The Big Benford Show

Who’s health?

so far in ‘06 i have,

[ ] broken a promise.
[x] made a new friend.
[x] fell in love with him still and again…
[ ] fell out of love
[x] done something you swore never to do
[x]lied
[ ] stole
[x]went behind your parents back (in a way)
[x] cried over a broken heart (jackass…)
[x] disappointed someone close
[x]hidden a secret
[x] pretended to be happy
[ ] got arrested
[ ]slept under the stars
[ ] gotten in a fight
[x]kept your new years resolution - at least my new years goals
[ ]forgot your new years resolution
[x] met someone who changed your life
[x] met one of your idols
[x]changed your outlook on life
[x]sat home all day doing nothing
[ ]pretended to be sick
[ ]left the country
[ ]almost died
[ ] drank myself retarded
[ ] lost someone close to you
[ ] been to the hospital
[x] gotten closer to someone
[x] cried over someone he was here, he had to leave…
[ ] given up something important to you
[x] made out with someone u never expected to
[ ] talked on the phone all night
[x] learned something new about yourself
[ ] tried something you normally wouldnt try and liked it
[x] made a change in your life
[ ]made a total fool of myself
[x] met great people

Don Knotts
1924-2006

Shame that everyone has their time to go. I really enjoyed all of the roles he played. Rest in peace.

I love my car. It’s not in the best visual shape always (I never seem to have time to get it washed and cleaned properly) but I live out that car and it takes me where ever I need to go. I mentioned in my TMEA wrap-up that I had the brakes fixed on my way to San Antonio. I didn’t mention that on my way home, I was hearing some strange noises from the front end. I know that when you get new brake pads, there is an adjustment period while the new pads marry to any grooves that my be on the rotors so before I called my mechanic, I thought I’d give it about a day or so do those “natural” adjustments.

On Monday after the convention, I had parked my car on the “driveway”/loading ramp of the band hall. I went in to work, did some stuff and headed back out to run more errands. My car was parked in just a way that I saw what was making the noise:

Can you see that piece of The Honda hanging under the passenger side bumper? ARGH! That wasn’t there on the way to San Antonio…only on the way home. And I heard that noise from the moment I left the hotel…the 4 Star Wyndham St. Anthony Hotel where I paid $20/day to valet my car!

So, when I got back in my car, I called the hotel and spoke to the valet manager. He told me that because I’d left the hotel without making a claim, there’s nothing they can do. I’m stuck with the damage!! That’s just ridiculous. I called and talked to the hotel manager then the owner of the valet company. They’re going to take a look at the pictures I took (you can see them all by clicking on the picture above) and make a decision from there. The hotel manager was the most appologetic and said that he didn’t want this to keep me from staying at their hotel again. With my luck with valet parking, I think I’ve decided where ever I stay, no more paying for someone to screw with my car. Did you ever hear about the time the Marriott Riverwalk hotel lost the key to my car when I had them valet it? Enough with random people driving my car.

I’ll let you know how this turns out….

I had to be TAK-y this morning. Sat in a classroom watching kids take a test for 5 hours. It’s so funny, as we train to be teachers, we’re told that we are to guide students through life hoping they make the correct path. We’re told that nurturing their needs is the most important thing and that engaged, collaborative learning and discussion is one of the best ways to ensure that students learn. Then, several times a year, teachers are asked to do the complete opposite - don’t talk, don’t interact with students, don’t answer their questions, recite stock statements and don’t allow students to do anything interactive. Our job depends on it….

Gotta love the government!

I’m back! Wow, what an awesome convention!!! I didn’t get to as many clinics as I had intended but a lot got done and I’m very re-energized and ready to tackle the rest of the year. I met some really extraordinary people and had the opportunity to start and continue some cool relationships I didn’t really take a lot of pictures because I lost my camera for a while (story to come).

I started my trip down to San Antonio with having to get my brake pads changed. I wasn’t really budgeting for doing it last week but I’m sure glad I did! My car just seems to drive so much better. Isn’t that funny…I get the device to stop my car fixed and the feel of the general drive is much better. The power of mind over matter!

I got to San Antonio in the early evening and got checked into the hotel and the convention successfully. From there, I found my friend Ronnie Rios and we hung out for a while. Saw the All State Jazz Band rehearsal and saw lots of friends (already) that I was looking forward to seeing. From there, he went to support his students auditioning for specific seats in various All State ensembles and I went to see the Baylor Jazz Ensemble, featuring Wycliff Gordon. At the concert, I saw my buddy Woody Smith. We met last summer when I worked the A&M Commerce Jazz Camp together. He and I sat and fully enjoyed the concert and after, went to get Mr. Gordon’s autograph and picture taken.

