Bandon Vacation

Hello friends! I write from Bandon Oregon, where I am spending the EUHS intersession week relaxing and recharging. It's a beautiful place where we usually get a head start on cool, wet weather. From the sound of it though, Central Cal is every bit as rainy as it is here. Well, go for it. The water will be welcome.

This is not the best pic, but I'm still working on my digital camera skills.

As for my previous post, thanks to you all for the good wishes. The last week of school, before I left, felt for the first time that I was crawling out of my downer and into some semblance of resilience. I hope that continues. I've sure tried to keep my head in the game, but as I said, it can be really hard. Not that my students aren't cool. Look:


Jana's birthday. Just one cool moment in a series of many. Wouldn't mean a lot to anyone but the 67 of us, but it seems to me that the kids are really well bonded. It's not perfect, and the kids have some drama, but they are sure the reason for going in to Exeter every day!







I plan to try to angle for some Salmon up here while I'm here, but the wind has to stop blowing at 40 mph first. We'll see. I'll post again soon.

In San Diego again

To see to my Dad. He just turned 89 years young-amazing guy. He is definitely showing signs of his age, and it's a bit hard to see. But he still is aware and active, just very very slow.

I've been trying to stay on the happy side of things but am finding that more of a challenge than it has been in many a year. The causes could be many, but the cures seem few. I am trying to keep from becoming cynical and mean-spirited, but man it can be hard. It's so easy to see the craven side, the empty grasping side of most people. In the past its been easy to balance these views by taking refuge in my work and my outdoor hobbies, but lately I am not finding the kind of joy in these that I have in the past.

I sense change in the wind. I hope it's change for the better.

thanks

to all of you for your good wishes for Dad. It's been a tough week but he's had some good moments too, like when he got to watch Ryan, his uber-cool GREAT GRANDSON as he explained trucks to us all. Or having all of us kids with him at least one more time.

I'm grateful to my friends for all your prayers and love.

I ALSO, when I could, attended a very fun family reunion. Here are the players:








Now I leave for the Eastern Sierra...Dad's set for now and its time to harass some unsuspecting trout!


More to come...

In San Diego the past few days

Had a scare at the conclusion of my raft trip...My father had a fall in his house and was admitted to the hospital for four days. Hard on an 88-year-old. He had a TIA (mini-stroke) and it has thrown him for a loop. Drag...he's needed us to be on him 24-7 since late June to be sure he stays on meds and doesn't fall again. We've been wrangling out a new care deal for him...he is *understandably* reluctant to relinquish more of his (already dwindling) personal independence. If you are out there and are dealing with this kind of thing, I would love to talk to you.

Concurrently with this has been a family reunion. I've gotten to know a side of my family (connected with my brother-in-law Steve) that I didn't know well, and enjoyed all of them greatly. Very different and very interesting. I hope this will continue.



I am off day after tomorrow for Eastern Sierra and some flyfishing. more to come.

Summer 09

....since many of you do actually are asking:
I haven't been posting. Shame on me! I've been having a great summer! As soon as school got out, I took a group of eleven friends for an 8-day float on the beautiful San Juan River in Utah. It was so very much fun. My first attempt to run a group as trip leader. I had good coaching from my Brother in Law Olie, as well as Julia McIver and Mike "Mojo" Clifton. It was a great learning experience and I think everyone had a good time.

I'll post more and more pics...stay tuned!

A note to my 2009 students

Hi guys. I wanted to write to all of you and let you know what a joy it has been to make music with you and to get to know you all. My students, as I told the attendees at our concert, are first-rate people first and pretty darn good musicians too. Is there more to do? Sure. Welcome to being a musician. Can we celebrate this wonderful year and last nights successes? You bet!!!

Seniors: what a joy you've been to me in my life the last four years. I can't begin to put into words the feelings I have for the daily experience of playing and rehearsing the best music we can. Isn't it great? One of my big hopes for you is that you can continue to have this experience; my big sadness is that it can no longer be me that you have it with. I will say that I've made many collegiate-level friends who teach music and would LOVE to have any one of you in their ensembles. I hope you take advantage of this.

