I know exactly when and where I decided I wanted to be a band director
I know exactly when and where I decided I wanted to be a band director Read More »
The Virginia Beach Music Festival was a multi-day event that included competitions in Marching, Concert, Parade, Jazz, and Inspection.
Normally a band year has multiple seasons. Summer and Fall are mostly Marching Band. Some competitions included an inspection element, which included standing at attention for about 15 minutes while someone went through with white gloves and inspected selected instruments and uniforms. Marching season transitions into Concert Band — and Jazz Band starts up. Late Spring and early Summer is parade season.
To prepare for Virginia Beach, all that had to be going on simultaneously.
During school, the concert band would rehearse. Jazz Band was after school and evenings were a combination of marching, parade and inspection practice.
The campus had a long driveway that we used, but would often go through a couple of the neighborhood blocks. Inspections involved Copenhaver’s paddle. We would stand at attention and he would walk in front of us, stopping to stare and to grab and check instruments. If anything was wrong, he’d say, “That’s one”, which meant he would get you with the paddle when he got behind you, which could be several minutes later. And if you moved when he whacked you, guess what. Right. I never got the paddle.
The first time Holmes participated in 1969, (my Freshman year) Holmes was Grand Champion. We returned in 1970 as “Honor Band” for the event.
Director Copenhaver was from Virginia and our two Greyhound busses stoped at a park near his hometown for a community-provided picnic. I remember one of the busses got stuck crossing a small creek.
Two memorable events at the hotel we used. First, was one evening during the week when Mr. Copenhaver was in the parking lot and looked up at many of us on the balconies and said,
“They know we’re here.”
Other than when actually winning an event, it was the happiest I recall him looking and sounding.
The other was an evening when a group of seniors came knocking on our door. I was in a room with three other freshmen boys. They were there for “initiation”, which normally included some combination of ice down the underwear with shaving cream there and everywhere else — and then locked out of the room.
The four of us (I think we all four), went over the balcony. The floors were close enough together that we could go from floor to floor…. Until we could jump to the ground.
I can’t believe I did that.
But I never experienced “initiation”. And I never did that to anyone else.
Virginia Beach Music Festival and the 3rd Floor Balcony Read More »
By John Gardner
I’m not going to defend some of today’s diluted, politically correct, expanded curricula when compared to what students learned decades (or centuries) ago. The Huffington Post published this 8th grade exam from 100 years ago and ask if you could pass it today.
Just sayin’.
When you hear that students today are behind Read More »
Accounts of recent separations of news personalities from their employers remind me of a time my boss told me,
“You can’t say that.”
Years ago, on a hot sunny mid-day, our high school was evacuated over a threat. One of my thoughts at the time was wondering what was going through the minds of those stopped in traffic as 1500+ students, teachers, and staff crossed the state highway en masse. After accounting for all the students who left class, we sat in the football stadium bleachers until the end of the school day when busses and parents picked up students from the stadium rather than the high school. The congestion and confusion on that side street was significant.
The afternoon was especially stressful to those who had to work through the safety protocols to ensure students left only with a legal guardian. How do you call the school when the school is evacuated? How and to whom are calls forwarded? And what about student records with parent/guardian names and information in an area without computers and connections? How do they sign out from a remote location? Parents were frustrated as everyone was trying to do the right thing in a setting we had never before experienced. I should note that the communication and information issues of that day were addressed.
My uncovered bald head was significantly sunburned in those nearly three hours. By the time I got home, my head hurt and I was angry, especially after learning all that was the result of one student’s prank. I made an ill-advised comment on personal social media that punishment should include affixing the offender to the schoolyard flag pole and allowing all who spent those 2-3 hours in the stadium sun file by to express thoughts of the experience.
I should not have said that and I deleted the post, but not before someone shared it with the building boss, who called me to his office the next day. With a copy of my post in his hand, he not-quite laughingly said that, although he might feel the same way, “you can’t say that”.
I wasn’t fired.
You can’t say that Read More »
No fancy graphs or editorials ….just FYI. Some numbers don’t seem to “add up”, so feel free to note or correct discrepancies.
Are public schools receiving less in Indiana due to SB1 Read More »
The Beast at Daytona Read More »
Solo/Ensemble season is here. Vocal is local and starts tomorrow. Instrumental for local musicians starts next Saturday. If you get District GOLD, you qualify for STATE.
Every participant is a winner. What other activity (maybe shooting free throws in a ball game) requires someone to stand in front of a person with the job of (usually) finding their every mistake?
Be GOLD diggers.
Throughout high school, Robert Roden was my clarinet teacher. I was the first chair clarinet at Holmes HS in Covington, KY. He also taught the first chair clarinet student from Simon Kenton (where he was Band Director) and at Campbell County HS. We were all in the same grade and had been competing with each other throughout high school when it came to District and All State ensembles.
For Solo Contest senior year HE GAVE ALL THREE OF US THE SAME SOLO!
It was a crazy difficult Theme and Variations on “Au Clair de la Lune”.
When the schedule came out, I was third to go.
Pressure.
The first girl went – got a “I” (Superior) Rating. The room was fairly full with mostly students from her school.
More pressure.
The second girl went – got a “I” (Superior) Rating. Again, the room was fairly full.
Pressure cooker.
When I went, there were students from all three schools who couldn’t even all get into the room.
The piece is structured with a theme, piano interlude, variation, interlude, variation, etc.
The judge was Earl Thomas, clarinet professor at Eastern Kentucky University. He knew me well as I had studied with him four summers at the Stephen Collins Foster Music Camp at EKU.