On Thursday, Catrina, Kelly & I got over to the convention center fairly early and got to business. I had some technology stuff to participate in so I had BOB (Big Ol’ Bag) with me. He’s a great rolling bag but still fairly cumbersome so I asked the Band/Orchestra Office to store him while I didn’t need him. They are SO nice for doing that. When the exhibit hall opened, we walked through there then I headed to a few clinics. After the technology clinic I went to, Ken Johnson from M-Audio and I headed to lunch. It looks like I’ll be presenting a technology clinic myself next January at the IAJE Convention in New York, NY!!! I went to a few more clinics and I also got to help Wiff Rudd with his clinic on being a better trumpet player (he’s not much on technology and I popped in to help with some of his presentation) so BOB came in handy yet again! He’s the coolest guy. I’ve known him since he was my judge (and I was his monitor) at Texas State Solo & Ensemble Contest my junior year.

Later Thursday evening, we went out to Swigs where I met up with quite a few old friends. Daniel Montoya was there and I finally got to meet the famous Sarah Stern!!! It’s about damn time, Danny. With Daniel & Sarah was John Mackey. I was honored to be a Baylor University to hear the unofficial premier of “Strange Humors”, his recent composition for wind band. It is an amazing piece that one day I’d like to conduct with a group of my own (it’s quite a bit too difficult for my current group, however). I found his blog via Daniel’s blog and commented on how much I liked it. The very next day, Kevin Sedatole, the current Director of Bands at Baylor (as well as my co-worker’s brother) came by the band hall and told me that John had talked to Kevin and mentioned my post. It was very cool to be able to meet and hang out with John. He’s so much fun!!!

Let’s see, that leads us up to Friday. I didn’t make as many clinics on Friday (I never seem to) but I did get to have lunch with Ronnie Rios & the leadership of IAJE Texas at The Palm. That was really cool - everyone had so many funny stories about everything they’ve seen. Not everyone in that room was too much older than I but they certainly had had a few more opportunities to experience cool jazz band stories. One day….

From there, I went to probably THE BEST clinic of the whole convention. Shelly Berg was giving a clinic on how to make jazz improvising not so scary for you or your students. When I got there, I found out that Steve Houghton (who had played with him the night before at a concert I missed ) was going to help give the clinic. I’ve been a fan of Steve Houghton for YEARS. I saw him speak at the PASIC convention in college and what he said about keyboard playing really made sense to me. First, Mr. Berg talked about the jazz improv stuff then, he and Mr. Houghton talked about how to communicate with correct verbage to your rhythm section and have them give back what you’re looking for. In fact, they had just published a book series with CDs & DVD to do just that. Again, when they spoke, everything they said really made sense to me. I had just made a note to self to go down to the exhibit hall to purchase the book when all of a sudden, they said they were giving away a copy of the teacher’s manual with DVD & CD to someone who could answer a trivia question from the session they’d just finished with us. I had taken stellar notes and so I raised my hand and WAS CALLED ON!!! I answered the question correctly without my notes - Q: What are the two important things you need from your rhythm section? A: Clarity and defference - so I won the book!!!! How cool is that? They even autographed the inside and we took a picture together! I was the happiest gal in that room, let me tell you.

Of course, I purchased the books for the students today. The rhythm section has probably been the biggest challenge of my teaching jazz band. I’ve always relied on them to be there but just never had to think about what to tell them to get them to do the things I’ve always relied on as a player.

So, the camera story. After I took the picture above, I went to the UT Wind Ensemble Concert (stellar performance) and was showing Josh (my friend & the SPHS private trumpet teacher) my pictures. I guess when I went to put the camera back into my bag (not BOB), I didn’t do it very well so it dropped out. When I got to dinner later, I went to show my pictures to other friends and realized the camera was gone. Talk about sad! Not only did I lose my camera (which can be replaced) but I also lost those pictures I’d taken with those wonderful folks (not easily replaced). Today, I went by the lost and found booth and it was there! I can’t thank that random honest person enough. Apparently, many valuable lost items were turned in to lost and found this year. There are some really good people out there!

Friday night, I got to see all my old friends from school and have some drinks with them at Medusa. Very fun time overall!