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."