop concert, which means they were playing well-known pieces like the melody for Saving Private Ryan. It was the absolute best because I didn't know half the tunes when they were named, but I knew them when they were played. After, both the Wind Ensemble and the Utah Wind Symphony played a few pieces together.

If you think I was excited, nope. Nothing compared to when the FREAKING CONDUCTOR CALLED ME OUT OF THE FREAKING AUDIENCE TO GUEST CONDUCT THE FREAKING BANDS!

I conducted on a tune called Stars and Stripes Forever. The conductor, Scott A. Hagen, didn't tell me what time it was in. I tried to figure it out, but I just went with a 2/4 time and stayed with the beat. I hoped for the best, and it kind of worked. Ian gave me a nod of approval and Jake made eye contact with me, so all was well.

My feelings on that night

Courtesy of Srboom

When the conductor called me, he turned and said I looked like I was out of breathe and was going to faint. Bryan told him I was like that a lot. It was a pretty great night. I loved the feeling, the energy, the happiness, the environment. I wish I could have more chances like that to conduct in the future. When I found my seat in the Eccles Center, I ended up sitting in Mr. Taylor's seat, which was the cat's pajamas. Speaking of which, I ended up talking to the conductor after the concert, who asked if I have an interest in teaching. He said that I should be a high school band director because I have the personality for it and that I should be happy with the memories and not worry about the money. Mr. Taylor had something to do with this, I know it.

Delfeayo Marsalis and the Composer from England

So we had a special guest at our school this week.

I can't remember his name.

Oh well.

Anyways, the guest at our school is a composer from England. We went to a lecture by him one day during school. He had previously had conducted our school choir and conducted a piece our orchestra played that was his own composition. I guess you could say he was a fairly notable composer. I don't know. I can't even remember his name.

When at the lecture, he talked about his childhood. He was adopted at a young age. As a child, he was super musical and started composing at the age of eight. However, later he decided to pursue chemistry and other sciences at a university in England. Something, I don't know what, brought him back to music. He wrote for everything, and sometimes his compositions only took him ten minutes. For some reason, this guy was amazingly talented at composing. When he found out the reason why, it was shocking.

Since he was adopted, he hadn't gotten to know his biological parents too well. He decided that he wanted to find his biological mother, and set out to find her. Eventually, he did, and it turns out she was a professional pianist. When she was pregnant with him, she had played him the piano every night. The first time they met, he told her he knew the song she had been playing him. 

In the middle of his lecture, he asked a few people who think they're good at improv to stand up. WELL, YOU'LL NEVER GUESS WHAT DIDLY DARN HAPPENED. Ashley, Alizah, and Ryan all told me to stand up, so I sort of kind of got up until Ryan pushed me. Thanks. Luca, James, Jake, one other girl and I were standing. You'll never gosh darn guess what happened next. He made us SING improv for one minute. It was absolutely terrifying. I mean, improv is fairly easy on my instrument, but singing? It is quite difficult to sing something that even you don't know what it is until it's sung. 

Luca was the first one to sing. Indifferently, he got up and smashed it. He sang in a scat style, and surprisingly, did not use use anything that sounded like a song. After Luca, James was supposed to go but he got scared, so it was my turn. It went way better than expected. I counted myself off, granted that I probably didn't keep the tempo, and just sang. I also sang scat style like Luca, and tried to create a melody from there. It was maybe just a little tiny bit fun. 

But only a little.

After I went, Jake went. He also casually killed it. Jake sang a lot a rhythms that made an actual melody, which was really cool. James did a jazzy take on what seemed like a television show theme song. The girl sang triads in a really cool pattern in a classical tone. I think she could actually sing.  

Most of the time, the composer spoke mostly about how his compositions came to him purely by nature. He said he hadn't needed much training, just playing experience. I really want to be able to compose like he can, but it is going to take practice and skills in other clefs and instruments. To be able to tell a story with music is a great power- and with great power comes great responsibility. 

