Dissertation Update

Today is a landmark day for me--I sent my first draft of the last chapter of my dissertation to my advisor. I realize that I will have pages and pages of rewrites to do over the next few months as he dissects it and then a second reader has a shot at it. It still feels good, though, to get to this stage. I am hoping that this will keep me on track for a late fall defense and a completion of the degree by winter break. I'm crossing my fingers...

Last Day of School

Well, it's all over for the year. My grades are in, instruments are off to the repair shop, and the uniforms are being drycleaned. I've filed all the music and straightened up the band room, so it's time to join my students and go on summer vacation. I'm looking forward to finishing my dissertation on comprehensive musicianship, doing summer curriculum revision, and going to Maine with my daughter and our church's senior high mission trip.

I'll be updating the blog from time to time when something interesting hits me, so stop by every few weeks or so. And of course, don't forget to practice! We don't want to start the year with the dreaded summer chops!

See you in August!

Memorial Day, 2010

This year's commemoration of Memorial Day started off like any other. The Warrior Marching Band gathered at school to get instruments and run through our patriotic medley and the national anthem. We drove down to Jewett Park where the Big Band Sound of Deerfield was entertaining the crowd that was gathering around our town's war memorial. The American Legion members were on the stage, looking proud in their Legion hats and ties, and scouts of every age were in small clumps, holding flags and buzzing with excitement.

As in the past, there were a few short speeches about why we pause to reflect on this day, about how men and women throughout the ages made the ultimate sacrifice to preserve our freedom. All was going well until a couple of raindrops started to fall. As we lined up in parade formation next to the First Presbyterian Church of Deerfield, it started to rain more steadily. By the time we stepped off, we were getting drenched. When we arrived at the cemetery for the reading of Deerfield's war dead (a list that goes back to the War of 1812), it was coming down in buckets, and there were ominous rumbles of thunder off to the west. Undeterred, senior buglers Ryan Kaplan and Harrison Middaugh played "Taps" after the rifle volleys were sounded. It was a poignant moment as always.

As we lined up ready to head north on Waukegan Road, a Deerfield police officer wisely cancelled the rest of the parade and put everyone up on the sidewalk to walk back into town. We sloshed back through deep puddles, hopped on the now steamy buses, and went back to school. Everyone was excited to see Logan's convertible, which of course had the top down. Instead of putting the uniforms into piles to send to the dry cleaners, we hung everything out to dry. It will delay the process, but I don't think any of the marchers will every forget this parade.

I was very glad to see that nobody complained about getting drenched. As I reminded them afterwards, our veterans have suffered through days of rain in the jungle, bitter cold in the mountains, and sandstorms in the desert, all while under constant threat of enemy fire. It was certainly no problem for us to get a little wet as we remembered the brave men and women who served and died that we might be free.

Pomp and Circumstance, Jazz Style

This time of year, the Symphonic Band and Wind Ensemble are busy prepping for commencement, so we've been playing a lot of "Pomp and Circumstance." It's an interesting march--Edward Elgar never intended it to be specifically for graduations, but at some point during the last century, it became synonomous with caps and gowns and long speeches. Just in case you think you can't have a little fun with it, here is a big band jazz version by Woody Herman and his Thundering Herd.

Jazz Band Free Listening

Over the last two weeks, the students in the Jazz Band have each brought in a track to share with the class. We heard an incredible variety of music from classic hard bop, modal, and bossa nova to modern electronica and South Asian hybrids. Here's a list of what we've been listening to:

“MacArthur Park,” M.F. Horn, Vols. 4-5: Live at Jimmy's – Maynard Ferguson
“Girl from Ipanema,” Getz/Gilberto – Stan Getz and Joao Gilberto

“Portrait of Tracy,” Jaco Pastorius – Jaco Pastorius

“Pursuance,” A Love Supreme – John Coltrane

“Looking Out, Looking In,” Apti – Rudresh Mahanthappa

“Memai” – S&PS

“Squib Cakes,” Back to Oakland – Tower of Power

“Global Citizen,” Not for Nothin’ – Dave Holland

“Claire de Lune,” Beyond Standard – Hiromi

“My Favorite Things,” My Favorite Things – John Coltrane

“El Cojo,” Secret Dream – Chévere

“The Suspension Bridge at Iguazu Falls,” TNT – Tortoise

“Seven Steps to Heaven,” Seven Steps to Heaven – Miles Davis

From the Archives

Here is one of my all-time favorite DHS band pictures. It's labeled on the back: "Jazz Rock 1974, Mr. Panzer, Chuck Black, Andy Van Ells." There are a couple of cool things about the shot. First, the large poster on the wall above the bassist says "Home of DHS Concert Band, The Governor's Own." This is a reference to the band's being selected to play for Gov. Dan Walker's inauguration in January 1973. Walker was from Deerfield, thus the connection.

Next, the old silver drum set you see was in use until a new kit was purchased by my predecessor in 1987. You can see a student in a plaid shirt holding the matching set of bongos. In the background on the right is the percussion cabinet that we still use. I assume it was built by Al Spriester, the band director at the time, who was quite a carpenter. The really ugly folding chairs lasted until I came in 1988, when we purchased all those nice, black Wenger chairs.

What I like most about the picture, however, is the designation of the group as a "jazz rock band," which really shows the era. I imagine them playing Herbie Hancock's "Chameleon" and music by Chicago and Blood, Sweat, and Tears. I wish I knew more about the group, but they don't appear on any concert programs from the era. Perhaps they played at STUNTS or basketball games. The first mention of any jazz group playing on a concert at DHS was a "stage band" in 1976 on a pops concert. Quite a contrast from our jazz program today!

Welcome to Our Future Band Students!

If you are one of our future DHS Band students, welcome to our blog! It was great to meet many of you at Student Activities Night tonight. In addition, I'm very much looking forward to working with the Shepard and Caruso bands over the next week. Four years of wonderful music and friendships await you at Deerfield High School, and I hope you will make the most of them. You can play in the freshman Concert Band which meets as a daily class, not a before school activity. You can join the Warrior Marching Band, our school's most spirited group, and enjoy playing lots of exciting rock music. There's the Jazz Lab Band for all of you jazzers, and you don't even have to play a traditional jazz instrument. We've had flutes, clarinets, euphoniums, violas, and even an Arabic oud!

In the meantime, I wish you best of luck in your middle school bands. Have a great spring concert! If you want to learn more about the DHS band program, click on the black box in the upper left corner.