Nearly Time

Why, look at that- we're nearly on tour! Woo! It's 2 1 day until we leave. Or technically, 1 day and some only 20 hours. But anyway. I'm crossing stuff out because I initially started writing this last night, but once last night was over that took us to the less-than-1-day mark. So.
Thursday night was the tour premier in the form of our send-off concert, and now we're free to pack and cram in homework so that it doesn't have to come with us.
But most of us are excited because we don't have to do a week of school! And we're going leaving the cold and wet for the warm/hot!
...and also wet. My hair's going to really poof up in the 100% humidity.
My room is in an interesting state:

Suitcase, bags, trumpet cases on the floor, clothes on the chair, etc etc.
Only 36 LESS THAN 24 hours.
YAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAY!

2 Weeks/Sickness/Blogging Hawaii/Packing Angst

Remember these?

Well, we recently passed the two-week mark (that was Sunday 11/20), and the one-week mark is approaching with extreme expedience. It's a busy week ahead. 
Thanksgiving dinner was great, and thankfully I was feeling well enough to enjoy it. I unfortunately picked up a rather virulent cold from my dad on Monday and have been in bed sleeping ever since (why I didn't post the 2-week mark earlier).
I promise you all that I will try my hardest to live-blog Hawaii, but I will tell you honestly that I don't think I'll have time to do anything more than take snapshots from my phone and then post them all when I get back. Whenever it happens, you'll get the whole story eventually. 
And also I find it amusing that I'm as packed as anyone can be at this point. All I have left is my uniform, which I can't pack until next Friday because we have a performance Thursday night. 
But yea. That's what's going on at the moment.

Why I *Can't* Wait To Do Drum Corps

First reason is made up of two words:
True dedication. It's more than just a high school band: if you don't show up, are late too much, or just aren't up to par, you will be cut and your tour tuition will have been wasted.
Then: you get to do crazy-fun things like jump off ramps or run up and down halfpipes.

And then: choreography. That makes the show interesting and fun for both performers and audience.

ddd000fff.blogspot.com

And also: you meet people who love band just as much as you do (otherwise why would you be paying money to be in a corps?)
Also things like this, that are just wonderfully wacky but fun anyway.

www.pinterest.com

I just realized all my examples are from the Bluecoats. Excuse me while I go join them.

... in a few years.

Weird Things We Do at the Holidays

I was considering the fact that Christmas is drawing close yesterday, and thought how much I was looking forward to it, and suddenly realized that the traditions we have are quite random. We all like hearing about each other's wacky traditions, yes? Well, here are ours:

> Christmas music from the Boston Pops, Canadian Brass, Count Basie Orchestra, and other jazzy sources.

> Christmas breakfast at 6:00 a.m. sharp (my dad doesn't like this)

> Me getting up at midnight and sleeping on the sofa for the rest of the night, then waking everybody up at 6 for said breakfast.

> The randomness tree. This is a thing I do. It's a three-foot tree themed with whatever my current obsession might be. Guess what this year's theme will be:

Yep. DCI corps.

> The contents of the above-mentioned breakfast. Most years it's made up entirely of cookies, fruitcake, and smoothies. Although, one year my mom made me eat broccoli too; but that was because I was sick.

> In addition to Christmas music, we listen to Coldplay's A Head Full of Dreams all through December. This started last year when it came out and since then it's sort of become our soundtrack of winter.

> Watching The Lego Movie. We do it every year. Not sure why... we just do.

> Setting up the Christmas tree over Thanksgiving break. To those of you out there who get your trees on Christmas Eve... who are you and what do you think you are doing. 
Anyway. Yep.

The Journey...

...that is finding and buying a new trumpet. This was Wednesday.
3:09 p.m. 
I finish the day's homework while my mom teaches a violin lesson after school.

3:59 p.m.
Starting out.

4:16 p.m.
We actually get to the sale; Kyle, the other trumpet from our school, gets there at the same time.
Henceforth:
I take no pictures for a long time because I'm busy trying 7 or 8 different trumpets.

