I don't think I've mentioned it here, but my son won a chair in the OBU Honor Band. He was miffed because it was 4th chair and he'd wanted 1st. First off, I told him, 4th out of NINE doesn't sound too bad. Plus, most likely all the players in the first three chairs practiced their asses off to pass the audition. Bryan sat down with the music maybe four or five times and still passed. He's teaching himself how to play piano, guitar and bass (quite well, I might add) so he's "got a lot of irons in the fire". And that's just his MUSICAL pursuits. When you try to learn so many instruments it's hard to master just one.
The Honor Band concert was last night, and it was quite good. I wish it were not so, but I am a very critical listener. As such I tend to notice intonation problems more than your typical listener. Intonation is, I have found, the biggest hurdle band members have to deal with. As an "honor band" the issue was not so prevelant, but nonetheless apparent. And that's not meant to be a critcism whatsoever. Both the Junior High Honor Band (in which Bryan played) and it's High School counterpart had very few issues with it. In fact, their strengths made up for it. The High School Honor Band performed a piece called "An American Elegy" which was commisioned to commemorate the victims and survivors of the Columbine shootings 10 years ago. Simply awesome. The introduction reminded me of the overture from Wagner's "Das Rheingold", with it's gradual build up of tones. These kids had a real command of the dynamics of this song, and I was surprised at how deeply I was moved, especially by the introduction.
All in all, fine performance. Left Railey Chapel (where the concert took place), drove to Taco Bell, said "fuck the diet" and consumed 2 & 1/2 5-Layer Burritos from Taco Bell. Stopped at Conoco on the way back to put gas in the car and buy some anti-freeze. Should have known the anti-freeze would be sold out. Stopped at the Dollar Store when we got home, where, amazingly, they had plenty of the stuff in stock. Got to the house, very glad to get in out of the bitter cold this wacky state is experiencing. Spent a little time on the computer, listened to some Mozart, got in bed and tried, with very little success to fall asleep. I must have got tired trying because I did eventually doze off.
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