Later, there was a concert. It was some of the Marsalis family. Delfeayo Marsalis and his father Ellis Marsalis Jr. performed with Smitty Smith (his name is perfect) and John Clayton. Delfeayo has been one of my favorite artists to listen to because he plays with such good tone. When I watched him perform, he has the best chops and technical abilities out of every other trombone player I've seen. I was able to sit next to Jake and Nick for the concert, and they both laughed at me when the group played my favorite song ever. Ellis played a lot of piano on a tune called Emily, which of course he rocked. (Ahem, ASDFGHJKL;ZXCVBNM,.) Pure excitement. The Last Southern Gentleman was a blast to see, the music and the energy was so exciting!

Delfeayo Marsalis, my idol
Image courtesy of Nuvo

I learned a lot this week about the future and music. I learned a lot about my enjoyment with music, and how I wouldn't mind spending an eternity playing trombone. Music is a form of art that shares thoughts and opinions through a universal language that everyone enjoys. 

Bus Rides, Boys, and Burgers

Field trips- the distant memory of you and all of your fifth-grade best friends getting to spend the day of school away from school. You know what's up, an awesome bus ride to a place that you love. An art museum, nature preserve, or an observation deck at an astronomy building. Whatever the tour guide said, you ate up every word like the last drop in that 7-Eleven Slurpee your dad bought you on the way home from school. Then, during lunch you would burn off all of the hyperactive excitement with your friends by screaming and laughing until your stomach hurt. The entire day was a blast until your bus pulled into the school parking lot.

My band went on a field trip last week. We had the Region X Festival to preform at. Of course, because it was a festival, we had to compete. During the week before, we had another few concerts, both a jazz concert and a classical concert. After the festival, Little Big Band had a performance.

The jazz concert went pretty okay, according to the amount of compliments the band exchanged afterward. For me, it was pretty great, cause I didn't screw up my solo. Cause yes, I had a solo. I played a nice-ish part on Artistry In Rhythm, which went better than expected. My nerves are starting to calm over the whole thing about playing in front of people. The Varsity ensemble also played a few of my favorite pieces, like A Night In Tunisia, Haitian Fight Song, Four Brothers, and Coconut Champagne.  Overall, it was a great concert. Like, the best.

The classical concert was good too. The usual occurred, as in we played, then the Wind Ensemble played, and I fangirled. Since it was the night before festival, the concert short and sweet but still great. The concert was just a normal one, not much excitement happened other than the chords and stuff. After all, since it is the third quarter concert, it was going to be our last concert other then our pop culture concert, which is everyone's favorite.

The excitement came the day of region. No matter what I did, I couldn't focus on anything in my classes, because my brain kept averting my attention to the festival. Oh look, a pencil. There is a pencil in my band binder with my region music. Why does New Orleans sink below sea level? New Orleans is known for music, which is waiting for me in my band binder. What's 225 • 210? Who cares, music.

The bus ride though, THAT was the worst. It was three hours to Vernal, and three hours back. It was totally worth it. On the way there, I sat next to Pauline. Later on, I ended up playing that slapping game with Quinn. I also learned that Five Nights At Freddy's is a very hard game, and that Conrad Herwig is a boss according to Luca.

Nailed it.

When we got there, everyone was anxious. The good kind. We eventually went inside to warm up, and then to work through the last problematic bits of our songs. Then, when everyone was calm, we went out to play. The pieces we played went better than rehearsal, but with the critiques the judges gave us, could have been played much better. However, the Wind Ensemble killed it. Somehow, they achieved straight ones on all of their songs and qualified for state.

On the way back, I sat next to Beckett. We were in a cluster of cool cats, like Jake and Molly. I got a few people to play scorpion with me, which was not a smart idea. I still have scars. Music played and jokes were made the entire three hour chaotic bus ride back. Hey, at least we didn't sit in awkward silence the entire time.

The next night, Little Big Band met at a fancy country club. We played at a charity event for some charitable reason, I sure hope. The tunes were the classic three, Mr. P.C., The Jazz Police, and Cry Me A River. Before we went on stage, the country club offered us some food before our performance. When the burgers came, Mr. Chapman had said the standard, "Ladies first. But in this case, lady" which made me think: Where's Caroleine?