~5:30 p.m.
2nd round of trying stuff out. We've gone from 7 to 3. Now to determine the best one.
~5:50 p.m.
We've narrowed it down to the Yamaha Bergeron silver.
6:03 p.m.
We FaceTime my dad, who's in Las Vegas, and decide to buy the Bergeron silver, as well as my rental student trumpet so that I have a marching horn.
6:30 p.m.
We're walking out of the sale, having purchase the Bergeron silver, when our assistant band director walks around the corner. He sees my new trumpet and says congrats. 
6:35 p.m. 
Heading home.
7:40 p.m. 
Upon arriving home I do an 'uncasing'- that's like an unboxing- and send pics to my dad.

8:00 p.m. 
We eat a late dinner.
8:45 p.m. 
I start practicing, and would have played all night if my mom hadn't told me to stop and go to bed.

What We Did At School

What we did during JV jazz yesterday:

Yep, that's the one and only Wayne Bergeron, with the also one and only Varsity jazz band behind him.
Also only 18 days to Hawaii.

21 Days

Agh. Fast approaching are three things- a visit to our school from Wayne Bergeron (Monday), the local music dealer's private sale, at which I will get a new trumpet (Wednesday), and HAWAII, the event of the year, in 21 DAYZ. 
WOOOOOOW. 
Right now, I am doing this:

In preparation for this: 

And yes, that is my trumpet on a floor pouf:

We're all getting pumped for Hawaii. Not long at all now. 

Less Than A Month

WE ARE 23 DAYS OUT FROM LEAVING FOR HAWAII ON DECEMBER THE 4TH. Where the heck has the past year gone???
We have an early morning performance at one of the district elementary schools tomorrow (so early it's essentially zero hour, and I get to miss a math test), a send-off concert after that, and then we leave 4 DAYS AFTER THAT.
AGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH...
!!!
Yay. :D
So my job right now is to study and keep my grades up so I don't fail everything during the week we're across the water on Oahu. 

That rug-looking thing is my beach towel, by the way. It came from Amazon on Monday and I love sitting on it. 
But yea. ONLY 3 WEEKS. O. M. G. WOW.
Happy. :)

Pinterest
The band when anybody says the word Hawaii

In other news, I might (probably will) get a new trumpet next week, but more on that later. Hawaii here we come!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (uh... overreact much?)

What DCI Geeks Do for Halloween

When Halloween rolls around, we can all change who we are for a day, and unfortunately one day only.. honestly I'm going to miss walking around school like this:

Mine.

Yep, I dressed up as someone from the Santa Clara Vanguard today. For those of you that know me, did you honestly expect anything less? For those of you that don't... get used to things like this.

I painted the shirt and made the plume and the star for the hat. It all cost less than $100.
It all made my band director very happy this morning. We were all just sitting there, discussing our last concert, with me casually under my hat, when Mr. Taylor looks around and says, "You are wearing a Santa Clara Vanguard costume. You have no idea how happy that makes me!" I collapsed into a fit of laughter because that was exactly how I imagined the morning going. At the end of class he took a picture to add to the Wonderfulness of Band archives. (Actually I made that up. It's just the band archive. But whatever.)
Thanks, Mom and Dad, for buying the materials; everyone else for noticing (words of Sam: "ten out of ten"); and mostly the Vanguard themselves for always being their awesome selves out there! #SCV @scvanguard 
Thank you all.

Don't you be smiling in uniform! Oh wait... never mind.

It was great. The best Halloween I've had. 

Blog Challenge *Day 26*

If you had $1,000,000,000 dollars to spend what would you buy?

If I had a million dollars I really hope I would have plenty of money in addition to that to donate to things. But we're talking consumerism here... so let's start from the top.

I'd get myself this nice car, in this color:

2017 Alfa Romeo Giulia
From Car and Driver

Then I'd also get this nice car, either in this color or white, for more utilitarian purposes:

Also from Car and Driver

Then I would buy 2 trumpets: definitely a Cannonball and possibly a Bach or Yamaha Pro.

