ICC Honor Band

To the left: Jeff(tpt-soph), Jessie(euph-soph), Miranda(horn-jr), Mark(tpt-jr), Danny(alto sax-jr), and I after peforming in the First Annual ICC Honor Band Festival in East Peoria, IL.

We performed with ICC students, high school students, and the 85th Division Army Band for a packed house.

The program was called an American Celebration and featured your standard patriotic music as well as some original band literature.

I had a great time attending this event with my students. We spent a whole Saturday during Spring Break rehearsing and meeting the other musicians. I'm lucky that they're all underclassmen as I look forward to the growth they will make over the next year(s).

I was lucky enough to be approached by both conductors about coming out to see my band. I hope to have Mr. Jones and Commander Walker both out at my high school over the next year. What a cool experience this proved to be and I hope to participate again next year.

ICC Band

We spent the day working with conductors and members of the Army Band under the direction of Commander Walker.

To the left: Jeff, Jessie, Miranda, Mark, Danny, and I at the ICC honor band festival.

I rarely get to wear my tux anymore so it was a lot of fun to get to play in a group along side some of my students.



I should probably resolve to play more. I miss being part of an ensemble. I wish there was a concert ensemble that played at the level of a college band somewhere for me to play in...I'd start one, but I'd need to know some other directors. I should get out of my band room more huh?

Traveling (Pep) Band

I'd heard of a "Rambling Man", but I seem to have a traveling band. Pep Band that is!



We spent January on the bus hitting up a couple larger venue basketball games. I've never known a school to have a traveling pep band, but it was a lot of fun.



We played at Bradley University for a women's game when the BU Pep Band was still on break. The best part of that was getting to spend some time talking to Dr. Vroman. He was the All-State conductor when I was in the band in 2002. I have so much respect for him so it was nice to get to meet him as a colleague. Not and equal, but a director all the same. He said some good things about the band and is hoping some of them will come to his honor band later in the year.



The next weekend we jumped on the bus to play for the HOIC Championship night. Our band was selected by the area AD's and Principals to play the big show. Here are pictures from that...

Claire and Kory Get serious! The whole band up and ready to play.

We had a great time and even got to feel a little bit special. We had priority loading right at the front of Wesleyan's Sports Complex. However, a van blocked is in so I went to ask the driver to move which he did. I got back on the bus and told the kids that I said, "Sorry sir, you're going to have to move because the greatest band in the conference needs to get out of here after that gym shaking performance." The response from the band was incredible! It's great to see those kids all hyped up!

We are hoping to make the state games next year. It's a good venue for a smaller band and they seem very proud when kids from our basketball teams come back from away games and tell them how great our band sounds.

Holiday Concert

It seems far too early for the Holiday Concert to be over. I mean I'll be listening to Christmas music for the next 20 days and I'm already tired of it!

The bands did well and to be honest it's nice to have my first actual concert under my belt. It was painless because the students were prepared and to tell the truth I'm not really the nervous type. Even the dress rehearsal wasn't bad, which shocked because I don't think I ever had a good dress rehearsal as a player!

We played Leroy Anderson's "Sleigh Ride" and really brought down the house. The crowd loved the horse whinny in the trumpet. I had a teacher tell me that it was "superb". I'm glad that's the word being used to describe us.

My beginning band played a simple arrangement I printed up for them of Jingle Bells. I have come to realize at the age, the parents are thrilled if they can recognize the tune. It's so cool that two months ago they couldn't even hold their instruments and now they're playing. They've done the work though, I know that I'm just a small part of it.

Overall it was a good experience. I didn't even sound too dumb on the microphone.