"How long did it take you to get used to this?" Mary inquired as she
stretched out her calves.
"Ah, not long. All you gotta remember is to do it CONSTANTLY. Sure, you'll feel like a dork roll-stepping through the mall or around the house, but honestly, who's gonna be watching you?" A smile appeared over her once distressed face.
"Hehe, so, you're a sophomore I take it. Lot's of people have told me that you're a freshman." I looked in fake shock, I already knew half the band took me for a freshman. I can't really tell you why, you'd have to ask them.
"Yeah, I guess I have the qualities of a freshman. Overly obsessed with band, too into roll-stepping, staying in step with everyone ..." I glanced over at her, now stretching her arms. I stood up and rested my leg on the guardrail with my right arm lain on top. She then replied "Well, I want to be a band geek too. Band's all I ever think about, and before when I only had band class in grade school, that was the extent. Now I get to spend every day after school with people who love doing the same thing I do!"
"I can't argue with that." I gave her a sincere smile. It seemed like I found a new band geek buddy.
I clapped out beats as she marched back and forth down the lot ... making her shout DUH every time her foot hit the ground. I even went as far as to teach her "turn to the rear in 4" .. she instantly got it. God, did I hit the freshman jackpot or what? After a while I was going to teach her 'boxes' but ...
"All right, time to see how you're all doing."
It was Mr. C. He had finally ventured outside the band room. He had his "University of Pennsylvania" cap on from last year's trip to the CSBA, the Catholic School's Band Association. And it defenitly seemed like he got his megaphone to work.
"And upperclassmen, put your instruments on the band guardrail. We're gonna work on just marching right now." A loud screech echoed through the morning air after Mr. Canterburry ended his order over the megaphone.
Mary and I marched over to the drum major podium and lined up behind Pedro and his freshie, David. Poor ol' David, I had heard that he didn't want to be here at band. Cat told me he was looking to quit, but I was sure we'd make him stay. Mary waved a hello to David, I guess they went to school together.
"Do you know him? What school did you guys go to?" I asked.
"Oh no, we didn't go to the same school, I just know him from Honors Band. But I went to Mary the Divine Mother."I giggled at the name, I always enjoyed school names that explained people.
She then threw the same question at me. "Where'd you go?"
"All right band, I want you to march 16 8 to 5 steps forward, making sure you dress to your partner and to the person in front of you. Freshman in the front row, keep in line with the parking space lines."
"St. Joseph's ..." I whispered to Mary. She laughed, and I froze for a moment, hoping that Jason wouldn't hear her.
Scoffing a glare towards our direction, Jason proceeded to jump up onto the trembling podium and lifted his arms. Called to attention. Hands in front of us like we were holding trumpets, minus the flutes who pretended to be holding their instruments out to the side .. Clarinetists with hands in place where they would had they be holding theirs, Trombonists trying to be funny by playing "air trombones" and the pit just completely confused as with what to do with their sticks.
Jason's arms started to wave like mad as he shouted out the next command to begin marching. I thought intently on marching smoothly and efficiently. Think think think! You can do this! Rolling over paint, Rolling over paint. Gosh, I was thinking far to hard. Suddenly, I started marching to an entirely different tempo, one of the song in my head (which just so happened to be "I Like to Boogie" .. yeah, great song to march too) when ...
"Marter! What are you doing! Get back in tempo!" I looked over and saw Mr. Austin the Assitant Director shaking his head. "You know how to do this!" he remarked.
I couldn't help but smile at my own stupid mistake. I'd experienced worse before. However, a few more freshman began to follow my lead and were completely off step and lost, some even looked on the verge of tears.
I guess I've gotta teach them to understand the rules of this band.
--------------------------------------------------------
I walked into the front door of our brick red house and was greeted with a friendly "How was band today, hun?" from my mother. I gave her a nod, a nervous nod, and explained that the new director was pretty hot and that we could expect some special things to come. My mother, who obviously is more perverse than me, took it the wrong way.
"Mom, I was kidding."
"Kidding my ass! Don't say those kind of things!"
"I was talking about THE MARCHING SHOW, Mother!"
"You could have phrased it more nicely!"
"Augh, see .. This is why I don't talk about band with you, you don't GET it!"