Of course I can't decide.
Pics from Cannonball Music.

Then I would buy a Torpedo bag for one of said trumpets:

Black is boring. Get blue instead.
From Torpedo Bags.

I'd build a nice (not especially big) house in California. Mediterranean style, thanks. Beach-side lot. 

intro.dvrlists.com

And I think that would pretty much take up my million dollars. If there's anything left then assume that I would buy clothes. 

Yep.

Blog Challenge *Day 25*

Discuss someone who fascinates you and why.
Erm. IDK. Me being lazy is pretty fascinating cuz I GET NOTHING DONE. 

Blog Challenge *Day 24*

What is your favorite movie and why?
Star Wars, I think; the 3 originals are the very best.

www.theodysseyonline.com

That being said I liked Episode 7 too. 
I like Star Wars because it's a classic adventure story, but it has interesting sci-fi details, such that it really becomes its own type of adventure story.

Blog Challenge *Day 23*

Thus spaek day 23: post 5 pictures of celebrities you find attractive.

...

Do I gotta?

...

Fine.

(Pics from Sparknotes' SparkLife)

Am I not Captain Obvious?

That white suit is ON POINT...

Yes, both then and now. Although if anyone's got a time machine up for grabs that'd be cool. But moving on...

From this article that was interesting even to me.

And I don't even watch Doctor Who! ... this is Matt Smith, by the way, for those of you who, like me, don't watch TV.

www.playbuzz.com

www.bbcamerica.com

The 11th Doctor + this picture I talked about = why I love bow ties. Seriously. 

I know that's only two people but honestly that's about the extent of the film and TV industry's attractiveness.

Anyway. Glad that silly post is done.

Blog Challenge *Day 22*

How have you changed over the past few years?

I used to be a complete introvert/geek/weird person. I played the piano. I did Irish dance. I didn't hardly talk with people.

Now I am still a bit of an introvert, and yes, I remain a band geek, but I'm not so obsessive about things like Star Wars and Seabiscuit as I used to be. I play trumpet and I do marching band. I run. I actually try to be a social human instead of not talking. And most of all, I'm now much more confident. It's GR8.

Mine. Credit, plz, if you want to use.

Confidence means...

> Believing in your style, choices, and actions

> Following a path of life that you think is right

> Not letting others hinder progress to things you want to achieve

> Believing that you can do anything; because you can if you think and tell yourself that you can.

Gaining total confidence takes a lifetime, but starting on it now is certainly helping things right along.

Blog Challenge *Day 21*

Favorite TV shows:

None, cuz we don't have a TV and I'm grateful because that's one less excuse for me to waste time.

Blog Challenge *Day 20*

How important is education to you?

Pretty important. I don't want anything to do with graduate school or a Phd, but I do want to learn as much music as possible and get enough qualification to do architecture and design work as a job. Other than that I think it's important to learn stuff and actually try in school because then you'll have those skills for a lifetime, and it's likely that one day- even if it is just a single day- in your life you'll need to use everything you learn. I also think it's up to every individual how far they want to go with such things beyond high school. No college, fine. Grad school, ok. Medical school? Cool, save money. Whatever you study after high school should be of interest to you, though, so that you stay engaged. For me this means architecture and design, and of course music.

My favorite style: Mediterranean

Blog Challenge *Day 19*

What is your biggest regret in life?

That I didn't take opportunities as a younger kid. 

I didn't do spelling bees.

I didn't go over to friends' houses.

I've never yet had or been to a sleepover.

I didn't like trying any sort of new things.

I ALMOST didn't do marching band until my mom insisted. I'm very grateful she did insist because goodness knows what would have happened if I hadn't done marching band.

The reason I regret not doing such things when I was younger is because I have to break out of my shell NOW. Rawr.

Random thing o' the day. Psychedelic, no?