Ahh..... Zoot Suits.

Jazz is a heavily male-dominated genre of music.  I was the only girl that night, which unfortunately really bothered me. Can you name any famous female jazz instrumentalists? I can't. It seems as if because of the history with jazz being all male since creation,  it will stick that way. Devastating. Maybe girls just need the chance to pick up and enjoy learning an instrument, the same way guys need the chance to learn how to twirl and jump with pink shoes on. Caroleine is a really cool girl, and she at least had a good reason to miss the performance. One day, there shall be a band made of both an even number of boys and girls like mine admiring famous musicians of both genders.

Festivals and Boys Don't Mix Well

I was out in the hall outside of the performance room, filled with judges. My heart was beating way to fast to be healthy, my hands shaking as if I were a human earthquake. The lungs I had to live with, they were not doing their job as if they wanted everything to end too, just like I did. I felt them, the tears were coming like pools of fire.  I looked up as I knelt on the floor and hoped nobody knew what was behind the failure. 

Just as I left the room, my first partner had packed up his instrument, not even looking me in the eye. As I sat in the hall, my peripheral vision saw the feet of my second partner turning in an uneven circle, and then pointed and step towards the mess that happened to be me. My lungs were still not cooperating, but I managed to cool the pools of fire with my breath. My best friend came over and put his arm around my shoulders, and my partner kneeled beside me.

Of course, it wasn't wasn't just my fault. Why the judges crucified us had nothing to do with our playing abilities. Time screwed us over, and played with my emotions. Time usually does that, it happens in every concept: technology, fate, music. But it wasn't actually that time had screwed us over too much this time. Maybe, just maybe, if I just got over my fear of people judging me based on the fact that I was going to do something wrong I could play better.

So did you guys like that story? Yeah, so that was way too over dramatic, I just felt like typing like that because right now I'm bored, I can't play trombone, and I need something to do. But to get the point, I recently have competed in a festival, hence the title. The festival was called Solo and Ensemble Festival, a festival for small groups of people to compete and stuff. Me being me, competing with other instrumentalists just sounded like so much fun, so I just had to sign up. Me also being me, I was too scared to play a solo, so I picked a partner and he picked a rather difficult piece. It's not that we couldn't learn the piece, it was just that we didn't have enough time to rehearse together. 

The magical book of trombone duets

Courtesy of Amazon

Because guess what? MALE HUMAN PEOPLE JUST HAPPEN TO BE RATHER BAD AT FIGURING OUT TIMES TO WORK TOGETHER. I am not sexist, I promise. It just happens to be that I am jealous of this kids success, being that he’s super smart and super busy, and I know I wouldn’t be able to handle what he has been capable of doing. So kudos to you, William. But moral of the story- y’all need to pick a partner that is able to play with you twice a week before entering a music competition. William and I did not do that bad, so yay. My other partner, Jake, was one point away from qualifying for State with me. So double yay. But I’m only a freshman, and we’ll see how it goes next year.

Our high school actually hosted the festival, which was probably the coolest part. Next year I believe we take a bus somewhere over the rainbow to another high school, so it will be an adventure. :). 

I AM SUPERIOR.

Link to video: click here

So I made it. Out of all of my three-o'clock-in-the-morning videos, I chose one that sounded like the best, and apparently it did. Apparently, my teacher though it sounded good too. After staying up until three in the morning on the Saturday of the Peaks Jazz Festival, I decided I had enough recordings and would submit one in the morning. Well, guess whose phone crapped out on them an hour before they had to leave for a jazz festival? Mine did! Kudos to Jake for being able to connect my phone to his hotspot so I could submit my auditions at the festival, and for helping me write out the written part of the audition. If you're reading this, you saved my life.

