February 24, 2015

Stan Kenton Is the Magic

Have you ever been so awed by something so much, that you just kind of sit there with that stupid look on your face with your chin resting on your bellybutton and your eyes as big as donuts? Yeah, I think we've all been there. I've been awed by many things over my minuscule years, but I definitely wasn't as shocked until I heard this one.


Stan Kenton is the absolute sparkle to any piece of music, whether or not it was written by him.  As a child, he learned piano. During his time in high school, he developed fully as a musician and toured around with multiple bands. In 1941, Stan formed his own band. Of course, with his amazing sparkle,  Stan's band became one of the best-known ensembles in the 1940's. Just a little bit later, his magic had rubbed of on the ears of others and the ensemble's style and sound became known as "The Wall of Sound".

Stan had played piano is swing-dance bands directed by Vido Musso and Gus Arnheim. He was meant to be a natural band leader, and he was quite successful with it. His orchestra was named after his theme song, Artistry In Rhythm. Stan was a man of his own at that time, and he went against what was popular to pursue his own way. He called his style progressive jazz and experimented with great ways to play and represent that genre of music. 

Courtesy of AllMusic

At one point, Stan composed the classic Christmas carols, with a little bit of magic sprinkled in them. The Boston Brass played the pieces so amazingly it was hard not to smile afterward.  My absolute favorite is O Holy Night. The horns on this track play exceptionally well, and Stan's touch involve some pretty high notes. In fact, it was so good and his touch was so surprising that someone lost control of their car. (Ahem, Croce.)

In my jazz band, we're playing Artistry In Rhythm. I'm on lead, so I get to play the solo. It's quite exiting, actually. I get to play both at the beginning and end by myself in front of judgey people. However, most of the solo is pretty easy and all I need to do is keep track of time and pitch. 

You know what I hate? I really strongly dislike compliments. Compliments offer no benefits other than attention and what is you're right. I agree, it's absolutely horrible! Despite what most people want, I'd much rather have constructive criticism and improve rather than just knowing what I do right. Cause I never know what I do right. 

Because science also plays a major role in this thing called everyday life, there are logical explanations as to why women can't accept compliments. For most girls and women, it's a self esteem issue. When women can't accept compliments, either

A) She will become shy and look around, not responding too well. 
          She can't accept the compliment because she doesn't know if it's true and she wants 
          to seem modest, no matter how bad she is at it.

B) She will put the compliment down.
          She accepts the compliment, but doesn't believe it's true, because "a child could've 
          built the space rocket I just built."

C) She will immediately give the person a compliment back.
          She doesn't want the attention and thinks the other person feels sorry for her.

Did anybody notice anything? Where's the thank you? Does any women say thank you? No. Because we are just like that, and science can't explain it this time.

So when my teacher decides to yell at me for not accepting a compliment....  that is just wrong. He said I needed to learn to accept a compliment graciously and that "I appreciate the help from you guys and why thank you for the wonderful compliment." Maybe it also has to do with the fact that "good job" are possibly the two most harmful words in the English language.

Although, it turns out I can accept a compliment graciously. There is one thing that I can do right, and I know it. One spiff-tastic day I was called up for my solo, without even warming up on my instrument. Funny story, I played one of the highest notes any trombone player can play for the first note of my solo. Great tone quality and everything. After it ended, my teacher walked up and fist bumped me, which he rarely ever does. So I smiled and fist bumped him back, and I was completely content with it.

February 4, 2015

I Love You So Much, Bryan Croce

I'm not writing this post willingly. Bryan made me.
As many of you know, I hate Bryan Croce. Or at least, used to. Bryan is a really great person in my life, and I'm writing this as a tribute to his amazing existence. Because of him, I've been inspired to do great things with my life, as he's shown me with his already-fulfilling life at such a young age. He also deserves this post because he is just da bomb digity. 

- A Descriptive Haiku of Bryan Croce -

Bryan is love
Bryan's saxophone sparkles
Bryan is life

Bryan's hair is soft
Bryan's glasses are real cool
He's freakishly tall

Bryan is too smart
His brain is faster than light
Except he doesn't show it

He is also better at writing poems than I am. Probably. He can figure it out, cause he knows calculus and stuff. Unless his test results show differently.... awkward. To sum up this person, I'd say Bryan Croce is a smart human being that enjoys challenging himself and learning new things, that likes to have fun,  and that hates practicing saxophone.

Part Two because the first part wasn't sufficient enough

Bryan being Bryan, he is magically good at playing saxophone. Yes, without practice. Because of that magic illegal stuff that makes him good at playing, he usually does well with auditions. As of some time in the year, Bryan made All-State Band. The band is exactly what it sounds like. High school students audition, and if they make it, they're the best in the state. Not only did he make it, but he made it as a first, which is absolutely not realistic. He's not even a freaking senior yet.

Other students from our school made it too. Andrew, Leo, and Molly made it in. Molly, the same age as Bryan, has now made it two years in a row. It's completely unfathomable how Molly got her skill. Those four are extremely talented, and I've always wanted to know how they've gotten that good. They're the best, they get to play with the best. It only makes sense.

Ashley and I went to support our lovely friends with their talent (have you noticed I'm jealous yet?) by going to the All-State band concert. The concert was hosted at a fancy concert hall in the capitol of Utah. The wait for the concert made me so anxious because I couldn't control my excitement for the pieces everyone in that band had been working so hard on.

Just one of the instruments Bryan plays
Courtesy of a radio station

The wait was totally worth it! The pieces were phenomenal and completely professional. If I didn't see my friends in that band, I wouldn't have believed it was all teenagers. My Favorite piece was Melodious Thunk, a piece named after a famous jazz icon.  How ironic. The piece was a classical-rock'n'roll-jazz composition that had the best percussive parts to it in the history of ever. It also consisted of a clarinet solo, which probably was really hard to play (imagine the poor player). After the concert, Ashley and I ran into Bryan's parents. They, Ashley and I all though the band had done an excellent job, which is a complete understatement.

You know, being friends with a person like Bryan isn't so bad. After all he is capable of some pretty cool things, and because of him, I want to solo at Peaks Jazz Festival with his help. Maybe when we're older, we'll still be as good as friends as we are now, I don't know. He is a great influence to the people around him and will go far in life with whatever he chooses to succeed at.
If you hate me, just remember Bryan made me write this.