I don't envy his work. It's a job I could never do, I believe, even if I were a musical genius. This year has been a learning experience for me as I've observed just all the craziness his job entails. And just having to cart the large, heavy instruments from here to there would be enough for me to turn in my resignation. Or maybe I'd have to get a gym membership in order to lift the cumbersome things. Anyway, I digress.
Last week was the busiest week of the entire school year for Brian. If there was an event to be had, it was. His spring concert was on Tuesday. This was excellent preparation for the upcoming competition for the band on Thursday as the students performed two of the three songs they would play before judges. In my opinion, I thought the band sounded great, and I am always so proud to see Brian throw himself into the song he is conducting in order to bring out the best in his students.
On Thursday he and his junior and senior high bands went to the yearly competition where they would be judged, critiqued, graded, dissected, etc. before some pretty important people in the state of NY. His senior high band was at a great disadvantage due to the absence of Brian's best all-state player whose father had just passed away. Both bands performed well, but I can say from my own listening experience, as least with the high school band, they performed better at the concert, no doubt to having the full band present. In any case, both bands were challenged, and Brian was proud of them.
Brian finished the week on Friday doing some judging of his own. It was a tiring week, but we are looking forward to things winding down in the weeks before graduation.
Here is Brian with his jazz band. This is a new group that just started this year.
The junior high band gets ready to play.
Brian works with his senior high band before their performance in front of the dreaded judges.
Terrible lighting, I know, but this is the high school band about to perform in an auditorium much larger than what they are used to.
