The Big Benford Show

I spent all of Saturday at a Conducting Symposium. As Ski asked me when I was done, “Can you conduct yourself better now?”. It was a wonderful event and I learned so much from it…and it left me quite frustrated as well. I didn’t apply early enough to do any actual conducting but just watching the way everyone else conducted and putting myself in their shoes, I really picked up some key points on how to be a better conductor.

Now, my big question is, how do I apply this to my every day world? How and where can I really practice my craft? The pieces they pick for these symposiums are very high level and there’s no way that our top group at Stony Point is mature enough to perform it. It is absolutely inappropriate to ask my mostly freshmen & sophomore group to attempt any of this. Okay, so pick pieces that are at the level of the kids and use the big ideas to create music from these notes on the pages. Can do. Problem is, I spend a lot of time teaching notes and rhythms. We have glimering moments during the process of learning pieces for contests that there is actual “music” being made. By the end of the process, it does happen more often but there’s still something missing.

Dr. Gary Hill from Arizona State University was the guest clinician at this symposium. I really agree with his philosophies about conducting and creating music with a band ensemble. The more I talk with professional conductors, I am fine tuning and understanding what I feel is my philosophy of how I can be a better conductor.

Dr. Hill talked a lot about balance. He talked about how you must balance the intellectual parts of music with the emotional parts of music to really make a piece come together. “Put the brains with the heart.” There was also a lot of discussion about non-verbal communication. How to tell your ensemble to be “more soft right here” without stopping rehearsal to tell them verbally, etc. There was a lot of talk about different styles of leadership and how each style has it’s ups and downs. I guess the best leaders are the ones who are able to know which style is appropriate at each moment and put them into practice.

I learned so much that really, my brain was almost over stimulated. Luckily, I took a lot of notes about what was said and how things were suggested. Next symposium is at the beginning of March at Texas A&M Commerce. Dr. John Whitwell from Michigan State University will be the clinician there. I’m definitely balanced between nervous and excited!

Yes, it’s started — it’s GIRL SCOUT COOKIE time. Last year, I ordered a box or two but never got them. This year, I’m BOMBARDED by Girl Scouts that I currently teach or have taught before or will teach in the future asking if I’d like to buy cookies.

I did buy two boxes at the beginning of this week and have been very good about not finishing them in one or two sittings. In fact, I’ve shared out of both and still have over 1/2 each box left. All in moderation!

So, my two favorite cookies are:
Caramel deLites

and

Thin Mints

YUMMMMMMMY!!!

Damn Yakees, we’re done! Doing this show was so hard - the time, the amount of music, the overall stress in the atmosphere in putting on a production of this magnitude - but it was worth it. AND, I’m glad we’re done…almost. We just have to have the Post-Production Party tonight. And the band is hosting it. Once that’s done and the theatre department unloads our truck on Monday, I think we can officially call it a WRAP!! That will be the moment of relief. Unfortunately, I’ll probably be in the middle of the Jazz Band rehearsals (I’ll start Monday morning) and everything else I’ve put on the back burner so I’ll miss the “moment”. But honestly, I’ll be okay with that. It was a good final product and everyone that saw it enjoyed it. Everyone that missed it regrets it. YAY for good musicals!

So, I’m starting Jazz Bands (there are two!!!) on Monday morning. Next weekend, I’m heading up to Arlington for a Conducting Symposium. My friend Frank, whom I’ve known since I was 3 years old, is coming to Texas (from Iowa) for two weeks and I’m going to head down to Mustang Island in a few weeks to go see him. I haven’t seen him for a few years and I can’t wait. I’ve got my band directors convention after that. It’s never ending but always fun.

If you’re around Round Rock (or wanna make the trip), here’s the show schedule for this weekend:

Thursday, January 19 (Reid Ryan, Owner/CEO of the Round Rock Express will be signing autographs)
Friday, January 20
Saturday, January 21

All shows start at 7pm at the Round Rock Performing Arts Center (next to McNeil HS). Directions can be found on their website.

This summer will be 9 years since I met Eric in a bar on 6th street. Was it The White Rabbit? Oh, you wouldn’t remember! Anyways, one thing I’ll never forget is that he asked me to call him Daniel (his middle name) because Eric is the name of the sad guys that are kidnappers or runaways on after-school specials. Ah yes, those were the good ol’ days! Enough of this walking down memory lane!

Happy Birthday,
Eric Daniel Schumert!

I found this on “the internet”. I can not take credit for the fabulous artwork.

This coming week is going to be soooo busy! I think the cats are gonna forget I live here, too again. Here’s what this week’s gonna look like:

We start with jazz band rehearsal on Monday, Jan. 23. They start at 7 am. Why do I do this to myself? I guess ’cause I enjoy it. Not the “torture” of the hours but the activity. I’m addicted to band.

Hello, my name is Cathy Benford. I’m a band addict.

Today is my dad’s 76th birthday. Unfortunately, because of everyone’s crazy schedules, (Trish has it rough since Steve Jobs introduced the Intel based Apples this last week) I have no idea when we’re going to go celebrate. My mom’s birthday is coming up in a few weeks and I think I might be having to go out of town that weekend so maybe we can just have one big celebration for the both of them….

I spent this morning making a lasagna I can eat off of all week. It’s the only way I can eat healthy and not spend what little money I have left over from the last paycheck I got almost a month & a half ago.

Can you believe they ask us to go a month and a half without pay between the December paycheck and the January one? Sucks. Every year, I say I’m going to put money aside to help me survive that time period. Every year, I never get around to it. I’ve gotta figure out some plan to accomplish that this year. Hell, if I’m going to buy a house in May, every penny is going to count for a long time. Luckily, I’ll have my car paid off this summer so that’s a little more money I’ll have to put towards a house payment.

Okay, back to my lasagna…. The sauce is almost done. This little ninja sure can make some sauce!