My Favorite Field Shows

Since it's homecoming halftime field show season, I thought it's about time we all had some inspiration to get us through the after school practices until next week. So here are my favorite field shows by DCI corps. (Videos released from the official DCI YouTube channel)
Santa Clara Vanguard 2014:

Bluecoats 2014: The very best of them all! And why I want the 2014 DCI World Finals DVD for Christmas.

Cascades 2016: This one hasn't actually been published, because the season's not over yet! But it's an excellent show called 'O' and if you went to a western region DCI competition over the summer you probably saw it. I'll put it up on this post at the end of the season.

Yep, with the big orange hoops.
ddd000fff.blogspot.com

Cascades 2015: From the Cascades official YouTube channel.

Yep. Be inspired. Good luck. May you always be in step. :)

Cool Things that the Vanguard Did

What I do on Sunday/Monday nights: look at DCI pictures.
Now, I went to a DCI competition in July and saw 5 world class corps and it changed my marching life.
I learned some things.
Namely that the great people in California that are called the Santa Clara Vanguard are amazing.
In fact the Vanguard is so obscenely awesome that they can do things like all of these that I found on the Interwebs today. Exhibit A:

www.youtube.com

They can randomly stand on stacks of Arabian-style floor cushions all across the field.
Exhibit B:

www.pinterest.com

Things like this. No explanation needed.
Exhibit C:

www.dci.org

The 'V' of cymbals. Or this view:

lordsworkr.deviantart.com

Exhibit D:

dci271.dci.org

Complex forms. Hard to march to, still way cool-looking once they get there.
Exhibit E:

www.santaclaraweekly.com

Cymbal moves.
Exhibit F:

dimasmonde.blogspot.com

Cymbal suicide. Ah, them crazy cymbals... (HA look who's talking...trumpet girl...)
Yep. More cool stuff from other corps coming later!

Blog Challenge *Day 18*

What book could you read over and over again?
Up until about April I would have said the Harry Potter books- but recently I happened upon an excellent mystery series that begins with 'The Unexpected Mrs. Pollifax', a series written over about 30 years about- well- the unexpected Mrs. Pollifax, who applies for work as a spy when life gets boring. They're excellent books, and there are a lot of them, too. To date I've read all but 2 of them. If you're a fan of mysteries you'll certainly like them.

www.amazon.com
The first book

The Band Camp Survival Post

One more time, from the top! One more time, from set 5! 
One more time! 
One more time!
One more time!
'One more time!' say people at band camp. And since pretty much ALL the 'one more time's that you'll hear at band camp are LIES, here's how to get through.
Before camp starts:
If your school's marching season is anything like ours, you'll have done the longest parade of the summer season on July 24th and then had a 3 or 4 week break before band camp in August. This means that you likely won't march for 3 weeks before jumping right back in when camp rolls around. So stay in shape. I did strength training and I ran a few miles a week in those three gap weeks. The weight training really helped me hold up the 2 pound weight that is my trumpet for hours on end.
Also, remind yourself why you're doing this.

