Happy Holidays

            The holidays were my favorite time of year as a band director.  Marching season (and the stress that came with it) was over and All West, Concert Festival and Spring Trip worries were far enough away to procrastinate the concern.  I have a whole host of favorite band related holiday memories.  Some are very specific and some are just overall impressions.  Here are a few of the most memorable.

            At my very first Holiday Concert, (December of 1991?), we played a tune called “Christmas Favorites”.  The song called for a solo trumpet player to hold a high b-flat until I brought the rest of the band in on the next section.  I was really feeling it that night and held the note out for an extremely long time.  Granted, it is easier to hold my hand up than it is to play the note but, like I said, I was feelin’ it.  Steve Stires was the solo trumpet player and, just after bringing the rest of the band back in, I heard a noise from the trumpet section.  I looked back and there was no Steve Stires but there was a Michelle Ticer waving frantically and pointing to the floor next to her.  It seems Steve had passed out.  Before I could wrap my mind around what was happening, he popped back up and we finished the song.  Steve was a heavyweight wrestler and sort of a beast.  He and I each broke a finger once battling it out in a game of mercy (if you don’t know, don’t ask – not sure about statute of limitations on broken kids).  On the other hand, I have never passed out in a concert so I got him on that one.

            During the “Year of the Tornado”, we spent the end of first semester practicing at the GPAC.  We had school in the afternoons at Germantown High School but practiced in the mornings.  When it came time to have our holiday concert, the GPAC was booked solid and, of course, we had no school.  My principal was John Clayton and, as I am sure you would expect, he was overwhelmed with “rebuilding the school” details.  He told me to “just find a place”.  I got on the phone and called every school that had an auditorium within 30 miles.  Finally Briarcrest told us to come on and we could use their facility which was down near the 240 / Poplar interchange (this was before the new campus).  Briarcrest was run by Joe Clayton, the brother of my principal.  What I did not know was that the 2 of them had not gotten along together (like not spoken) for several years.  On the morning of the concert, MY Mr. Clayton called me in and told me to find another place to have the concert.  We loudly discussed the issue for about 10 minutes at which time it was agreed that I was an idiot (at least Mr. Clayton agreed to that) and that the concert would have to be at Briarcrest.  Whether or not I would have a job after Christmas was an open question.

            In the fall of 2012, we did a marching show entitled “The Giving Tree” based on the book of the same name by Shel Silverstein.  The centerpiece of the show was an enormous tree.  The tree was very lifelike and even had leaves that would move in and out of the branches.  It was designed and built by a Hollywood company that also designed the iconic “Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas” sign.  Not only did it look great, it cost $9,000.  I told myself at the time that we would find other uses for the tree or sell it to recoup some of the cost.  The market for a used $9,000 fake tree is smaller that you might imagine.  That having been said, I was left with finding other uses.  For the next few years, we would get the tree out of the storage building at Thanksgiving and decorate it for Christmas.  Not sure it was the best-looking tree in Germantown, but it had to be the most expensive…. and in Germantown that is saying something.

            At the holiday concert when Faith was 2 ½ years old, the band had decided to give us an extra special Christmas Present.  I do not often get surprised but was certainly surprised that night.  Just before the final song, some of the kids called Faith up on stage and gave her a giant, stuffed Mickey Mouse.  They then told us they were sending us to Disney World for Spring Break.  Faith was absolutely thrilled.  Mom and Dad were just a little less thrilled.  You see, Amy was pregnant with Mary Ann at the time but we had not told anyone yet.  We went to Disney and had a wonderful time though Amy was 6 ½ months along and Faith was in the phase where she wanted mom to carry her every where we went.  Feel the Magic!

            I remember caroling through the neighborhoods near the school a few times.  I also remember the year the parade was canceled because of rain but we marched through the neighborhoods after we returned to school as it had quit raining.  We played for special ed. kids a number of times and provided food and gifts for them.  Flute, Clarinet and Jazz groups played at retirement homes.  We instituted the Santa Hat instead of a band hat for parades and soon after every band was doing the same thing.  Food covered my desk in the form of presents from band members.  Not that I got to eat most of it as it seems that any food in my office became community food.  I also remember the first time a parent gifted me a bottle of bourbon and, after hiding it in my trunk, looking up the rules of 180 day suspensions for alcohol to see if they applied to teachers (not that I could tell). 

            You were all special folks but seemed to become a little more special this time of year.  I hope that you and your families have a Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukah (or any of the 5 other spellings), Great Holiday and a Wonderful New Year.

p.s.

            I still owe just over a thousand dollars for Sousaphone cases.  There is a donation button on the side of this blog.  Those two facts can be related if you wish them to be.