Okay so I thought this was pretty funny. If you remember a little while back Ian posted on Verizon Math Fails
Here is a follow-up to that video. It's just a picture but it is totally worth a thousand words.
Saturday, March 21, 2009
Family Photos
We decided that it was time for a new family photo since our old one doesn't contain Spencer. Target was having a deal and we went for a session and got a bunch of really cute pictures. Our order will be in on April 1st.
The kids did amazingly well, Spencer only cried once and they both got to play with a ball. They are really cute and rather photogenic. In fact I felt rather photogenic today as well, I think it's my beard; it makes me look more mature.
Well, I am exhausted from the whole process and I will post a link to the pictures when we get one.
The kids did amazingly well, Spencer only cried once and they both got to play with a ball. They are really cute and rather photogenic. In fact I felt rather photogenic today as well, I think it's my beard; it makes me look more mature.
Well, I am exhausted from the whole process and I will post a link to the pictures when we get one.
Band Festival
I had my first real traveling experience with my middle school band. We went to a band festival in a little city close to Chehalis called Adna. There were 14 schools with a total of 425 kids performing. Now this was a mass band festival so there were no adjudicators and each group played one song on their own then there were 4 songs that all 425 of the students played together. It was a very cool experience and what I liked best was my kids were the better behaived kids in the whole group. They also knew their parts a little better than many of the other students.
I had all the fun traveling experience one would want to have and a few experiences that I don't care to ever have again, but know they will happen. I had 3 of the 14 students forget at least one piece of music and one of my drummers didn't load his drum onto the bus. I told all the drums they were responsible for any percussion they play and needed to load it. I knew he hadn't loaded it and just waited for him to ask me what we were going to do. We ended up using a drum from one of the other schools, but I hope he has learned his lesson.
At the end of the concert several parents asked if they could take their kids home with them, everyone of my band kids begged to ride the bus home. That sure made me feel good that they wanted to hang out with the band even when they were given a choice to go straight home.
Well, now we are back to school and they have returned to their normal squirely selves. But what a great experience they have all had.
I had all the fun traveling experience one would want to have and a few experiences that I don't care to ever have again, but know they will happen. I had 3 of the 14 students forget at least one piece of music and one of my drummers didn't load his drum onto the bus. I told all the drums they were responsible for any percussion they play and needed to load it. I knew he hadn't loaded it and just waited for him to ask me what we were going to do. We ended up using a drum from one of the other schools, but I hope he has learned his lesson.
At the end of the concert several parents asked if they could take their kids home with them, everyone of my band kids begged to ride the bus home. That sure made me feel good that they wanted to hang out with the band even when they were given a choice to go straight home.
Well, now we are back to school and they have returned to their normal squirely selves. But what a great experience they have all had.
Sunday, March 15, 2009
Sickness and a happy home
This week was a rough week, but at the same time ended up really good for the whole family. We have all been sick Kelly and I have sinus infections and both kids have colds. I don't think I have ever gone through that much klenex. We used almost 6 boxes this week between the four of us, sometimes one box a day. Well as we all started to get better we were finally able to play outside and have some fun. We have all been hanging around the house watching tv because no one felt good enough to do anything.
On Friday, Kelly left for Time Out for Women. I am really glad she went, she always has such a good time and comes back feeling better about herself and spiritually charged. On Saturday it was raining so I had the kids and we got bored inside. Mackenzie isn't quite old enough to play most of our games and I can only take so much of Hi-Ho Cherry-O! So I put every one in the van to go to Capital Mall to play on their indoor playground. After getting in the van I realized that I had to fix the windshield wipers because the drivers side windshield wiper broke off completely at the base. So with the kids strapped into the car I quickly fixed it and we went to the mall. We played for half an hour when Spencer came up to me and stuck his arms out for me to pick him up and layed his head down on my shoulder. We got home just in time to welcome Kelly home from Time Out for Women.
Today we woke up and it was snowing. I don't know what that's about, but it's already almost gone. I thought Spring was supposed to be near by? I am starting to get nervous about tomorrow because I am taking my middle school band on their first trip. We are only going about 40 minutes away, but it is a mass band festival where all 12 schools play the same 4 songs in a huge 400 piece band. I am excited, but I want everything to go well. I still have 5 kids that haven't turned in permission slips to go. AAAAAAAH! That's like a third of the band. I know of one student that can't go, but come on I've reminded you every day for the last two weeks to get them turned in.
Well I am hopefully going to be taking pictures and will post them as soon as I can. Have a great Sunday.
On Friday, Kelly left for Time Out for Women. I am really glad she went, she always has such a good time and comes back feeling better about herself and spiritually charged. On Saturday it was raining so I had the kids and we got bored inside. Mackenzie isn't quite old enough to play most of our games and I can only take so much of Hi-Ho Cherry-O! So I put every one in the van to go to Capital Mall to play on their indoor playground. After getting in the van I realized that I had to fix the windshield wipers because the drivers side windshield wiper broke off completely at the base. So with the kids strapped into the car I quickly fixed it and we went to the mall. We played for half an hour when Spencer came up to me and stuck his arms out for me to pick him up and layed his head down on my shoulder. We got home just in time to welcome Kelly home from Time Out for Women.