The worst part of the audition is that I had to use music from my school folder to play in my videos.  Yeah, it's a good thing because the music is easy, but it's also the worst part. The point of the audition is to prove you're better than the kids in Wind Ensemble, and if Wind Ensemble is playing a level 5 piece of music while your stuck with half-notes on a level 3.... that may be just a bit of an atomic-sized problem. Fortunately, I have talked to my teacher and other kids who have auditioned before, and they said auditions are just a formal way of asking for a spot in the ensemble. The auditions were actually year-round, and the teacher sees how hard every student works and plays, and then he decides if they want them in the ensemble. So I guess my teacher knows how freaking hard I work, and doesn't mind having me around. Yay.

Park City High School Wind Ensemble 2014

Courtesy of YouTube

I guess it feels like an honor to be in Wind Ensemble, but I just don't really know. Out of a total of thirteen trombones in the program, only four are in Wind Ensemble. The personnel in the trombone section consists of Jake, Molly, Michael, and I. Jake will be a senior, Molly a junior, and Michael and I will sophomores. I think I'm still going to be in shock until the first time we rehearse together, and then I'll just be a nervous wreck. I am, of course, happy and excited that I made the ensemble, and I'll get to be with my friends like Amanda and Bryan. The best part of it all that I left the knuckleheads behind to pursue my musical abilities at a higher level with other peers that actually care about playing music. We will learn so much more as an ensemble, like about what emotions music can provoke and how to create them with our instrument rather than just being told what a b-flat is.

I have heard that Mr. Taylor has decided to bring the Wind Ensemble on tour next year, which will be very exciting. My abilities as a musician will be able to grow more with a surround of music-enthusiasts, fun, and friends.

Baby, Are You A Roller Coaster?

'Cause you're giving me WHIPLASH!

Hah, get it? It's a pick-up line! For band geeks! Like me! The pick-up line is themed to the movie Whiplash.  Who doesn't love movies? Especially, who doesn't love movies when they're themed around something you love? For me, I love jazz. Whiplash is a movie about a jazz drummer who overcomes his fears and regrets as he aspires to his potential and makes a name for himself. Of course, the film being made in Hollywood, the poor boy just has to make the stupidest decisions of his life when all he wants is to impress his Studio Band teacher.

At the beginning, it all starts out with young, innocent Andrew practicing in a practice room, trying to figure out how to perfect his technique. Fletcher, the director for the Studio Band walks in while he is practicing. Fletcher tells Andrew he is looking for players for his Studio Band, and then asks him to play a double-time swing. As Andrew is playing, Fletcher continues to yell, "Faster!" at Andrew until he breaks a sweat. Andrew couldn't catch up to Fletcher's tempo, but he tries really hard. After a few beats of being behind, you hear the practice room door shut and Fletcher is nowhere to be seen. 

You may think that was really rude of Fletcher, but compared to the rest of the movie, that was nice of Fletcher to just walk away. A few scenes later, Fletcher shows up outside that frosted-glass door of JVC band rehearsal, which is the band Andrew is in. At the shout chorus of the song the band is playing, Fletcher bursts in and asks random players to play their part in the song. Eventually, Fletcher gets to Andrew and the other drummer and asks them for a double-time swing. This time, Andrew succeeds and is asked to join the Studio Band. Well, not asked. More like commanded to.

Along the way of this thrilling and dramatic movie, Andrew makes the most idiotic, oblivious, and self-abusive choices possibly of his life in this movie. I won't ruin it for you, I will just tell you how controversial it is. If you didn't know, Andrew is a college freshman at his music school. Being in a band like Studio Band is a pretty darn big deal at his age. With a director like Fletcher, a student like Andrew could certainly learn a lot about music when he rehearses under his direction. However, throughout the movie, Fletcher attempts to both mentally and physically abusive Andrew, whether or not it seems like it. I have learned a bit about music and jazz history throughout the movie, but what stuck with me is Fletcher's strong disliking for some words in the English language.

My life lesson

Courtesy of Tumblr

So yeah, you should go see Whiplash if you ever get the chance.

One last thing. Since this entire post was started with a pick-up line, I thought I should end it with one.

Are you a fermata? Because I really wanna hold you. ;).

Why You Gotta Be So Rude?

