So I got a bunch of emails and phone calls from Chicago's Smooth 87.7FM, the new smooth jazz station in town, about a competition they are having for local jazz bands. It's co-sponsored by Roosevelt University and U.S. Cellular, and the top four bands get to perform live at Roosevelt in November for the grand prize. As a last minute decision, we decided to make a hasty entry on a piece that we've been arranging for the concert on the 8th. It's a great McCoy Tyner piece called "Contemplation," and we brainstormed a number of ideas about how to do it. Based on student input, I wrote up some voicings, passed them out this morning, and we got it into shape as quickly as possible. The recording is rough, but I'm hoping the judges hear that we are doing some sophisticated work. Who knows, maybe we'll get to go downtown and compete?
The entry process taxed my technical skills! I had to record the group on my Yamaha Pocketrak 2G, download it to my computer, and edit the soundfile. Next, I had to create a YouTube account, something which I had never done. Then I had to find a service that help me create a video from the mp3 audio file and a single screenshot with the band name and title of the piece. Once it was posted on YouTube, I completed our entry by sending in the url of our video. An hour and a half later, we were up and running.
My advisor approved all of my edits, so now it's on to the second reader. I'll hear back from her in a few weeks, so I have a bit of time off. That will come in handy, since DHS grades are due next week, and the papers and projects are beginning to pile up a bit! Assuming that all goes well, I'll have a practice defense during the first week of December and the real thing before break. The light at the end of the tunnel is getting brighter and brighter!
From time to time, the search engine Google replaces its standard logo with a creative "doodle" that transforms the design into a picture that commemorates a special event, such as a holiday or the Olympics. Recently, they had a John Lennon doodle to celebrate his 70th birthday. Today, they feature Dizzy Gillespie, one of the greatest jazz trumpeters of all time. He is known as a pioneer of both bebop and Afro-Cuban jazz, as well as his wit and humor on the band stand. His bent trumpet became his signature trademark, and the Warrior Marching Band played his tune "Manteca" this fall. So, a tip of the beret to Diz on what would have been his 93rd birthday!
I just sent the first truly complete draft of my dissertation to my advisor. This is the result of literally hundreds of edits based on his previous suggestions and those of my second reader, who will get one more crack at it after him. Then it's on to the defense, which I believe I might still be able to fit in before winter break. (fingers crossed!)
Thanks to everyone who has continued to support me throughout the dissertation. I'll keep you informed of the progress. Until there's more news, I'll leave you with this brief excerpt:
This ultimate goal [of comprehensive musicianship] is too important to ignore in an era in which music educators once again find themselves required to justify their curricula in the midst of budget cuts and high stakes testing. CM proponents approach music as a multi-faceted and rigorous academic discipline that teaches critical thinking, communication, collaboration, and creativity, the “4 Cs” of learning and innovation as espoused by the Partnership for 21st Century Skills (2004). The traditional band curriculum, which emphasizes performance training, does not provide students the same depth of experience in these skills. For music education to stay relevant, music educators need to incorporate models like comprehensive musicianship to remain on the leading edge of educational reform and to prepare students for a future of lifelong music-making.
Nancy Faust just finished her 41st and final season as ballpark organist for the Chicago White Sox. She is the most famous stadium organist in the world, carrying on a disappearing tradition of live music at baseball games. Her clever song choices that comment on the players' names and the action on the field are well known throughout the major leagues, but my favorite thing about Nancy is that her son, Eric, was in the DHS band program. Eric was a fine percussionist for us back in the late 1990s. When Eric was a senior, we asked Nancy to join the marching band for a performance of "Take Me Out to the Ballgame." She brought a Hammond organ to the auditorium and played along with the marching band at our Bandorama. Later that year, the band returned the favor and performed the national anthem at Comiskey Park before a White Sox game.
As a Cub fan, I have fond memories of Harry Caray's traditional singing of the song, which has now become a rather embarrassing tradition at Wrigley Field, as total non-singers come in to the booth to butcher the tune. As great a Cub tradition as this is, however, Harry Caray started it when he was an announcer on the south side. And who accompanied him every night? Nancy Faust, of course!
This blog is for the students, parents, alumni, and friends of the Deerfield (IL) High School Bands. It includes announcements, assignments, details of class activities, and random thoughts about music. Click on the link above to go to the DHS band website.