Today we woke up and it was snowing. I don't know what that's about, but it's already almost gone. I thought Spring was supposed to be near by? I am starting to get nervous about tomorrow because I am taking my middle school band on their first trip. We are only going about 40 minutes away, but it is a mass band festival where all 12 schools play the same 4 songs in a huge 400 piece band. I am excited, but I want everything to go well. I still have 5 kids that haven't turned in permission slips to go. AAAAAAAH! That's like a third of the band. I know of one student that can't go, but come on I've reminded you every day for the last two weeks to get them turned in.
Well I am hopefully going to be taking pictures and will post them as soon as I can. Have a great Sunday.
Saturday, March 7, 2009
Lets go fly a kite
This morning when we got up it was nice and windy so we broke out Mackenzie's new kite. If we could find the batteries for our camera I would have taken pictures, but alas, none were to be found. It was cute. She wouldn't actually fly the kite, she just wanted to watch. We flew it for about 10 minutes and then it was time to go home. The kids got cold pretty quick and they are already fighting a cold they didn't need anymore sickness.
On top of everyone being sick, we finally got all of our clothes back. This means we now look like we are trying to move out (or in) because of the amount of boxes we have every where. We will be very glad to have it all put away and have our house back.
On top of everyone being sick, we finally got all of our clothes back. This means we now look like we are trying to move out (or in) because of the amount of boxes we have every where. We will be very glad to have it all put away and have our house back.
Thursday, February 19, 2009
Multi-phonic tuba playing maniac
When I saw the Dallas Brass last Friday their tuba player did the coolest piece. And instead of describing it to you I'll let you watch it for yourself.
Tuba Multiphonics
This guy is insane.
Enjoy.
Tuba Multiphonics
This guy is insane.
Enjoy.
Friday, February 13, 2009
Conference Weekend
Wow what a day. Today was the first day of my Music Conference. I am in Spokane and I have had some great sessions with some great teachers. First today I went to a class on teaching rhythm. I know I'm a percussionist, this should come easy. Unfortunately this is not true. Rhythm has come fairly easy to me so it has been hard to understand why some of my students don't get it. Well a very famous percussionist by the name of Garwood Whaley talked about the importance of the kinestetic relationship needed to learn rhythms and transfer them from one song to the next. I came out of that class with a lot of good ideas for my classes. And it should only take 5-10 minutes of class.
After that class I went to the coolest concert by the Dallas Brass. They put on one incredible show and had a cool tuba solo that used multiphonics and all sorts of other weird techniques that allowed him to create a one man band that had this weird techno sound to it. Words really can't describe it.
Lunch was fun, I was able to catch up with Dr. Weiss. He and I talked about different ways to work with my choir as well as recruit. The biggest issue he pointed out but I already knew was scheduling needs to be evaluated. I have some conflicts with AP classes.
After lunch I went to a workshop on getting a more balanced sound from the choir. It was a really good class and I came away from it with a lot of stuff, but he had way too much information and we could have gone on for more than an hour and a half. It was really good information and I am definately going to try some of it.
The last workshop I went to was about the importance of communication through gestures and how to use it in a warm-up. The presenter was so funny and engaging. He had a lot to say and demonstrate with a local high school band.
The final event of the night was a concert with the Spokane Symphony and my favorite concert perfomer Evalyn Glennie. It was a phenominal concert that started off with a Webern piece called Langsamer Satz. Then Evalyn Glennie came out and performed my favorite percussion concerto Concerto for Percussion and Orchestra by Joseph Schwantner. Wow she was incredible. The finale of the concert was Suite from the Firebird which is always a great finale.
Well now that I'm home I should go to bed.
After that class I went to the coolest concert by the Dallas Brass. They put on one incredible show and had a cool tuba solo that used multiphonics and all sorts of other weird techniques that allowed him to create a one man band that had this weird techno sound to it. Words really can't describe it.
Lunch was fun, I was able to catch up with Dr. Weiss. He and I talked about different ways to work with my choir as well as recruit. The biggest issue he pointed out but I already knew was scheduling needs to be evaluated. I have some conflicts with AP classes.
After lunch I went to a workshop on getting a more balanced sound from the choir. It was a really good class and I came away from it with a lot of stuff, but he had way too much information and we could have gone on for more than an hour and a half. It was really good information and I am definately going to try some of it.
The last workshop I went to was about the importance of communication through gestures and how to use it in a warm-up. The presenter was so funny and engaging. He had a lot to say and demonstrate with a local high school band.
The final event of the night was a concert with the Spokane Symphony and my favorite concert perfomer Evalyn Glennie. It was a phenominal concert that started off with a Webern piece called Langsamer Satz. Then Evalyn Glennie came out and performed my favorite percussion concerto Concerto for Percussion and Orchestra by Joseph Schwantner. Wow she was incredible. The finale of the concert was Suite from the Firebird which is always a great finale.
Well now that I'm home I should go to bed.
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