This is probably the most accurate description of  how I feel towards people who are judgey. My whole life I have experienced judgment from others. From what I wear to what I say to what I play- people just can't get enough out of their own opinions. And that's fine. What isn't fine is when someone tries really hard on something, wether it be a new idea or a new project, and others just shoot them down without thinking of their emotions. Yeah, I'm human too, and what you said just hurt! From rodeos to band festivals and everything in between, there is no reason to hurt someone's feelings just because they tried something new or didn't succeed. 

Now, let me tell you a story. Once upon a time, registration for next year was starting.  Oh yes, the great registration process. The great am-I-gonna-have-any-friends-in-my-class and what-classes-are-they-taking routine. I had to take the usual: a rigorous course load, with five core classes and a sparing three electives. Of course, I had to take Spanish as an elective, which means I have two electives left. So what do I take? Band, obviously! 

Me being me all ghung-ho, I thought I would have a chance to make it in to the higher level bands in the band program. However, as soon as I started recording my auditions, I thought I would never have a chance. I didn't sound good on the recording, and I was wondering why the heck my teacher ever thought I would stand a chance against the juniors and seniors in the higher levels. And then, to my utter despair, I realized it was just a recording on a camera. I was scared and depressed because of a piece of metal manufactured in factory across the sea in China. Wow. Disappointment. So I continued to play, and I recorded the best pieces I could and uploaded them to the internets.

And this is where the entire point of this post kicks in. My teacher will have to judge me based on my skill and decide whether or not to make me suffer in a class with a ton of musical knuckleheads next year.  I hate it when I have to play to be judged. It ain't fun. All of my life, I take the extra mile to stay away from judgement, wether it be from taking a test, losing on a team, or falling off a horse in a competition, I've pushed and kicked not to go. Because people are there to judge. My fate is in the hands of a person who doesn't even know who I am or how hard I've worked for whatever it is I am competing for. Judgement is also my theory for how wars break out.

I'm not the only on who feels this way, right? I know I'm not the only one. Famous people know the feels too. One in particular, I am in total condolence with because he has experienced what I have felt to the max. His name is Charlie Parker. Now, see, Charlie was a different one. Charlie dropped out of high school to be a jazz musician. Of course, Charlie was a killer player. He had the chops, tone, creativity, everything and beyond. He could play really well, and he was known for it by the age of 16. One night, Charlie got a chance to jam at Kansas City's Reno Club with Count Basie's drummer, Jo Jones. Charlie thought his time come, he really did. He was soon up to play on a solo chorus. However, he had been practicing an improv method of his own, one that used keys rarely played in jazz. When playing, he immediately switched to a passing chord and could sense the shock in the band and the audience. He was shocked and nervous, and eventually lost the beat. Jo Jones then stopped drumming, pulled a cymbal from his drum set, and managed to throw it at Charlie. Sadly, Charlie was pushed off stage by a series of mean jokes and laughter. 

Courtesy of The Guardian

This is why I love Charlie Parker. Do you what he did after that nightmare? He told everyone the famous line, "I will be back." And he kept his promise. Without that promise, we wouldn't even be discussing his very existence right now. 

Now, it's my turn. I'm going to take a risk. I'm going to post my audition for Wind Ensemble right here, for everyone to see and judge. I hope your ear isn''t as criticizing as  Jo Jones' ear is.

Link to video: click here

Slow Dancing, Band Concerts, and Clinics. Oh My!

Yeah, so we all know about these things. You sweat out of control, you're terrified and shaking, and sometimes you fall asleep. For most people, it takes time and confidence to become okay with it, and other times the utmost amount of will power to continue to pay attention. But in the end- all of this is worth it. The first time for everything is scary, but after it's over the adrenaline makes the event so much more worth it and memorable.

Ahhh, slow dancing! It reminds you of couples, physical contact, and kissing. That one magical hour where you can look into your lover's eyes and bond over the magic of music. Ever experienced that? Yeah, me neither. For us young'uns, slow dancing is the utmost level of torture brought on to us by our P.E. teacher. And when you have to dance with your brothers' best friend...... bring on the sweat and klutziness.

