Off topic - the weekend finally ended last night

First, lots of hockey, a no school day and DD's first concert with the
school chorus.

Saturday & Sunday. DD's coed team played in the house tourney. It is meant
to give the kids that don't play more competitive hockey a taste of
tournament play and fun. Saturday, the team took the first game with ease,
out scoring the opposing team and taking 4.5 of 5 possible points for
tournament ranking. Sunday morning, they win the first game and get all 5
points, while making it a good game for the opposing team (meaning they
didn't score at will and run the score up). The kids now have about 75
minutes to rest, have a little bit to eat and get ready for the next game.
One of the boys, a future team captain, convinces the entire team to put
pink tape on theirs sticks, socks, glove, helmet, just wear some pink. Then
the numbers come up for the following game; the next nearest team as been
knocked off the board on points. All they have to do is win the points for
two periods and they make the final game (the following weekend). Well, The
Pink went out, showed exceptional sportsmanship by not winning the first two
periods by more than a goal and pushing the less skilled kids up to get
assists.

Monday was pretty quiet, all I had to do was drop DS off at the HS for the
bus to his game. (I love that part of him playing HS - they get him there,
especially on the longer trips). They won and he let in no goals. Can't ask
for more.


Tuesday night was the much snow delayed Winter Concert for DD's elementary
school. Three different groups performed - orchestra (formerly known as the
String Players) violin, viola and a lone cello and is a mix of first and
second year players. Of dear, I don't blame the baby that started wailing
during the second piece, I wanted to too; the teacher spent several minutes
adjusting many instruments. It was a mercifully short set of pieces and the
last, a brief refrain of the BeeGee's Staying Alive was actually pretty
good. The band (mostly brass, 2-3 clarinets and percussion) - was also
mercifully short. One girl was turning very red - her dad kept yelling
"Madison, you rock, you're the best". During the pieces. And one clarinet
had something happen - they don't make that sound normally.

But chorus stole the show. And not just because DD is in it. They did four
songs, No School Today (Snow Day), Froggy Went a Courtin', High Hopes and
You Can't Stop The Beat. They were on key, in harmony and together - for all
the pieces. Froggy had three soloists - Miss Mouse, a friend's very
diminutive 4th grader, Froggy, the tallest boy of the group, and Uncle Rat.
And lots of pantomime of the various actions. High Hopes was fun - I
remember that song from my childhood. But the best part was You Can't Stop
the Beat - it is the big number from Hairspray. DD (and half the chorus) had
solos in it. Most of them managed to dance and sing and sound great. And
they can sing - really sing. And they only practice as a group once a week
during recess...

Ok - done bragging now.

Cheryl

Cheryl Isaak wrote:
First, lots of hockey, a no school day and DD's first concert with the
school chorus.

It sounds as though the concert was a bit of a curate's egg. However,
it's good to hear that youngsters are at least trying to make their own
music and entertainment. On this island with under 400 inhabitants we're
fortunate in having several musically gifted school children (and
adults) who helped make the Christmas Eve carol service a memorable
occasion; it was good experience for them to perform in public too.
--
Bruce Fletcher
Stronsay, Orkney
(Remove dentures to reply)

On 1/23/08 8:28 AM, in article , "Bruce
Fletcher (Stronsay, Orkney)" wrote:

Cheryl Isaak wrote:
First, lots of hockey, a no school day and DD's first concert with the
school chorus.

It sounds as though the concert was a bit of a curate's egg. However,
it's good to hear that youngsters are at least trying to make their own
music and entertainment. On this island with under 400 inhabitants we're
fortunate in having several musically gifted school children (and
adults) who helped make the Christmas Eve carol service a memorable
occasion; it was good experience for them to perform in public too.

I do realize that for many of these kids, it is the very first time they
performed in public and at least it was adoring families and understanding
parents. I'm just really hoping that is loads of improvement before the
spring concert.

C

Cheryl Isaak wrote:

I do realize that for many of these kids, it is the very first time they
performed in public and at least it was adoring families and understanding
parents. I'm just really hoping that is loads of improvement before the
spring concert.

Don't hold your breath ;-) Listening to elementary strings
or winds is a labor of love. Count yourself lucky if you can identify
the tune! I don't think it gets palatable until late high school,
if then. We just all go and applaud to support the effort and
provide some encouragement until then, bless their fuzzy little
hearts.

Best wishes,
Ericka

Ericka Kammerer wrote:
Cheryl Isaak wrote:

I do realize that for many of these kids, it is the very first time they
performed in public and at least it was adoring families and
understanding
parents. I'm just really hoping that is loads of improvement before the
spring concert.

Don't hold your breath ;-) Listening to elementary strings
or winds is a labor of love. Count yourself lucky if you can identify
the tune!

