The Musing Teacher

Kickoff

2010-09-02T08:41:00.002-05:00

For the last two years, I've paused at the beginning of football season to thank the football gods that another season is upon us. Then, I blink and the season is almost over. I look around and it's almost time for the Iron Bowl! What happened? It flies by. So, today, I want to take a moment to dwell in the eager anticipation that precedes the first college football game. Isn't Christmas Eve almost as fun as Christmas? Wanting so badly for something to happen, that you know WILL happen eventually. It's another story if you're unsure whether or not that for which you pine will come to fruition. However, football WILL happen. Thus, I want to record with written word this moment. On the tail end of a long, hot summer; it's about to happen. I flirted with soccer to try to ease the withdrawals (see previous post). But, there's no substitute for the real thing. It begins tonight. Southern Miss against South Carolina at 6:30 CST. A new season of football, a new season in our lives. Bring the cold weather, long sleeves, smack-talk, warm beverages, and ardent cries of WAR DAMN EAGLE!

Lando Can't-miss-ian

2010-06-23T11:28:00.003-05:00

I'm hooked. Soccer is awesome. As you know, I have made an effort to be a soccer fan for the 2010 World Cup. So, I went to a local bar here an Auburn called Quixote's to watch the match this morning at 8:30 a.m. Mimosas and breakfast burritos were flowing and patriotism was high. I felt like a true soccer fan watching a match in a bar in the morning! In the seventh minute, Algeria hit the top bar on a shot that scared us all to death. Later, a Clint Dempsey goal was discounted because we were called offsides, which we weren't. Thus, after 90 minutes of play, the score was still nil-nil. At the time, England was up 1-0 on Slovenia. If those results had stayed, England and Slovenia would have moved on to the round of 16 and we would have gone home. Things were looking grim. The official added four minutes of extra time. In the 91st minute, Algeria made a rifle shot on our goal, but our monster of a keeper stopped it. He quickly threw it out to one of our players in just the right spot. It was then passed downfield and we were on the move! Landon Donovan passed it to Jozy Altidore who shot, but the ball was blocked. As the ball came bouncing out, Donovan smashed it in. The place went NUTS. The country went nuts. All hell broke loose. Beer was spraying everywhere. It was better than an Auburn win. In a split second, we went from going home, to winning our group and moving on. (By the way, we haven't won our group since 1930!) Elation. Pure joy. Check it out.

After the initial celebration the bar broke into a rousing rendition of the Star Spangled Banner. It was the "War Eagle fly down the field" of our entire nation. What a cool moment. Go USA!!

World Cup of Football Soccer match games

2010-06-20T13:54:00.002-05:00

I've never liked soccer. I was never cool enough to play soccer. I was never athletic enough to play soccer. Why watch or play soccer when there's hard-hitting, high-scoring American football to watch?

I'm changing my tune these days. I've made a commitment to be a soccer fan throughout this 2010 World Cup. I'm trying to understand the game and all its weird rules. So, here's a list of things I like about soccer, things I don't like, and ways I would improve the game.

Things I don't like:

1. The fact that the officials can penalize a team for something... and not even have to tell the team WHAT for. Case and point - USA v. Slovenia. Are you freaking kidding me?

2. The acting. Because they give officials so much power, whenever a player hits the ground they have to whine and cry and grab their face and pretend to be more injured than they've ever been. Dumb.

3. The low scoring. I know, I know, it's just the nature of the game. And I am learning to appreciate the little things (takeaways, good passes, etc.) instead of focusing solely on goals.

Things I like:

1. Time keeps on slippin, slippin, slippin... I like how the clock just runs. You will not have to watch commercials until half time. That's pretty rad. It also speaks to the athleticism of the players that they have to continue playing for 45 mintues!

2. The globality (new word) of it. I'm a huge fan of the olympics because it brings the world together. For those three weeks, most of the world's attention is focused on the games. I always dismissed the World cup. But, soccer truly is a global game that brings hooligans from all parts of the world together.

3. The simplicity of the game. Kick the ball into the goal. Easier said than done, but that's how you win. Done.

Ways I would improve soccer:

1. Coat the ball in bacon grease and periodically release a pack of dogs onto the field.

2. Have "hotspots" like in NBA Jam. If you score from the small circle with a 3 on it, you get three points instead of one.

3. Flaming soccer ball.

Those are just a few of the ways soccer would be more interesting. I think FIFA will have no problem implementing those simple suggestions.

Go USA!

