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.

ASDFGHJKL;

OKAY, SO ORIGINALLY I WASN'T PLANNING ON BEING SO EXCITED THAT I WOULD FALL OUT OF A CHAIR... BUT I AM THAT EXCITED. I HONESTLY NEVER THOUGHT I COULD BE SO EXCITED THAT MY ENTIRE BODY WOULD TREMBLE, CAUSED BY A SIMPLE QUESTION.  MY BODY TREMBLED AND MY HANDS DRIPPED SWEAT FOR TWO HOURS STRAIGHT. MY JAW CLACKED AGAINST MY TEETH AND MY FINGERS COULDN'T STOP MOVING. AS A MEASLY TEENAGE GIRL I CAN'T BELIEVE THAT JUST HAPPENED TO ME, LET ALONE IT EVER HAPPENING AGAIN IN THE FUTURE.

Drum roll please.....

TODAY I GOT ASKED TO GUEST CONDUCT THE UTAH WIND SYMPHONY!

Yeah, sorry about the overuse of capitol letters, but my excitement needed the emphasis. Seriously though, how many times does a small and unimportant teenage girl get asked to do something that big? Assuming you don't know what it means to conduct, it's when the person at the front of the stage starts waving that stick thing until the music stops. A meager teenage girl worth less than nothing has the honor of doing that.  Conducting is like getting to lead a group of people through a maze of notes and rhythms.

The Amazing Utah Wind Symphony

Today I was sitting in the band room all humpty-dumpty because the Utah Wind Symphony was holding a rehearsal in our school. The students of the band program were allowed to sit in and watch because that's the deal the band director made in return for hosting them. Me, an overly emotionally expressive girl who just happens to be obsessed with pretty sounds, was fangirling over every chord and unison pattern that came floating out of all the instruments in that room. At one point, the ensemble played a march that I''m pretty sure had the trombones sliding all over an assemblage of sixty-fourth notes. Just letting you know, it sounded gosh darn amazing and so professional. After the piece was over, the conductor told me it sounded sloppy. Ha, no.

The Utah Wind Symphony is a great thing to experience in concert. They are one of the best bands in America. They all are exceptionally great at performing, all because of their talent. Every person in that band knows the music they play. The members have told me that they do it because they love it, they would do it even if they had another job.

During one point in rehearsal, they took a ten minute break. One piccolo player said that we, the six students that sat in during rehearsal, were the best audience ever. I was first greeted by a trumpet player. Apparently my facial expressions I made when I was fangirling had made her day. She said it had made the forty-three years she spent playing trumpet worthwhile. Then another trumpeter came up to me and told me he watched us while we were listening. My expression when the march was being played had cracked him up. Dang, do I really show that much emotion?

Well, if you need me, I'll be falling out of a chair practicing my conducting.

What most people think of conductors, courtesy of Swing's The Thing