In fact, I don't think most people really got band, even some of the people in the band. It always bothered me, but I never really thought about it before until now.
"I get that I have to pay 270 dollars a year for you to be away from this house every Monday, Thursday and Friday learning just more vile language and sexual innuendo's than you'll ever need to get by on in college. Sometimes I really wonder what you're all doing up there."
"We're making MUSIC mom!"
"Then why couldn't I hear any today, hm? I normally can."
"Mom, it's the first day of camp! It's rookie day! You don't expect us to play AND march on the first day of band, do you?"
She didn't answer.
"I just don't think I like that director of yours."
"You've never even MET him mom!"
"That's my point, why isn't he showing his face?"
"You'll meet him at the band picnic in August!"
"EXACTLY! Who knows what he'll be doing to you until then."
"Mom, are you implying that he's a bad person, or that you just simply don't trust the idea of me making new friends who are older than me .. Because he would NEVER do something vile to us, he's a teacher mother, A TEACHER for heaven's sake, and a CATHOLIC SCHOOL TEACHER, no less!"
"You're just not getting it, Rob."
"No mom, YOU don't get it. You just don't understand!"
You see, this is what I mean. People don't understand. It hurts so much that my own mother, who used to be in marching band herself, can't understand why I have so much fun with other people, and seem to be having more fun with a teacher than I do with my own mother. Well, if only she knew what I really love about band was not that I could parade around saying I was "buddy-buddy" with the band director.
And I hope you're noting the sarcasm.
Another thing people don't get is the sarcasm bit. I don't really understand where it came from, but NOBODY at NC is serious. It's quite a plauge, really, but it's something that sets our school apart from the others. Oh, if people only could understand. That's what the world needs most: Understanding.
We don't need no stinkin' World Peace.
I ran into my room and flopped onto my bed. I then stared up into the marching band painting that I made last summer the day after our first rehearsal. It had a fox in our marching uniforms looking off into the distance, with an entire band behind him .. With the quote "Live free, die proud, have fun and play loud" on the bottom in sharpie marker. I then remembered instantly why I loved band, because only people who did it understood.
And that's what set us apart.
But why was I so intent on showing the world how to understand it?
And that's when I thought of it.
To write a book ...
About BAND.
"Ah, not long. All you gotta remember is to do it CONSTANTLY. Sure, you'll feel like a dork roll-stepping through the mall or around the house, but honestly, who's gonna be watching you?" A smile appeared over her once distressed face.
"Hehe, so, you're a sophomore I take it. Lot's of people have told me that you're a freshman." I looked in fake shock, I already knew half the band took me for a freshman. I can't really tell you why, you'd have to ask them.
"Yeah, I guess I have the qualities of a freshman. Overly obsessed with band, too into roll-stepping, staying in step with everyone ..." I glanced over at her, now stretching her arms. I stood up and rested my leg on the guardrail with my right arm lain on top. She then replied "Well, I want to be a band geek too. Band's all I ever think about, and before when I only had band class in grade school, that was the extent. Now I get to spend every day after school with people who love doing the same thing I do!"
"I can't argue with that." I gave her a sincere smile. It seemed like I found a new band geek buddy.
I clapped out beats as she marched back and forth down the lot ... making her shout DUH every time her foot hit the ground. I even went as far as to teach her "turn to the rear in 4" .. she instantly got it. God, did I hit the freshman jackpot or what? After a while I was going to teach her 'boxes' but ...
"All right, time to see how you're all doing."
It was Mr. C. He had finally ventured outside the band room. He had his "University of Pennsylvania" cap on from last year's trip to the CSBA, the Catholic School's Band Association. And it defenitly seemed like he got his megaphone to work.
"And upperclassmen, put your instruments on the band guardrail. We're gonna work on just marching right now." A loud screech echoed through the morning air after Mr. Canterburry ended his order over the megaphone.
Mary and I marched over to the drum major podium and lined up behind Pedro and his freshie, David. Poor ol' David, I had heard that he didn't want to be here at band. Cat told me he was looking to quit, but I was sure we'd make him stay. Mary waved a hello to David, I guess they went to school together.
"Do you know him? What school did you guys go to?" I asked.
"Oh no, we didn't go to the same school, I just know him from Honors Band. But I went to Mary the Divine Mother."I giggled at the name, I always enjoyed school names that explained people.