Who Knew There was a Water Park In Auburn?

2010-06-15T10:40:00.002-05:00

Who knew there was a water park in Auburn? Ok, I knew. But, I thought it was like trashy, run down, gross, dumb, nobody goes there water park. Turns out it's none of those things (except for the nobody-goes-there part). With the summer off, some coworkers and I decided to get season passes to Surfside water park. It's pretty rad. There's a wave pool, a lazy river, six slides, and delicious chili-cheese dogs. We got the "family package" so it was a much better deal. We spend our afternoons sliding, floating, and generally lazing around the water park. On a crowded day, there may be a two-person wait for the best slides. On an average day though, there are as many lifeguards as patrons of the fine establishment. What a hidden gem in the sediment that is Auburn.

Lions

2010-06-14T10:09:00.004-05:00

In 2nd Samuel, a man named Benaiah is in the woods on a snowy afternoon. He spots a lion. Most of us would wet ourselves, then run. Not Benaiah. He charges the lion and the lion runs! Benaiah gives chase until he comes upon a deep pit. He walks up to the edge, looks down, and sees two huge yellow eyes staring back at him. Benaiah turns from the pit and walks away. However, he's not walking away for good. Instead, he's getting a running start. He leaps into the pit with spear in hand to kill or be killed. After several minutes of roaring, grunting, and screaming, Benaiah climbs out of the pit.

I bought a book yesterday called In a Pit With a Lion on a Snowy Day by Mark Batterson. I thought I was done with these Christian self-help, inspirational books. However, something about this one peaked my interest (and it was only five bucks at the Cornerstone bookstore). I've read four chapters and am loving it.

It's not NORMAL to chase a lion into a pit and try to kill it. God doesn't call us to sit by and be normal. The lion represents our seemingly insurmountable fears, and the only way to overcome that fear is to face it head on. That defies all that is within us though. Our rational minds say, "Are you crazy? I'm not going into that pit after that lion!" But it's an integral part to becoming who God wants us to be. Imagine you are on a boat in the middle of the ocean. You've never really sailed before, but you thought it'd be fun. You ask your captain, "Have you ever been in a storm before?" Wouldn't you feel much better if your captain's response was "Yes, I've weathered many storms at sea" rather than "Nope, never sailed in a storm before"? The adversity makes us better, stronger, wiser.

So this image of a lion is stuck with me right now. It represents those fears that we normally would run away from, but God is calling us to chase, charge, and kill. I like that. I like the thrill of overcoming a fear. I've been wanting a tatoo for a while now. I couldn't ever think of a phrase that I would want on me forever. But a picture is worth a thousand words. I think I want a lion tatoo. So, yesterday I drew one on my arm just to see what it would look like.

I would probably go about two-thirds that size. It's called a "rampant lion" and it was used in medieval times on shields and crests.

We give lions so much respect because of how much we fear them. Our fears in life don't deserve that much respect. They can rule us if we don't chase them down and defeat them. The thing to remember though, is that we don't fight them alone. Our God is fighting alongside us.

Whiplash

2010-04-22T14:53:00.002-05:00

Things have been crazy around here! I'm sure you've been busy too. In the last few weeks I've put on four performances of our Spring Show "Willy Wonka Jr." and had two choir concerts. I've also been up to my eyeballs in paperwork for our spring trip to Atlanta. Most of the time I like being busy, I feel like I work better and harder when I'm under the gun. However, it was nice to get home at a normal time yesterday and be able to have a life after work!

Here's a thought (totally seperate from the above statements) that I've been pondering today: If we all know and understand that nobody is perfect, why is it so hard to accept when we fail or do something stupid? I'm not saying we should just be ok with messing up, but why is it SO difficult to admit when we're wrong and apologize? Is it pride? Are we too prideful to admit that we messed up? I'm trying not to be. Derek Webb once said that the greatest thing that could ever happen to us is for our greatest sin to be broadcast on the 5 o'clock news. Scary thought huh? But maybe he's on to something. If everyone knows the depths of everyone else's struggles, weaknesses, and failures, maybe we would be more inclined toward understanding and forgiveness.

I'm not a great person that screws up every now and then. Rather, I'm a screw-up that gets things right every now and then.

Hello?

2010-03-30T20:30:00.004-05:00

Hello? Anyone there? Does anybody still read this? I sure don't.

