Rain!

That's right. Pretty much anytime it rains around here, a new and separate blog entry is warranted.














Q. Why did I take pictures of the rain?

A. Because you forget what it looks like when you live in West Texas.







Whoever made up that song, "Rain, Rain, Go Away," obviously did not live in a semi-arrid climate...

New music!

My brother knows what to get me for my birthday and for Christmas: gift cards! Yes, he thinks that they are really impersonal (and I guess that they are to a degree), but when I get a gift card it's as if the person is saying to me, "I know that you'll pick something out that you really want, and I probably wouldn't get you exactly what you were hoping for."

What's impersonal about that? So, you didn't get me a shirt that I'd probably just take back anyways? How many CD's have been given to me in very well-meaning attitude to collect dust on my shelf after one listen through? To be honest, my family doesn't blow it when they give me CD's -- probably because they have good musical taste and because I like a wide variety of things.

So, my brother Bill got me a gift card to Best Buy and that can only mean one thing: to try to catch up on all of the CD's I should own but never budget money towards. Here's what I got and what I think of them (like you really care...):

Coldplay "X&Y": This is a CD that's been out for a while but I've had a *ahem* special copy of it that I've been listening to. Why should I go on for paragraphs about how incredible this album is? It's Coldplay and I haven't heard a Coldplay song that I haven't liked yet! I do appreciate that each of their three studio albums are unique and different, but have common threads. I'd have to say that I still favor "A Rush of Blood to the Head" to "X&Y" but that doesn't mean that I haven't been playing "X&Y" constantly. It's brilliant, but in a way that "Rush" wasn't.

By the way, I can't find my copy of their first album, "Parachutes." It's a really good disc and if you've seemed to borrow it or can remember who I lent it to, would you please bring it back to me? Thanks!

The other CD I picked up was Trey Anastasio's solo album "Shine." All things being equal, I wish I had bought something else. First let me discuss why I'm wrong to say that: Trey is an accomplished guitarist and songwriter and that definitely is present on "Shine." But, it starts to feel like these were the ideas that might not have worked with his previous band, Phish. There are probably two or three songs that I could listen to over and over, but they are unfortunately scattered throughout the disc and I get an awful guily feeling when I skip songs on a CD.

It some ways the album is charming in that it is simplistic and the arrangements aren't very thick. But, I think this may be why I've already tired of it: there's nothing new to capture my interest on repeat listens. "X&Y?" Yes! This thing has been out a year (at least) and I'm still hearing new things in it! Sufjan Stevens is notoriously thickly orchestrated, but not to a point of distraction (not to me anyhow) and I can listen to his stuff for months on end (and have done so!).

"Shine" has some glimpses of Phish in it -- afterall, Trey was the tour de force of the group -- but when he might have been able to create some nice moments, he resorts to weird progressions and sounds and non-sensical lyrics that are really off-putting. Those sorts of directions would have worked better with Phish because the strength of the band was the individual musicianship. Each member could take an idea and expand on it within their personality creating a possibly endless set of options, while "Shine" is Trey's baby and the studio band doesn't get in the way or try to take over. That's right. It's a solo album -- they did the right thing. But, maybe some of the musical ideas don't flourish in this setting...

Does Trey have massive guitar chops? Heck yes. Are they demonstrated here? Absolutely. Is that worth a listen? Definitely. A purchase? you decide.

Instead of buying "Shine" maybe I should have gone ahead replaced my copy of "Parachutes..."


Note: this post was written while listening to "X&Y." It's not gotten old yet. And I have a feeling that it won't.

Summer Band Starts...

Well, we've been hitting it pretty hard over the course of the last two weeks. First, we had a weekend of student leadership, then a day of freshmen, and then the whole crew. I have to say that I'm very encouraged by how things are progressing!

The staff was discussing the other day that we cannot think of a single student that we get cross-ways with. It just seems like any of the students who might have potentially been problems have either graduated or simply "moved-on."

This leads me to a belief that is once again proven by the above: "music is for everyone, but band is not." I'd like to see more students interested in band and joining early on and staying through graduation, but a lot of students lack the discipline it takes to function in the band.

What sort of discipline does it take? Well, I don't think it's all that bad. You're not in the army when you join band and we certainly don't dictate to you what your hairstyle will be. We require you to be on time, to prioritize that time and to have a good attitude. We expect that you'll work hard and be personally responsible for your actions.

Sadly, this is beyond the scope of a lot of students. Whether it is the upbringing they go through (be it home, church, school, community...) or the simple self-centeredness we all inherently have, some students cannot commit to these principles. I think that's a terrible thing too, because as near as I can tell -- from history and from my own personal experience -- this is how the world functions. Sure you can be self-centered all you want, but if you can't be on time or if you have a lackluster work ethic you probably won't be able to hold down a job.

Along with self-centeredness is a sour attitude toward submission. Let's face it: all of us are simultaneously in a place of submission and in a place of leadership. When I teach the drumline, those students are in submission to me to run rehearsal and to guide them. But I am also very much in submission to my superiors. Now, if I wasn't able to cope with my dual-role as leader and follower, I'd make for an ineffective leader and a miserable subordinate. Neither sound very appealing, and again, appear to not work very either.

So, why have things been going well in summer band? Because most of our students (with a few occasional exceptions that we can chalk up to "having a bad day," -- still inexcusable in my book) are compliant and are willing to work. And 8:20 a.m. comes early for students who have been sleeping past noon all summer, but we haven't had any terrible tardiness issues.

It's going to be a good year. I'm already physically very tired, but my spirit is willing. I'm optimistic for the future. And since the future is in all of our hands, I know that I will be doing everything in my power and ability to make this year the best one we've had.