Whatever does come in your future, I do hope you will take a moment to reflect on the joys that Exeter Union High School's music department has (hopefully) given you. The music we've shared has been the best I can find in all the areas we cover and you've given a lot of time to prepare it. Is all of that time just for bragging rights? Is it only for a grade, or a trophy? I don't think so.

I think that something really deeper is going on...I don't have the spiritual "chops" to know what it is, but it IS something spiritual. It lives in the same place as our hopes...our aspirations, our dreams. A good place to make a nest for our deeper souls. I know that it is a place that-once you've been there-you will definitely want to get back to.

So my wish is that you will continue to nuture this little flame. Let it build into an unquenchable fire within you. I wish it because the music deserves it, and especially because you deserve it. Consider NOT letting everyday life dictate the end of your playing. Let musicianship continue to be a major daily habit. Trust your heart!

So, to close, I wish you seniors well. I trust that I will continue to enjoy the company of the rest of my young musicians for the rest of your time at EUHS. I promise to work for excellence always, and I can do it because YOUR enthusiasm is my never-ending fuel.

Amazing level of hate

I haven't written in awhile. Finally have some vacation time, and among the relaxation (ahh) I've had time to read a bit of "what's out there." I am simply floored by the level of vitriol I am seeing leveled at the new President. Over here in Bishop, the bloom is definitely off the rose. Probably that way in my hometown too.

Used to be that we could disagree like gentle-men and -women. Like we still had a tad of the founding fathers' rationalism left in us. But, from my experience, such expectations are now beyond the pale. Is this what the right really wants? Seems these super-patriots are pretty much willing to pull down any new ideas. From a prominent right-side thinker (Fred Barnes of the Weekly Standard):

President Obama is the master of misdirection. His skill in using this tactic is a key to his success as a candidate and to his popularity as president. He is a great salesman, marketing his product--the liberal agenda, plus a few add-ons--in a manner that disguises what he's really up to.

or this:

You don't have to be an old Washington hand to spot the telltale signs of a presidency and an administration in serious trouble. There's nothing new about these clues. The inability to get their stories straight--that's a hardy perennial of high-level officials caught in the vise of political embarrassment. A president who skips town to avoid the White House press corps and speak directly to the American people--we've sure seen that before. So in a sense the AIG mess has touched off nothing more than business as usual.

This stuff is from a thinking opposition. The folks in the street are much more direct. I've sampled opinion over here and let me tell you: Obama has already failed if you listen to them. I bet these feelings are even more common in E-town.

Look, I know people are frustrated by the economy. But man, its a huge problem left to us by years and years of conservative political rule. Is this payback for us "elitists" calling Bush and his cronies what they so self-evidently were: morons (best case) or criminals (most likely case)? At least we have somebody who is calling attention to the eight-hundred pound gorilla in the room: Our problems begin with US! Our cars are not competitive, we overconsume like crazy, and we don't care about the consequences of that...as long as we get what we "deserve." Is this freedom? Maybe the right wing should retreat to their compound in MT and let someone else discuss the problem!

I will post when I am next home a picture of a large billboard outside of Etown advertising guns, including "California Legal AK's" for uses including "Tactical." (only one use for "tactical" weapons, and it isn't person-friendly) This stuff scares me. We are getting loud, arrogant, and ARMED! I hope cooler heads prevail, but doubt it seriously. You center-right folks out there: Take control of your party!

Amina Figarova

Very cool concert, thank you to jazzfresno. People make fun of that city, and sometimes they have reason, but lack of a committed jazz corps is NOT one of them. so, I suggest all lovers of our music in my area subscribe to the website: jazzfresno.org and try to attend. It sure has gotten easier to get up to Fresno from the South Valley, so really...