Anyways- if you happen to stop by and read, I'll write some things just for you. Life right now is grand. I'm (generally) happy at my job, there's an extra hour of daylight every day, I attend a great church, I've been lifting weights (to get swole for warrior dash... which is a topic for another post), my car runs well, my dog runs well... life is good.

Rehearsals for Willy Wonka Jr. are in the stage where they are actually fun now. Don't get me wrong, they are still work. However, I enjoy it. I actually look forward to it. I don't mind that it keeps me at school until 5:30 or later. The kids know their lines. The props are coming in. Costumes are getting finished. The set is being finalized. Things are coming together and I'm really excited! We bought our own lights and they came in today! In the past, we've rented them for just a little less than it cost to buy them. So, we bit the bullet, did a fundraiser (talent show) and bought them! Let there be light! If you're in the Auburn area (or even if you're not) on April 13th, please come to Drake Middle School to see our production. These kids (and teachers) have worked SO hard!!

Easter. Of all the crazy things in the bible. He died. His enemies sat back and laughed, washed their hands of him. Then, our God raised him from the dead. BAM! In yo face. If I had to pick one event from the bible to actually witness, it would be His resurrection (well... if I'm honest with myself it would probably be his crucifixion. I daily need to be reminded that it was MY sin that he took upon himself... and also MY sin that he overcame and MY life he died for). But... in terms of sheer AWESOMENESS... resurrection all the way. I would freak out.

So, count your blessings this week. Including, but not limited to, the fact that our God has a plan that we cannot even fathom. Crazy ole Yaweh... what'll he do next?

A Huge Mistake

2010-02-15T09:39:00.002-06:00

I'm so angry. Citadel Communications has decided to pull Live 100.5 off of their frequency and replace it with some bull**** news-talk show. This is egregious in so many ways. Radio in Birmingham has suffered in mediocrity for years. The X was a glimmer of hope, but it got moved around and eventually settled in the mire of Nickelback, Three Doors Down, and the like. Then, Live 100.5 was born. Radio was good, really good. The DJs were knowledgeable, the music cutting-edge. It was a station I could rely on to play some of my favorite music, as well as introduce me to great new music. I travel often from Auburn to Birmingham and back. I had landmarks picked out that told me when I was close enough to Birmingham to tune in to 100.5.

I'm frustrated, angry, and mostly just disappointed. The worst part? The station that's taking it over is being SIMULCAST on an AM frequency! It just makes no sense. Birmingham is doomed to forever wallow in crappy music and conservative talk radio. It was good while it lasted and I wish them all the best. I can only hope that the spirit of Live 100.5 will resurface on another frequency some day.

A Holy Frustration

2010-01-22T21:45:00.002-06:00

I just got back from AMEA. Alabama Music Educator's Association Conference in Tuscaloosa. Professional development opportunities for music teachers are non existent at the local level, so we get together at conferences like this once or twice a year. It's always so good to see my colleagues from Birmingham. These are choir directors (most of them middle school) with whom I share a vision and passion to teach kids through music.

While it's good to hang out and cut up, we also attend concert sessions and interest sessions. Here's where things get thick. I found myself intensely frustrated today. By what? I'm not even quite sure that I've processed enough to know yet. However, I think it's rooted in the disparity between where I am and where I want to be. All of my colleagues have these wonderful, flourishing choral programs renowned throughout the state. Me... I'm bashing my head against the wall trying to build one up. The choral music "scene" or "culture" (if you will) doesn't exist in Auburn like it does in Birmingham. People "get it" there. There is an expectation from the community, parents, teachers, kids, etc. that ___________ Middle School has a great choral program and your kid should go there and be in choir because they'll have a great experience. That doesn't exist in Auburn. Well, let me pause and say that it does somewhat exist at the Junior High and High school level, but not at my school.

Mine is just a different circumstance that makes it more difficult to have a comparable middle school program to others in the state.

So what right? Quit whining. I agree. I learned a lot at this conference. I was affirmed in some of the things I already do and introduced to many new things and ideas to try. I've heard of a thing called a "holy frustration," a discontent placed in one's heart that urges them to change their circumstances or the circumstances that created said frustration. I think that's what I come away from AMEA with. Yes, I heard some great choirs and that's always a plus. But even more, I was able to see and be reminded of where I want to be. Why I'm doing the things I'm doing at my school. Why, when it seems like nobody else cares one way or the other, I'm pushing for sixth grade choir. Why I'm teaching kids classical choral repertoire when all they want to sing is what they hear on the radio. Keep in mind I'm not saying these things for MYSELF. This isn't because I want more fame or renown. I just want for my students the same opportunities and experiences afforded to those kids in more chorally conscious school systems. I'm young. I got time. I'm gonna make this happen.

