Jak

If anything, I do too much. It's fairly common for us to spend 1 hour to 1.5 hours of a 3-hour rehearsal on technique. It's good in theory, but sometimes we suffer becasue we just don't get enough ensemble time to get the show on and clean. But trying to limit our movement person to a 30 minute dance class is like pulling teeth.

That's quite true. I believe Tommy was a brainstormer, and gave conceptual input. Tim and Damon actually put the show together from a nuts and bolts standpoint. Can you imagine how long it took to plan it so those banners spelled all the right words at the right time?

Tommy was also involved with Chimeras a few years, including the great Time to Say Goodbye show.

Of course, anyone can have Tommy design for you. Just call the Band Hall.

He didn't do any of the writing or staging. He did the costumes and flags, though, as well as sort of consulting on the overall concept and look of the show. He's done that for them for several years. I expect he will again.

I tried to hire Sebastienne last winter to do our choreography, but he was far too expensive. When we refused to pay his exorbitant fees, he and Hazelton put a curse on our equipment, causing us to drop everything we released. He's a bitter old queen. Such a shame...

the latest entry in the Press Release Parade: http://www.wgi.org/news_detail.php?id=1733

Warning: those pashmina unitards might be a little itchy.

Regarding resigning vs. getting fired, we may never know the truth of who made the first move there. I've heard different things from different people. One thing is for sure, both parties were ready to be rid of the other; it's just a question of whether he resigned before they could fire him, or the other way round. I thing we have a chicken or the egg question here.

You mean the Spiderman suits?

I don't know, Michael is not on the staff list for the guard phormerly know as Phantom this winter. Perhaps they had a falling out?

Really? That's not what I heard...

Did anybody see the Rhythmic Gymnastics Team finals this weekend? I didn't even know they had a team event. It's straight up winterguard, just with different equipment, and it was freaking amazing. They toss, exchange, and catch their equipment from every part of their bodies (legs, back, head, neck, stomach, whatever). The best trick of the night was when a girl had 2 hoops in her hand. She did a huge split leap and threw one hoop up in front of her and one hoop behind her. Another girl caught the one she threw backwards. At the same time, a third girl threw a hoop at the one doing the leap. She bounced the hoop off her back foot (while maintaining perfect split leap form) back to the girl that threw it. Then she landed from her leap, did a somersault, and caught the first hoop that she threw. I was throwing babies at the TV! There are clips at nbcolympics.com.

Surely you're not suggesting that Adam got phired for not building kids' self esteem????

As I understand it, the Regiment organization provided virtually no financial support to the winterguard. I think Adam wanted to do one and they were like "Whatever you want to do." With him gone, they probably don't have the desire to fool with it.

Fall $500 Winter $700 The dues make up only about half of our winter budget. The rest is done by the band boosters through fund raisers, hosting a Regional, etc.

And what's with the Cadet's set? If it's a radio show, shouldn't they be in a studio? It reminds me more of Oprah than Frasier Crane.

I hated Crown's flags. They were great last year; they should have stayed with the Band Hall. But I loved their show, and they are my favorite guard this year. I liked Cadets flags a lot; especially the money flag. Tommy Keenum did them. On a side note, the Cadets guard is so good at what they do, and so CLEAN! It's unfortunate that the narration is so intrusive and offensive. I wonder if Ira Glass knows they're ripping him off... I liked the Blue Knights airbrushed flags the first time I saw them. I think it was around 1963. I'm over them now.

I would like to think that the people responisble for judging our activity would be interested in cultural events. There's no doubt that art, theater, and music have a strong influence on what we do. I'm not sure requiring it would work, though. It's a bit like required reading in High School. I may have read Moby Dick and Wuthering Heights, but I can't say that I took much away from them. By the way, I don't think you'll see Carmen on Broadway. Lincoln Center is more likely...

I hear that the exterior is misleading. Tommy Keenum and Adam Sage did the interior. They said their design mantra was "nauseatingly excessive opulence." Think gilded moldings, Versace Medusa linens, Antique rococo furnishings, ivory door knobs, office chairs upholstered in albino tiger skin, walls covered in Dupioni silk. It should be rich! Also, rumor has it that Shirlee Whitcomb required an ebony throne with mother of pearl inlay for her office.

Tommy Keenum doesn't make a living teaching color guard. He does work part time at the Band Hall designing costumes and flags, but he is a bit of a Renaissance Man, earning income in many different ways.

Huh? First of all, professional orchestras aren't about music education. The performers are at the very top of their field and are their to perform, not receive an education. Secondly, Symphony Orchestras rarely rehearse a concert more than a week or two in advance. I would say that spending one week preparing for a 2 hour concert is the antithesis of spending 4 months preparing for an 8 minute performance. I fear we may have gotten off topic...

Of course, but playing the same 8 minutes of music ad naseum for 4 months is not a particularly well-rounded or standards-based education in music.

Everyone is certainly entitled to have their own opinion and philosophy here. But you don't know my situation, so you shouldn't be so quick to malign my views. It just so happens that the program I'm with doesn't stress marching band all that much. We put more emphasis on our winter programs. The band director and all the staff (drums and guard) are on the same page there. I also happen to be a middle school band teacher (at a different school), and it shocks me that someone would imply that concert band is training for marching band. I happen to think that concert band is where music education happens, and marching band is strictly an extra-curricular activity. But, as I said before, I don't know your situation. Whatever floats your goat...

Speaking strictly for myself, fall is all about training for winter. I'm not terribly concerned about creating effect or impact. I just want to beat them up all fall so they can spin by winter. I would NOT want to start the winter season with a sabre line that hadn't spun in 7 months!