And be grateful that the kids have not taken up playing the bagpipes or
the sousaphone.
--
Bruce Fletcher
Stronsay, Orkney
(Remove dentures to reply)

On 1/23/08 9:05 AM, in article ,
"Ericka Kammerer" wrote:

Cheryl Isaak wrote:

I do realize that for many of these kids, it is the very first time they
performed in public and at least it was adoring families and understanding
parents. I'm just really hoping that is loads of improvement before the
spring concert.

Don't hold your breath ;-) Listening to elementary strings
or winds is a labor of love. Count yourself lucky if you can identify
the tune! I don't think it gets palatable until late high school,
if then. We just all go and applaud to support the effort and
provide some encouragement until then, bless their fuzzy little
hearts.

Best wishes,
Ericka

I've heard the efforts of the middle schoolers, they are in "band" 5 days a
week, plus most are in private lessons and all are supposed to practice 3+
hours a week. You can tell what they are playing - usually. The Londonderry
music program is quite well known at multiple levels. The marching band is
headed Beijing this summer and they play at the Rose Parade, Macy's
Thanksgiving Day Parade and more. The jazz ensemble has quite a few awards
in state and national competitions.... And Friends of Londonderry Music has
their hands out all the time.

C

On 1/23/08 11:02 AM, in article ,
"Bruce Fletcher (Stronsay, Orkney)" wrote:

Ericka Kammerer wrote:
Cheryl Isaak wrote:

I do realize that for many of these kids, it is the very first time they
performed in public and at least it was adoring families and
understanding
parents. I'm just really hoping that is loads of improvement before the
spring concert.

Don't hold your breath ;-) Listening to elementary strings
or winds is a labor of love. Count yourself lucky if you can identify
the tune!

And be grateful that the kids have not taken up playing the bagpipes or
the sousaphone.

Given the noises I heard out of the violins, I'm not so sure.

C

My dd competed this weekend in the All Stars and came out fifth
overall. I was very proud of her - she really swam hard and dropped
some time. She also saw some older kids swimming the 200 fly (she is
actually looking FORWARD to swimming that!) and told me she'd be back
next year to swim it. I don't doubt it.

Also, she was a real friend to the other kids who made it - one in
particular has not been very nice to some of the other kids. A made
me go back to the pool for a session she wasn't swimming in just to
cheer this girl on. C was so happy about it she cried.

Linda

On Jan 23, 8:05 am, Ericka Kammerer wrote:

Don't hold your breath ;-) Listening to elementary strings
or winds is a labor of love. Count yourself lucky if you can identify
the tune.

My kids went to a K-12 school who had a *wonderful* band teacher.
Almost all the school kids started in band in the 5th grade and nearly
all of them were still in it their senior year. It was tradition that
at the 5th graders' first concert they played the Mickey Mouse
song. At the spring concert all the different bands played (grade
school, middle school and concert bands, plus the side bands like the
jazz band, trios, etc.) and it was fun to hear the progression in
their abilities.

She had nearly 300 kids in band. Many of her students starred in the
state competition. She also had "the look" that silenced everyone if
she noticed someone fooling around. Sadly, she retired in 2004, the
year before DD graduated. They've had problems trying to find someone
to fill her shoes ever since. No one has been able to get the music
abilities out of the current crop of kids like she did, nor able to
control that many students. The size and quality has dropped
considerably. Treasure a good music teacher!!!!

Joan

Cheryl Isaak wrote:
On 1/23/08 9:05 AM, in article ,
"Ericka Kammerer" wrote:

Cheryl Isaak wrote:

I do realize that for many of these kids, it is the very first time they
performed in public and at least it was adoring families and understanding
parents. I'm just really hoping that is loads of improvement before the
spring concert.
Don't hold your breath ;-) Listening to elementary strings
or winds is a labor of love. Count yourself lucky if you can identify
the tune! I don't think it gets palatable until late high school,
if then. We just all go and applaud to support the effort and
provide some encouragement until then, bless their fuzzy little
hearts.

I've heard the efforts of the middle schoolers, they are in "band" 5 days a
week, plus most are in private lessons and all are supposed to practice 3+
hours a week. You can tell what they are playing - usually. The Londonderry
music program is quite well known at multiple levels. The marching band is
headed Beijing this summer and they play at the Rose Parade, Macy's
Thanksgiving Day Parade and more. The jazz ensemble has quite a few awards
in state and national competitions....

Even so, it's still painful (at least for this musician).
They've got a lot more ability at the middle school level, but
even then the intonation is off (drives me nuts), the rhythms
are rarely as precise as they could be (also drives me nuts),
and there's always a person or two who really has some issues ;-)
That's all to be expected, even among the best players at that
level, but it still sets my teeth on edge. I come, I support,
I applaud, but inwardly I still cringe a bit!

And Friends of Londonderry Music has
their hands out all the time.

But of course ;-) Support your local band!

Best wishes,
Ericka