Twenty Ten

2010-01-05T21:27:00.002-06:00

Whadup. So I spent a couple weeks at my parents lovely home in Bluff Park. A warm fire, homecooked meals, the Christmas tree, my awesome family, a yard for my dog. What else does a man need? Nothing, but that didn't stop the awesome things from happening. Here's what they were.

Cousins. I've got lots of them and I love them. They are like extended brothers and sisters. I got to see and catch up with them over the break. Some of them have offspring... which is weird, but really awesome too. We had our annual Cater cousin Christmas cookie bake. It was mostly the offspring throwing flour everywhere, but who cares. It was great.

Movies. I saw several movies at the cineplex. Avatar. Brilliant. Sherlock. Brilliant. Invictus. Always wanted to see Morgan Freeman portray Mandela. I love films.

Christmas. We give each other gifts to symbolize the gift that God gave us. Now, a shirt or green currency paper will never match up to a living God who sacrificed himself, died excruciatingly, and rose again. But... it's nice to get that stuff right? I was further reminded of how blessed I am. Christmas was great. My only regret? I didn't see either Home Alone or Home Alone 2. Travesty, I know.

My Dad's latest phase. Each year, my father becomes infatuated with something new. Running (although he did that for years), Cycling (also did that for years), sailing, etc. This year, his thing is shotguns. He bought a new shotgun and he and I and my brother shot clays a couple times over the break. Let it be noted that I outshot him both times. Still, tons of fun. He's also (probably) going to get a hunting dog. Time to shoot some birds. Here's a video I made of Cater Men Swing and Shoot 2009, an all day outing of my father, brother, and myself to Farmlinks in Fayetteville, AL.

New Years always sucks. I think it's because of the unusually high expectations we place on it to become the greatest night of the year. This time, it didn't disappoint. I partied with Daniel, Lee, Jake, Daniel's wife and lots of her friends. I danced the night away. Went to bottletree cafe. Danced more. Best New Year's ever.

The next day Auburn played in one of the most ridiculous bowl games I've ever seen. We won three bowl games that day. Can we store those up and use them in the future?

So now I'm back in Auburn. I'm back in my small white house with my dog. The cat that lives under the house somehow managed not to freeze to death (unfortunately). However... I've got a plan! I ordered a small animal trap. I'm going to trap that cat, drive out to Tuskeegee and let it go. Get outta here cat.

Students come back tomorrow. Can't wait.

It might snow Thursday night. Great... I probably just jinxed it.

I'm working on my 2010 resolution. Last year's resolution was to listen to more blues music. I can honestly say that it was the first time I've remained mindful of my new year's resolution all year. I'd say I succeeded. I'm kicking around a couple ideas for this year's resolution. I'll get back to you.

The olympics are soon. I love the Olympics so much.

I like even numbers WAY better than odd numbers. So, the fact that it's 2010 makes my soul feel at ease. At least for another year.

I hope your 2010 is full of great things.

Falling Short

2009-12-23T10:29:00.002-06:00

It's been quite a time of blog silence. I didn't win Auburn Idol. There. I'll just get right to the point. I thought I had it wrapped up. I don't mean to toot my own horn, but I performed without flaw last Friday night. There was nothing I could have pointed to and said, "well if I had just done that better, I might have won." I did everything to the best of my ability. The judges just saw things differently than I (and those supporting me) did. Oh well. It really was fun while it lasted. It was great getting to be a "rock star" for a few weeks. I hope that my students had fun following the show and the results and coming to the hotel with crazy posters screaming their heads off.

And that's one of the things I'm most grateful for. The outpouring of support and kindness from friends and family has been incredible. People love any kind of "Idol" type competition. I mean, Simon Cowell hit the nail on the head with this concept! It provides entertainment as well as suspense and drama. I wish it could have gone my way, but I'm happy for the winner (and happy that he's going to buy the top five contestants lunch when we get back to Auburn!)

For now, I'm just going to enjoy time at home with family and friends. I hope you are doing something you love this Christmas season.

Merry Christmas!

Getting Out There

2009-11-30T21:18:00.002-06:00

I finally got fed up with myself and decided to do something about it. I've been saying for a while now, "I want to start playing in coffee shops and bars." But I haven't actually done it. So, I called up my friend Kelly who works at Toomer's coffee. I asked her when I could play and she said they were having an open mic night Saturday. So, I went. I played. It was great. New guitar. Sounds amazing. Here's a picture.

