One Time at Band Camp, The Diary

[bulbasaur]

People today have YOLO, but I had Carpe Diem growing up.

As a kid, I wanted to do everything.  I wanted to learn everything.  I wanted to be everywhere.  When the opportunity arose to join the school band, why not?  I always loved music, why not actually learn it?  Besides, band class took the place of one of the humanity courses.  Homework or no homework.  The choice was easy. 

On the first day of class, we were given a choice of which instrument to play.  I had experience with the recorder, but "only girls" played the woodwinds.  Drums would be bada$$, but I didn't think I could jam as well as the brothers.  Strings weren't offered at the time.  That left the brass instruments.  Tuba is out of the question.  I am not lugging that huge piece of monstrosity around.  I didn't really want to play an instrument using my fingers because I played a lot of volleyball at the time, so I would occasionally jam my fingers.  So, I chose the trombone. 

This would be the start of my journey as a musician...

[bulbasaur]

I was fortunate enough to have been given a trombone by the school.  It was an Olds Trombone with a 12C mouthpiece.  I hated it.  It was rusty.  It was messy.  It came with an ugly brown case instead of the cool black cases that everyone had.  It lived up to its name, OLD!  Beggars can't be choosers.  I was just going to do the best with what I got. 

I was embarrassed by my trombone.  Everyone had nice new instruments with matching cases.  Some people even had really nice silver ones.  I didn't need a silver one, but I didn't want to be different.  I would go a few years using this trombone before getting one of my own.

Years later, I would miss that trombone.  The first trombone I bought was a simple student trombone, and it didn't sound nearly as good as the Olds.  I even missed that ugly brown case.  Now that I had a generic black case like everyone else, it took me forever to find my trombone off the bus.  And worse, I didn't feel special anymore. 

The grass isn't always greener... 

[bulbasaur]

I was planning on ending the story with that.   Do you really want to know now? 

And are you still playing today? What intrustment have you moved onto playing? I took guitar lesson when I was in junior high and choir but that's about it. Today, I don't even remember any of the key notes anymore.

[bulbasaur]

I entered the first day of band class with a positive outlook.  Like I said before, I had experience with the recorder, so I already knew how to read music on a basic level.  I knew that every good boy deserves fudge, and I knew that a face needs a space. 

When the instructor handed out our books, he told me to ignore what he was going to say to the rest of the class.  Why?  Apparently, the trombone doesn't play off treble, it plays off bass.  I had to learn an entire differently system.  This was going to be more difficult than I thought. 

I have inadvertently become all about that bass.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7PCkvCPvDXk

[bulbasaur]

All Cows Eat Grass, and apparently Good Boys Do Fine Always now.  I also heard Great Big Dogs Fight Angrily. 

For some strange reason, I thought the trombone would be a popular instrument, but it wasn't.  I was one of 2 trombones that started, but the other guy quit within 2 months.  I was often ignored in practice.  I guess the director broke it down by the numbers.  I had to practice by myself at home, which was kinda hard since no one wanted to hear a kid learning how to play a loud instrument.

For two years, we would come to practice.  We'd play some scales and simple songs.  Camptown Races and Yankee Doodle stuff.  On the final week of our elementary school career, we would have our first concert.  I was nervous.  I liked playing, but I wasn't sure if it was spectator worthy. 

[bulbasaur]

Looking back, my first concert was not as difficult as I thought.  We played the simplest of songs that I no longer remember.  8th grade bands these days are playing Glee versions of songs.  In any case, I was never worried about competition in the band because I didn't have any.  All of that would soon change when I would go to...HIGH SCHOOL!

[bulbasaur]

My parents didn't let me play sports in high school, so I joined the band.  The first act of high school band....BAND CAMP!

My first band camp was held at a local university during the summer.  We stayed in the dorms and at the cafeteria.  In the mornings and evenings, we would practice our march routines.  In the afternoons, we would do workshops.  It was a lot of fun to hang out with friends all day and night. 

All those silly stories in those teen movies about band camp...kinda true.  The band couple.  The swingers.  The too cool drum line.  The ones who take music too seriously.  The ones whose parents are forcing them to be there.  The freshmen who are clearly too popular for band and are going to drop out when they find out they are popular.  The geeks.  The freaks.  The musical child prodigy.  The gays.  The jazzers. 

As for me, I kinda floated in the various groups.  I was a gym class hero, but I didn't play any sports.  I hung out with the varsity cheerleaders because I tutored one in music and another one in math.  Plus, we were friends in elementary school (which is another story for another day).  I hung out with the geeks because we were all in the college prep courses.  I hung out with the freaks because my elementary school friends turned out to be stoners.  I hung out with the musicians because I was decent.  Strangely enough, the only group that I didn't hang out much with was the Hmong group.  There were no Hmong people in band. 

[bulbasaur]

Friday Night Lights

In the fall, every Friday night was football night for us.  We would play fight music in the stands for the first half.  Do our halftime show.  Take the 3rd quarter off.  Then play the 4th quarter.  I would have preferred to be playing football instead of watching it, but it is not like I didn't enjoy the band.  Plus, eating hot cheesy nachos on a cold autumn night is just nice. 

After the games, we would all hit up the local Burger King.  All the kids would hang out until 1am or 2am.  We wouldn't really be doing anything.  We would just be hanging out and talking.  I was able to drive as a sophomore, so it was fun to just hang out with friends without a worry about the next day.  These days, kids can't do this anymore.  There are restrictions on licenses and curfews.  Too bad for them. 

Good times. 

[bulbasaur]

Cheerleader Tutorials

During my years in band, there were some cheerleaders in band as well.  I don't think they wanted to be in band, but their parents were forcing them.  One of them played the trombone.  Her mom wanted to see some results, so the cheerleader asked me to practice with her.  For a year, we practiced twice a week before I changed schools. 

[bulbasaur]

I was at baggage claim the other day, and I saw a trombone going around.  As it turned out, it belonged to the guy standing beside me.  It just got me thinking about the old days.  I kinda wished I had more time to practice.  I guess I could make time, but...