Dissertation Update

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.

Former DHS Band Mom and White Sox Organist Retires

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!

So, Nancy, our hats are off to you!

The media pays tribute:
N.Y. Times article
ESPN

Happy Homecoming!

Homecoming 2010 is now in the books. It was a great week, full of excitement and wonderful performances. You can see to the right that the freshmen got right into the spirit of things with their banner celebrating the theme of "Game Time." Led by senior advisors Logan, Maura, and Tracey, they created a clever reworking of the Monopoly board with a musical theme.

The Warrior Marching Band started Homecoming Friday with an early bird practice on the back 40, where we were under a fairly constant drizzle. With our dress rehearsal cut short, we went inside to wipe down the instruments and head off to class. By 8th period, though, we were ready to start the festivities. Continuing a tradition that dates back to the 1960s, we marched through the halls performing the fight song, our halftime numbers, and several cheers. My favorite stop is always by the DeerPark Daycare, where our little friends helped us cheer on the Warriors with "Go Big Red!"

Then it was on to the pep rally where we joined forces with the cheerleaders, Warriorettes, and drill team for a rousing rendition of the fight song. In our featured numbers, drum major Logan Bloom showed off his advanced mace spinning techniques for the crowd as we performed the video game theme song, "The Legend of Zelda." His final toss narrowly missed the ceiling of the exhibition gym, and the audience cheered his triumphant catch. Then, the homecoming court was announced, with band members Alex Schopa and Danny Dubin representing the sophomore and junior classes, and Laurie Polisky as homecoming queen.

The football game went very well for both the team and the band. Pregame was well executed, starting everything off with a spirit of patriotism. At halftime, we performed our tribute to video game music, with a complicated drill on "Super Mario Bros." and a giant game of Tetris, in which each squad became a Tetris block and marched towards the sideline, rotating and sliding into place. Since I couldn't figure out how to make the squads disappear, we didn't manage to clear any lines. The cheerleaders helped out by forming the sides of the game board. They were so excited to be part of the show that they baked us cookies! After the 3rd quarter, we reprised Logan's mace routine from the pep rally, and when all was said and done, we were tired, happy, and basking in a 35-7 victory over Maine West. Go Big Red, indeed!



This is the 100th post on Mr. B's Blog! Thanks for reading!

The Modern US Military Band

Special thanks to a band parent who sent this link to me...

Here is a great NY Times article about American military bands in the 21st century. Just like our modern fighting forces, these groups need to be able to move in, perform quickly, and get out. Therefore, each of the traditional large ensembles can be broken down into small chamber units and rock bands.

A couple things to note from the article. Col. Thomas Palmatier was quoted several times, and he is no stranger to the DHS bands. The colonel has been the guest conductor of the North Shore Honor Band twice, most recently in 2009. He conducts the US Army Field Band, from which one of my college friends retired just this past summer. My friend joined the clarinet section of the band after a stint in Germany right out of college, and most recently he worked administratively for the Field Band, coordinating their extensive American tours.

I'd also like to share that a military band career is a fine way to be a professional musician. There's no hunting for gigs, playing drunken weddings and drab society affairs. You get to perform for important ceremonies like boot camp graduations and inaugurations. The military provides you with top-of-the-line instruments, excellent facilities, and money to pay off student loans. Auditions for positions in the top groups like "Pershing's Own" (Army) or "The President's Own" (Marines) attract master players from all over the country. If you think you'd be interested in a military music career, talk to me, and I can get you more information. It's obviously not for everyone, but it's a great life for many.

Chicago Jazz Festival

One of the better jazz festivals in North America is the Chicago Jazz Festival. Although not as famous as its counterparts in Newport, Monterey, or Montreal, it has undergone a bit of a renaissance over the past few years, and it is still one of the few free fests around. Two years ago I caught living legend Ornette Coleman, one of the elder statesmen of jazz and a pioneer free jazz musician. His set on alto sax, trumpet, and violin was a flurry of creativity and passion--quite impressive given that he was 80 years old at the time. I also saw a band called 8 Bold Souls play a collection of swinging avant garde tunes that inspired me to seek out their recordings and learn more about them.

This year's jazz fest starts this week and will be featuring a DHS JB favorite, Nicole Mitchell, as artist-in-residence. She is a leader on the Chicago jazz scene, known as an outstanding flutist, composer, and bandleader. We played her tune "Cause and Effect" last year, and two of our members participated in a master class she presented. She will be appearing four times throughout the festival, in a duo and with larger groups like her Black Earth Ensemble. Other highlights of the festival include:

• Brad Mehldau, an internationally acclaimed pianist known for dense, polyphonic music and his interpretations of Radiohead and Beatles tunes
  
  
• The Either/Orchestra, an eclectic band out of Boston (DHS alum Danny Kaufman toured and recorded with them several years back)
  
  
• Kurt Elling, one of the top jazz vocalists in the world, and another local Chicagoan

I highly recommend that you check out the schedule and get downtown to see some of the shows. You won't be disappointed! I'm hoping to get down there on Sunday--see you there!

Band Camp 2010!

Here is a batch of pictures from Band Camp today. We are off to a great start, with pregame learned (although there's plenty of polishing to do), halftime started, and a good amount of pep music under our belts. I am especially proud of an extra large group of freshmen who have joined us and are already becoming an important part of the band family. The seniors are doing a great job in their leadership roles, and I can tell it's going to be a great season.

Here are the results from the section march-by:

1. Sousaphones
2. Saxophones
3. Mellophones

Tomorrow we do the individual march off. Place your wagers now! (Just kidding. Gambling on marching band rehearsals is illegal, immoral, and against the activities code. Don't gamble!)

From the Archives

Here's a picture of the Deerfield HS Band playing the most presitigious performance of our 50-year history. In 1972, Deerfield resident Dan Walker won the Illinois gubernatorial election to become our state's 36th governor. He asked the DHS Band to perform at his inauguration, and on Monday, January 8, 1973, Mr. Spriester brought the students to Springfield to play the pre-ceremony prelude . Musical selections included "Battle Hymn of the Republic," "There'll Be a Change in the Weather," "Anchors Aweigh," and "America the Beautiful." The University of Illinois Marching Band played the national anthem, our state song, and a recessional. Today, if you visit our band room, you'll see a framed collage commemorating the event with a picture of Gov. Walker, two photos of the band at the capitol, and a handwritten thank-you note from the governor.

Fortunately for us, the legacy of the DHS Band did not follow Gov. Walker's career. In 1987, he was convicted of improper financial dealings with a savings and loan and sentenced to seven years in jail. He served 18 months in a prison in Duluth, Minnesota, and now lives in California.

The DHS Band actually played for President Reagan in 1985. His helicopter touched down in our parking lot before he was whisked away to a speaking engagement at the kitchens of Sara Lee, which at the time had its headquarters in Deerfield at Waukegan and Kates Roads. The band and Choraliers performed for him there, but it wasn't a high profile gig like the governor's inauguration.