As I am ready to begin, Thomas says,
Mr. Gardner, I don’t think I have ever heard this piece performed at the high school level and this is the third time I am hearing it today.
(I explain we three had the same teacher).
Well sir, since I have already heard this piece twice, can we just cut out the piano interludes? Just play each section, pause, and go on to the next.
For those who know me, I hope you would agree that my biggest strength is technique while my biggest challenges are endurance (and nerves). I could play fast, but I really needed those breaks. GONE.
I got so worried about losing the interlude breaks that I forgot to get nervous about performing….. I always wondered if, knowing me, he did that on purpose just to see how I’d respond.
At the end of my performance, HE STOOD UP FOR ME …. and then gave me the highest rating of the three. Yay!
Solo Judges Sheet from 53 years ago – The Story Read More »
By John Gardner
It used to be that “March Madness” meant more than just basketball. The school would emphasize the mostly local scholarships that would be awarded and presented on “Achievement Night” toward the end of the school year. There is still a push in mid-spring, but the last I knew, the local Guidance Department now organizes scholarships by application due date and there is clearly a newer emphasis on working at the scholarship process throughout the (mostly) senior year.
As a high school teacher, I encouraged students to go after all the scholarships available and too often hear responses like…
As a high school teacher, too often I hear variations of…..
The PURPOSE of this post is to ENCOURAGE students (and parents) to implement 3 strategies as you go through “scholarship season”.
My son was applying for a “Fellowship” at an Ivey League Grad School, where he completed his PhD. A fellowship is similar to a ‘scholarship’ with generally bigger dollars. A fellowship is usually more like funding for a job. It would pay for a semester of teaching two Penn classes and a semester of research for his dissertation.
“The fellowship’s description clearly favored someone with 1 yr less experience than me. Knowing that, all things being equal, the fellowship would go to someone else, I determined to make sure things were not equal.
I devoted an entire week toward preparing my application. I knew few would spend that much time or commit that level of energy. Apparently it worked as they went outside their target group to pick me.”
Halfway through his undergrad experience, he won a $32,000 scholarship for college expenses, including travel to potential grad schools.
Compete confidently.
In high school, he won a scholarship from the local ABWA (Women’s Association), whose literature said they give “preference” to a girl, but did not exclude guys. Also a $4000 from a Catholic organization even though he is not Catholic.
“I read the criteria for every scholarship.
If not specifically excluded, I applied.
There was a time during Spring Semester of high school senior year that our living room had numerous ‘stacks’ representing different scholarships. His attitude that scholarship season was that it was his ‘part-time job’ and he intended to make more money doing that than he would have made at a fast food restaurant job. He did.
Make scholarships worth your time and effort.
There is money out there. Part of the battle is finding it. Your high school Guidance Department probably has a listing.
Scholarship providers are looking for LOTS of things, and grades are not always at the top of the list. They want achievers. Extracurricular involvement and community service indicate that you are a responsible person. Good reference letters from teachers are valuable. Hopefully you have cultivated and earned strong teacher advocates. Sometimes financial need is a factor. Memorial scholarships often focus on students pursuing particular majors.
Read about
How to get Good Reference Letters
Demographics can matter. There have been at least three people from our local high school accepted to a particular top-tier university in recent years. This school tends to attract students from wealthy east coast boarding schools — and from overseas…..but in trying to change that reputation/perception, some local students benefited. For example, they wanted to increase the percentage of white, public school mid-westerners in their “community”. Sometimes engineering schools want more girls while education departments may want more guys. As you write essays and complete applications, focus on and market your strengths. You are, after all, asking for someone to “buy you”. Why should they?
Going after scholarships can feel like the ice skater learning how to do the quad. They fall down and get hurt a lot before you see them nail it on TV. Go for the good scholarships. Go for all you can. Go hard. And don’t give up.
3 Scholarship Strategies That Worked for Me and Mine Read More »
by John Gardner
January is a month that often includes preparation for solo festival. Many will have an opportunity to practice with an accompanist, perhaps a new experience.
As instrumentalists, you should realize how long it takes to learn to play piano with the level of proficiency required to accompany your solo. Some pianists have invested thousands in private instruction and college educations. They are proficient at their craft just like an electrician, plumber, mechanic….or a teacher, professor, attorney or doctor. We are fortunate to have pianists willing to work with you. They deserve your respect, your preparation and your appreciation. This note should serve as a guide in working with your pianist.
Your accompanist will 1)spend time practicing your music, 2) spend time and expense coming to school to practice with you, 3) sacrifice part of an evening to help you in our practice recital, and 4) spend over half a day traveling to the contest site and performing with you at District. Group 1 Music is significantly more difficult AND… if you get GOLD at District, your accompanist is then committed to additional practice time and a whole day of time and expense travelling to Indianapolis.
Respect. Most pianists will coach you with their expert advice. Unless they suggest something that conflicts with your private instructor’s instructions, accept their advice as authoritative.
Prepare. Do NOT dis-respect your pianist’s time by not being prepared. You can’t be perfect, but you can be prepared.
Appreciate. Pianists don’t accompany for the big bucks, but some some rely on this as part of his/her income. Unless you have a different arrangement with your particular accompanist, consider an appropriate amount [locally we suggest @$25 min] to cover preparation, about two practices and performance (including recital) through District, and then a respectable amount to cover the additional time, and expense for state finals. Agree in advance with your pianist, including payment terms. And a thank you card is a nice touch…..
Respect, Preparation and Appreciation for your Pianist Read More »