oregoncrusaders.org

Why do we go to band camp? CUZ THE VANGUARD. Actually, though, it's because you love the spirit of band and you're volunteering your time and energy to be a good marcher in your show. 
1. Be prepared. For everything. Be ready for sun and extreme heat, rain and cold, and music and marching in general. That means have a hat, sunglasses, sunscreen, jacket, and gloves. Also always have your music, just in case and for reference, and stuff like valve oil and slide grease. These are good things to have: if you need them, then you'll have them, and everyone will love you for always having some on hand to lend.
2. Always have your drill charts and dot sheet. The number 2 time waster at our band camp was trying to figure out various sets because people didn't have their drill charts. If everybody has the charts then time won't be wasted borrowing charts. 
3. The number 1 time waster was lack of focus. I know: Band camp is hard and you'd likely rather be elsewhere the whole week, but please do focus. Guaranteed that you'll get nowhere if you let your mind wander during camp. It will also make your directors angry and that isn't fun. Just focus. It's only 3 days.
3b. Pay attention. It isn't fun to be that one person who's trying to fix a drill set and suddenly the band gets called to attention and you're still talking and moving. Don't be that guy. Also pay attention to directions. It also sucks to be that one person who starts on the wrong set and marches a completely different move from the one that everyone else is doing. Don't be that guy either. Focus and pay attention.
4. Do what your director tells you to- and when they tell you to do it. Moving slowly, not listening to directions, or violating the general band camp code of conduct will also make directors angry and leads to drums corps-style discipline, namely running laps and doing pushups.
5. Listen also to your section leader. Be quiet when they're talking. And then, the next time you do whatever they were talking about, improve. Make it better. 
6. You can always be better. Instead of focusing on how tired you are and what drudgery band camp is, choose something to work on on every set, every time you go through the show. Your good technique and focus will spread to your fellow band members and make the show better.
7. Lastly... always put your best foot forward (that would be your LEFT foot... lol marching jokes). The show won't be perfect the first time, but trying to get better leads to improvement. 
Good luck on your field shows. You'll survive.

Blog Challenge *Day 17*

Day 17: list your highs and lows during this past year.
I've had quite the nice year, honestly. 
Good: I made it through the spring this school year. 
Bad: I had a REALLY BAD audition for the Wind Ensemble. It was BAD.
Good: I passed the AP test.
Good: I got perfect attendance the first month of summer band.
Good: I went to a music camp and learned things vital to my survival as a musician.
Good: I went to a DCI (Drum Corps International) competition.
Good: I survived band camp.
Bad: I now must go back to school.
Yep.

Another random photo I took, because I can.

Blog Challenge *Day 16*

16. What are your views on mainstream music?
Uhhh... what's mainstream? Is that pop? Yes? Ok.
Well I can tell you when it comes to music, I'm thoroughly stuck in the 80's. Really. 
Here's what my favorite Spotify playlist consists of (we'll do the Song [artist, album] thing again):
1. Owner of a Lonely Heart (Yes, 90125 Deluxe Version)
2. Hold On (Yes, 90125 Deluxe Version)
3. It Can Happen (Yes, 90125 Deluxe Version)
4. Pride/In The Name of Love (U2, 18 Singles)
5. Stuck in a Moment You Can't Get Out Of (U2, 18 Singles)
6. One (U2, 18 Singles)
7. Sometimes You Can't Make It On Your Own (U2, 18 Singles)
8. With or Without You (U2, The Joshua Tree)
9. Running to Stand Still (U2, The Joshua Tree)
10. Bullet the Blue Sky (U2, The Joshua Tree)
11. Everybody Wants To Rule The World (Tears for Fears, Songs from the Big Chair)
12. Driven To Tears (The Police, Zenyatta Mondatta)
13. Hungry For You (The Police, Ghost in the Machine)
14. Re-Humanise Yourself (The Police, Ghost in the Machine)
15. Darkness (The Police, Ghost in the Machine)
16. Spirits in the Material World (The Police, Ghost in the Machine)
17. Beat It (Michael Jackson, Thriller)
18. Thriller (Michael Jackson, Thriller)
19. Celebration (Kool & The Gang, Celebrate)
Now let's see the original release dates for all of those:
1. 1983
2. 1983
3. 1983
4. 1984
5. 2000
6. 1991
7. 2004
8. 1987
9. 1987
10. 1987
11. 1985
12. 1980
13. 1981
14. 1981
15. 1981
16. 1981
17. 1982
18. 1982
19. 1980
Now let's analyze those statistics...

I made you a fancy graph. You're welcome.

