teaching high school

Pranking the band director

The director had been out for a few days, so I ran the rehearsals….and organized this prank. I wish I had zeroed on facial expressions. NOTE: No harm was done. Students exited one door, walked around and came back in another. We lost about 2-3 minutes of rehearsal. I wonder what it looked like on the CCTV monitors in the admin offices.

 

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Three Memorable Years at Chesterton Regionals

It is 10/16/21 and the band is heading off to Chesterton Regionals today. Of course, I am not with them as I retired….but the day brings back memories of three times I was involved in the Chesterton Regionals. For us, a Class A Band, Regionals alternated between Lafayette and Chesterton.  Here are my three memorable years at Chesterton.


2009 – 1st Gold in a Decade

The show title was “TIME 20:09”. It was Thaine Campbell’s last marching band performance. The band had not received a Regional Gold rating since 2001. I was standing next to Mr. Campbell when they read the result and heard his noticeable sigh of relief. It would be another two months before he announced his retirement. This picture was taken by a parent from another band at the moment the rating was announced and sent to me with a note about how “real” that moment was for these drum majors and guard captains.


2011 – Death of My Mother

It was October 15. For this particular trip, I was driving a white bus, probably transporting some staff and/or parents. 

Just prior to the band’s warm-up transit, I got a call from my brother Jeff — telling me that the nursing home called to say they didn’t expect our mother to make it through the night. 

I was not only 120 miles on the wrong side of Huntington plus 200 on the other side.The band was about to perform for final competition and would still be in Chesterton for another couple hours waiting for results. What do I do?

One of the parents offered to leave the competition (missing the band’s performance) to drive me back to Huntington, but would then have driven 240 miles to miss the performance. 

Mom had not been very conscious for a few months, and was not conscious at this time. I knew, however, that if she had been, her strong words to me would have been to…

 “stay with the band”

It was about 1:30 AM when we arrived back to Huntington. It was about 2:00 AM when brother called again to say, “She’s gone.” I wouldn’t have made it even if I had kept driving — and probably not even if I had immediately left the competition. I am at peace with my decision.

She was buried on my birthday three days later.


2018 – I Couldn’t Go

Between 2011 and this year the band had changed from Class A to Scholastic Class to Open Class B. 2018 would be our first trip back to Chesterton since 2011. I had been stressing about the memories I was sure the trip would invoke, but that became a side note when my doctor started me on a treatment the day before and forbid me to travel. 

I was in fairly regular communication and was thrilled that this show; “Look Upon My Works” received a GOLD rating with the highest score since at least 2001.

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Did I really say something ‘racist’?

In the high school bands I teach, we are just beginning to work on Africa: Ceremony, Song and Ritual. (Click that link to listen and follow the conductor’s score). It is an incredible piece of music written to display some of the beauty and complexity of African music and drumming.

I have two “racist”-related stories to go with our preparation of this piece. The first happened several years ago when I invited (and then had to un-invite) an area African drumming group to come to our school to lead a Master Class for our students and open our concert. That will be for another post.

More recently, as part of our discussion and preparation, I spoke with the class about how African drums are considered “sacred” and that we would treat this music and our performance of it with that type of respect.

As part of that discussion, I spoke a little of my son’s study abroad experience during his undergraduate work at Duke University, when he spent a summer in Ghana. He was one source of telling me how reverently the Gananians treated the drumming instruments. He also told me the exceptional level of respect they gave “white people”, and especially men.

He stepped over some local cultural norms when he insisted on helping with the food preparation and in washing his own clothes. And it should be noted that the home where he stayed was considered one of a “nobleman” from the area.

Not comfortable with the female servants doing his laudry, David tried to do his own. The best he could get was for them to let him help them.

“Everyone wanted their picture taken with the white guy, and they wanted hugs. When I went to church, they would always set me on the front row, if not on the platform itself.” -David Gardner

What really sparked the shocked response was when I told this class (mostly white with a small hispanic component) about my son’s experience in a Drumming Circle, where several of the students from his trip participated. The comment that the drumming leader made (multiple times) was that….

“You all are playing like a bunch of WHITE PEOPLE.”

When I shared that quote, I got a noticeable gasp of disbelief and shock. I went on to explain that this was not something a white person said, but rather was a critical statement made by a Gananian African about how non-Africans were playing his instruments.

I was not trying to be or show any form of racial disrespect, but rather, to use a quote from someone who should know the instrument….. Incident averted.

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Now, it is YOUR turn

Band EncouragementAlmost every year that I taught, I had variations of the same conversation, usually during a spring semester, when a normal realization from some talented, top quality, mature bandsters are sadly realizing that some of their friends and the ensemble’s leaders are (or will be) gone…. During their band lives, they had tended to ‘hang out’ with those in upper grades.

This is a call for NEW leaders to step up. 

If this note is speaking to you it is a compliment. As you think back during your earlier years, there were upper-level students who accepted you into their friend circles, right? Those became strong and meaningful relationships and you gained from their experience and insight – and from their friends.

Some of those friends have graduated or will before you do, and that saddens you. They are moving on and you’ll miss them. You look at those in younger classes who maybe don’t (yet) show the qualities you admired in your older friends.

Now it is YOUR TURN to be the mature mentor for those younger, including incoming newbies. You know what it takes, better than they. So my question for you is, what are you going to do about it?

Perhaps you feel a little inadequate like you’re not as ‘good’ as your mentors. You know what I think? I think you ARE. As you step into the leadership role, you know what I think? I think you CAN.

If this note seems like I’m writing it specifically to you, then you probably have already been a “step it up” kinda person. That’s one of the reasons you’ve been comfortable around those older. Now it is YOUR TURN to step into major leadership; to replace those who are leaving and to set the tone for those coming in and for those who are already looking up to you. NOW IT IS YOUR TURN! YOU’RE READY. BE A LEADER. BE A MENTOR. BE A FRIEND….and we’ll all be the better for it, including YOU!

Band encouragementLove, Admiration & Respect,

Signature

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Pekin Eastern July 4th

Band Dad is in step – and so is the band

By John Gardner

In my first summer of teaching, I was only 3-4 years older than the seniors in the band. Just before school started we spent a week at Camp Crescendo Band Camp. There were normally 6-10 bands in the camp any given week. Directors were responsible for ensuring all their students were in the proper dorms at the appointed time in the evening. When I would approach the girls’ dorm, they would tease me by calling me ‘dad’.

The ‘dad’ thing continued because they could tell it embarrassed me. It was not disrespectful, in fact, the opposite.

I was concerned that I’d get to school for the first week on the job on site and get called into the office because my students were calling me dad. But no, it seemed to be a “for band’s ears only” kind of thing.

This picture was taken at one of my first parades. With all the fun and games that we had, I do like to point out that they are all in step…..all….of….them.

Pekin Eastern July 4th
Yes, I am in step….and so are they….. all of them.

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