Level of awkward: 3 cool 5 you

Image courtesy of 8tracks

Ironically, I did have some good experiences slow dancing with people of the opposite gender. Crazy, Right? My school does a fundraiser called the Sweetheart Gala, which raises the money for the ability for us to have nice things, as long as we manage not to ruin them. Unfortunately, I had to work the Gala this year, which means I had to do a job to contribute to the event. Once I finished my job, I was excused to leave or dance, and I obviously chose to dance.

But how can I dance if I don't have a partner? More importantly, how can I dance if I don't know how? I was looking around sort of worried, but one of the graduate students from the band program offered to teach me how to dance. We enjoyed dancing to a delightful tune called Beyond The Sea played by the Park City High School Varsity Jazz Ensemble. After the song ended, he requested me to pick someone else out to dance with.

Hardest. Task. Ever. Like, what if I get rejected? Oh well, worth a shot. Luckily, I found one of my best friends standing along the dance floor, and I asked him to join me. Both of us enjoyed ourselves for one song, and then the set ended for the ensemble.

The night after the Gala, Little Big Band had a concert. We shared the night with Caleb Chapman's Voodoo Orchestra and Siren Sounds. We played some pieces by ourselves, and shared the stage with the Siren Sounds for a bit.  Our main hit was Cry Me A River, but we also played Big Noise From Winnetka, Blue Moon, Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy, It Don't Mean A Thing, and Mr. Zoot Suit.

After our perfomance, we were required to stay and support the other bands. There was a dance floor, so naturally I was on it. Eventually, a slow song came on, how awkward. So me being me (I'm actually sorry if you know me in real life) high on dopamine and all the good brain drugs, I asked a boy to dance, and I didn't get rejected (if you know me, that's a real shocker).  We danced together to the Voodoo Orchestra, and I taught him some dance moves. It was really rather fun if you can get over the fact that your partner may have deadly cooties.

The latest performance we had was at the Peaks Jazz Festival. The festival was on a Friday and Saturday, which means I got to skip school, and the fear of cooties. The beginning of the festival is a competition between school bands around the state. Luckily, our school bands didn't have to compete. I went with a fellow trombonist Jake, and we went to most of the clinics together. Unfortunately, we went to a rather cruddy clinic at about nine in the morning, after we found out that Jake can't read maps. That was helpful. In the clinic, it was one hundred or so people listening to Karl Hunter talk about tours.

It was pain. Literally, I looked pain up in the dictionary and it showed a picture of the lecture. Jake almost fell asleep. It was bad. It was an hour not even close to paying attention to. Even the schools competing were more enjoyable. Dave Pietro managed to keep our attention because he taught us about scales in improv, which wasn't as painful.

Image courtesy of Wherevent

Friday night was the night Little Big Band preformed. We had two performances, one of which I made Jake come to.  Our set for that night was Cry Me A River, Mr. P.C., and the raise-the-roof Gordon Godwin tune, The Jazz Police. It was a good concert. Of course, we had to play those tunes again later that night, but it was even better because Herbie Hancock and Victor Lopez were in the room. 

As usual, we had to support the bands and stay for the entire concert. I must congratulate Bryan Croce for his performance, because we all know it was perfect. Jake and I met up after his set, which was amazing. Victory was achieved that night, because I got Jake to dance a bit while Bryan was playing, which was the bomb because I'm pretty sure Jake doesn't like to dance. 

Overall, the festival was a blast. I got to play with Tom Bones Malone while I was there, which was cool. But something weird happened. When I went to solo, all I did was close my eyes and focus on my horn. I kind of just played. It never occurred to me to play the right notes, stay in style, or anything like that. I just played. My solo was five choruses long, and when I opened my eyes I felt warm and tingly. 

After my solo was done, I talked to Bryan about it, and he said I caught all of the changes and played well. I told Jake and William about my feelings, and they told me it was a musical "goosebumps" moment. Of course, a pat on the back and a "Great solo!" from Tom Bones Malone didn't help. The goosebumps are great, and they are the entire reason I do music. I loved that experience, and having memories of them are what make my persistence and hard work as a growing musician worthwhile.