84% of my music is from the 80's!!! Which of course means I'm not a sucker for pop. I know a lot of/most of the songs on the Spotify current hits playlist, but I don't like most of them. The super trendy sort of music doesn't tend to hit the spot for my liking. It's usually junk. At least The Police sang about important issues and stuff. It was actually meaningful music back in the day, not just love songs. Not to say those didn't exist in the 80's, but back then they were actually sort of bearable. 
Yea. I generally don't like popular mainstream music. It's about weird stuff too. Love and junk. Some are ok, others aren't, a select few are good. Mostly I try to avoid it.
The one exception I'll make is for Coldplay. I LOVE LOVE LOVE nearly all of their albums, including the one that just came out in December, so I guess that's more popular than some stuff I listen to. 
But other than Coldplay- I am very stuck in the 80's when it comes to music.

Blog Challenge *Day 15*

We're halfway done with the blog challenge!!! Today's prompt is this: Write 15 interesting facts about yourself.
Ok. It might go over 15 if I can think of that many.
1. I have never eaten at McDonald's and never plan to.
2. My eyes are an odd mix of blue and gold. 
3. I did competitive irish step dance for 6 years.
4. I haven't been to Disneyland.
5. I've never been outside of the 48 contiguous United States (that'll change in December).
6. So far in my 15 years of existence I've never kissed a guy, nor have I ever been kissed. It's quite inconsequential to me. 
7. I'm terrible at taking selfies, probably because my flip phone doesn't have a front-facing camera.
8. I'm exactly 6 feet tall. I should be playing volleyball but I don't want to. Or I should be running track and cross country, but that's too much work.
9. I'm pretty sure marching band is the reason I exist. *Not really, but it sure feels like it.*
10. I am a Gemini, and, according to my friends, a very typical one.
11. "Da trumpet don't hit things all schmancy like you do!" < I said that to my percussion friends. I'm not good at hitting things in fancy patterns. Also you probably shouldn't trust me with drumsticks as I might promptly break something.
12. I speak un peu de français. Je n'aime pas mon classe de français, mais je le parler chez moi avec ma mère. Un jour, je vais aller à la France, mais pas maintenant. Maintenant je veux aller sur les voyages pour l'ensemble de musique. Mes amis ne sais pas que le français est la langue d'amour. Puis-tu pas leurs dit qu'il est? Merci beaucoup. 
13. I know how to actually cook. Meaning not use a microwave or cake mix or any of that. I can actually cook stuff. 
14. Speaking of that, we haven't got a microwave in our house.
15. I own a single trumpet. Two is a good number, but I haven't got the money for that. Three is on the borderline. Four and above is way too many for one person.

And this is my advice to you.

I is Back

Hello, all. (Which probably means me on my home computer.)
THE BAND GEEK IS BACK.
School starts in 2 days and I'm back- at least for right this minute- for a few posts.
You're probably wanting to know what I did these past 3 months, which in all honesty have seemed like 2 weeks. 
Well, here you are: I...

• went to band practice every day in June (perfect attendance) and got tan #1 of the summer.
• did tie dye.
• wore my Hawaiian print shoes.
• marched parades.

None of these peeps is me, but anyway.

• did band stuff for July 4th.
• took pictures.

• Went to music camp and saw this thing- this thing being a contra bass saxophone. One of 12 in the world.

• Went to a Drum Corps International competition and saw drum and bugle corps including the Santa Clara Vanguard, the Blue Knights, the Blue Devils, the Cascades, Gold, the Columbians, etc. 
• Practiced and started working on All-State band auditions.
• Designed band uniforms.
• Saw the Santa Clara Vanguard pass through town in their awesome Bandwagons!!!

• Went to band camp, which turned out to be a 3-day festival of sunburn, fractured singing, grunts, and foghorn noises. There's a reason these things aren't made public.
• Took out a subscription to Halftime magazine- the magazine of the marching arts. I AM SUCH A BAND GEEK. 8)
• Did online classes.
• Ran a few miles.
• Visited my friend's new puppy.
• Went shopping.
• Sewed myself a pair of shorts on the new sewing machine my mom bought. So far I've done more sewing on it than her- and I generally don't sew. 

Yep. Hello again. And probably goodbye for a while. :)