I know I know, I wasn't going to use this space for "teacher stuff" but here I am, proud of my kids again. What a giant part of my life my little music program has become. So, from my facebook notes, here this is:

I am OH SO proud of the Exeter Winter performing ensembles...they represent our little school so well! Check the faces...how can you not smile? Win or lose, we have a great time together with excellent instructors and dedicated parents. A band director's dream come true...

Now if the full band can sit up and take note: Hard work and dedication over time is the key to having this kind of FUN!!! You CAN DO IT TOO!!!

We are starting fund-raising for a "Music Academy" in Exeter for Exeter music students to obtain private lessons over time. We are selling coffee and other goodies...folks, look for it and support this vision! Use these successes to build on!

check it out. For the next three weeks I, or any band member or booster, can supply you with a brochure for which our program will receive between 40-50% profit. After that time, you can still support us by going to the company's website:

wecarecoffee for Exeter

In any case, celebrate with me and spread the word! Music is alive in Exeter and in all the great programs participating last night...we can still have MUSIC IN OUR SCHOOLS! If we want it enough!

San Joaquin Valley jazz festival

I think, in fact, that Mr. Lucckesi has a golden touch. My jazz ensemble has just returned from performing at the festival, held at Buchanan High in Clovis, Ca. I am proud of my kids, and especially proud and fortunate to have such a friend and colleague as Paul. His band sounds great, but his achievements in bringing a musician the quality of David Binney to our neck of the planet...THAT is a great job for a jazz educator.

At Mr. Binney's concert last night, I looked down the line of the nine students I brought with me to the concert and knew, all over again, why we can NEVER let music education be "cut" out of their experience. Which of those kids would have been there to be perhaps changed forever if it was not for their school band program?

And oh, that music. I've been trying to put it into words, but as usual, words fail. i think, if you have any kind of appreciation for music as art or as an energy exchange, you owe it to yourself to go to this website: http://www.davidbinney.com/ and check it for yourself. Like no other.

In closing, thanks Paul and all your volunteers for a GREAT night of jazz and camraderie. It's what our chosen art form should be all about, and what a "festival" really should be all about too.

Rein it in, Bill O'Reilly and co.

An Open Letter to Rush Limbaugh, Sean Hannity, and Michelle Malkin
(Posted by Robert Reich at robertreich.blogspot.com/2009/01/open-letter-to-rush-limbaugh-sean.html)

"In a time like this, when tempers are riding high and many Americans are close to panic about their jobs and finances, you have a special responsibility to consider the accuracy of what you say and the consequences of inflammatory and erroneous statements. In the last few days, manifestly distorting my words and pulling them out of context, you have accused me of wanting to exclude white males from jobs generated by the stimulus package. Anyone who takes a moment to examine what I actually said and wrote knows this to be an absurd misrepresentation of my position (see this). My goal is and has always been to create as many opportunities for as wide a group as possible, and not exclude anyone from access. There is and has never been any ambiguity about this. The hate mail I have received since your broadcast suggests that the mischievous consequences of your demagoguery are potentially dangerous, in addition to being destructive of rational and constructive political discourse. I urge you to take responsibility for your words. Words and ideas have real world consequences, and you have demonstrated a cavalier disregard for both."

Now watch this drive

And this, from Time Magazine's top ten videos of Bush: (we will miss this guy, if only to plumb the depths of ridiculous behavior):

Made famous by Michael Moore's documentary Fahrenheit 9/11, this scene from 2002 of Bush following up a screed against "terrorist killers" with a golf swing spelled disaster for his reputation. Really, Mr. President? Suicide bombings in Israel and you're showing off your form?

1,000 words

It is hard to imagine that the nightmare is finally over. More tough doings ahead, but at least we may not be an international pariah anymore.

CBDA Board

We are done with another year! The State Honor Bands are seated, the mailers are on the way. I should be rolling for home (via EUHS) by 1. This board works REALLY hard to make this thing happen smoothly. Now its on to start school. New class to take on...I'm excited. We will see how it all goes.