She then threw the same question at me. "Where'd you go?"
"All right band, I want you to march 16 8 to 5 steps forward, making sure you dress to your partner and to the person in front of you. Freshman in the front row, keep in line with the parking space lines."
"St. Joseph's ..." I whispered to Mary. She laughed, and I froze for a moment, hoping that Jason wouldn't hear her.
Scoffing a glare towards our direction, Jason proceeded to jump up onto the trembling podium and lifted his arms. Called to attention. Hands in front of us like we were holding trumpets, minus the flutes who pretended to be holding their instruments out to the side .. Clarinetists with hands in place where they would had they be holding theirs, Trombonists trying to be funny by playing "air trombones" and the pit just completely confused as with what to do with their sticks.
Jason's arms started to wave like mad as he shouted out the next command to begin marching. I thought intently on marching smoothly and efficiently. Think think think! You can do this! Rolling over paint, Rolling over paint. Gosh, I was thinking far to hard. Suddenly, I started marching to an entirely different tempo, one of the song in my head (which just so happened to be "I Like to Boogie" .. yeah, great song to march too) when ...
"Marter! What are you doing! Get back in tempo!" I looked over and saw Mr. Austin the Assitant Director shaking his head. "You know how to do this!" he remarked.
I couldn't help but smile at my own stupid mistake. I'd experienced worse before. However, a few more freshman began to follow my lead and were completely off step and lost, some even looked on the verge of tears.
I guess I've gotta teach them to understand the rules of this band.
--------------------------------------------------------
I walked into the front door of our brick red house and was greeted with a friendly "How was band today, hun?" from my mother. I gave her a nod, a nervous nod, and explained that the new director was pretty hot and that we could expect some special things to come. My mother, who obviously is more perverse than me, took it the wrong way.
"Mom, I was kidding."
"Kidding my ass! Don't say those kind of things!"
"I was talking about THE MARCHING SHOW, Mother!"
"You could have phrased it more nicely!"
"Augh, see .. This is why I don't talk about band with you, you don't GET it!"
In fact, I don't think most people really got band, even some of the people in the band. It always bothered me, but I never really thought about it before until now.
"I get that I have to pay 270 dollars a year for you to be away from this house every Monday, Thursday and Friday learning just more vile language and sexual innuendo's than you'll ever need to get by on in college. Sometimes I really wonder what you're all doing up there."
"We're making MUSIC mom!"
"Then why couldn't I hear any today, hm? I normally can."
"Mom, it's the first day of camp! It's rookie day! You don't expect us to play AND march on the first day of band, do you?"
She didn't answer.
"I just don't think I like that director of yours."
"You've never even MET him mom!"
"That's my point, why isn't he showing his face?"
"You'll meet him at the band picnic in August!"
"EXACTLY! Who knows what he'll be doing to you until then."
"Mom, are you implying that he's a bad person, or that you just simply don't trust the idea of me making new friends who are older than me .. Because he would NEVER do something vile to us, he's a teacher mother, A TEACHER for heaven's sake, and a CATHOLIC SCHOOL TEACHER, no less!"
"You're just not getting it, Rob."
"No mom, YOU don't get it. You just don't understand!"
You see, this is what I mean. People don't understand. It hurts so much that my own mother, who used to be in marching band herself, can't understand why I have so much fun with other people, and seem to be having more fun with a teacher than I do with my own mother. Well, if only she knew what I really love about band was not that I could parade around saying I was "buddy-buddy" with the band director.
And I hope you're noting the sarcasm.
Another thing people don't get is the sarcasm bit. I don't really understand where it came from, but NOBODY at NC is serious. It's quite a plauge, really, but it's something that sets our school apart from the others. Oh, if people only could understand. That's what the world needs most: Understanding.
We don't need no stinkin' World Peace.
I ran into my room and flopped onto my bed. I then stared up into the marching band painting that I made last summer the day after our first rehearsal. It had a fox in our marching uniforms looking off into the distance, with an entire band behind him .. With the quote "Live free, die proud, have fun and play loud" on the bottom in sharpie marker. I then remembered instantly why I loved band, because only people who did it understood.
And that's what set us apart.
But why was I so intent on showing the world how to understand it?
And that's when I thought of it.
To write a book ...
About BAND.