Inspiration

2009-11-22T03:24:00.002-06:00

Top 15

2009-11-21T09:24:00.002-06:00

Last night was the first round of Auburn Idol. The top 25 contestants battled it out and only 15 were left standing at the end of the night. Was I nervous? Kinda. Fortunately, my experience with AU Singers and other performances have increased my confidence on stage. I had practiced enough and knew my song really well. It was similar to the time I went skydiving. I wasn't nervous until RIGHT before I jumped out of the airplane. Last night, I wasn't nervous until right before I went onstage. However, I knew that there were a ton of people in that crowd that were supporting me. A week of shameless self promotion at school paid off. There were fifty students and probably fifteen teachers there screaming their support. It meant so much to me that all of them gave their Friday night up to come and support me! My time came up, I sang to the best of my ability, and it was over. The crowd was insane. They were screaming so loud that the MC and the judges had to wait for them to calm down before they made any comments.

After everyone had performed, the judges went into another room to deliberate. When they came back, the contestants lined up on the side wall to await the calling of the top fifteen. Fourteen names had been called, and I was still standing on the side wall. The thought crept in my mind that this could be the end. Then he called my name and the room erupted again. I had made it through to the top 15. The next round is in two weeks. See you then.

Top 25

2009-11-15T20:47:00.002-06:00

In a move quite out of character for me, I auditioned for "Auburn Idol" yesterday. No, it has no affiliation with American Idol. It's a contest put on by the Auburn Hotel and Dixon Conference Center and Mix 96.7. This was one of those weekends that I kept thinking I had plans on, but it turned out I had nothing going on Saturday. I went to the hotel at 9 a.m. and got my number. Realizing it was going to be quite a while before I auditioned, I went and got some food, went home, hung out with Jenny for a bit, then went back only to find that the judges were going to take a 45 minute lunch break! I waited it out. I made some new friends in the hallway. Then, at about 1:15 I finally auditioned. I sang "Magic" by Andy Davis. I was able to play my guitar, but not to plug it in. The song went well, and before I knew it, it was over. The judges were very kind and complimentary. I left and went about my day. I got a phone call around 6:00 congratulating me on making the top 25 contestants for the competition! The live elimination shows begin this Friday night at 7:00 at the hotel. If you're in Auburn and you call me your friend, come and support me! Oh, did I mention that the winner gets $10,000? Talk about motivation. So wish me luck, or a broken leg, or whatever is applicable and supersticiously appropriate.

I love my...

2009-11-09T19:31:00.002-06:00

Time for this week's installment of "I love my Mondays." Mondays are dominated by terrible thoughts, mostly about how much we hate Monday. Thus, I venture to detail a handful of highlights on everyone's least favorite day of the week.

1. I love my students. This is the craziest week we've had yet as a choir. Today, we had a dress rehearsal for our big fall concert. This is when it all comes together. We decided last minute today not to use portable risers. Instead, we will sing in the choir loft. We haven't ever sung in the choir loft. They got up there, and that was it. Training wheels were off; they were big boys and girls. Seriously, they looked so grown up in that huge choir loft.

2. I love my choir. Then they sang. I don't mean to get hopes up or anything, but they sounded so good! They were well mic'd and mixed. They sang with confidence and had fun. I can't wait for the concert tomorrow night!

3. I love Monday night football. They had the right thing in mind forty years ago when they came up with this idea. Just like a blog post about Monday's positives, a football game on Monday attempts to make all right with the world. As the day wears on, there is a moment of clarity when you realize, "Yes! There's football on tonight!"

4. I love the Steelers. As I type, I'm watching said Monday Night Football. Tonight's matchup: Steelers at Broncos. Go Steelers.

5. I love being busy. I know it kinda sounds weird, but I love being busy when I know what I have to do and I know how to do it. Two years ago, today was an extremely stressful day. Getting all those kids on busses, getting them to the church, getting them in the right places, running each piece, and making sure everyone gets home safely is quite a task. But this wasn't my first rodeo. It was actually enjoyable today!

She's Not Sick, She's a Dancer

2009-11-05T21:51:00.002-06:00

If you have any interest in education, set aside twenty minutes and watch this TED talk by Sir Ken Robinson.

Casting Call

2009-10-29T21:06:00.002-05:00

I'm in it from the beginning this time. Last year, I joined the production of Snow White well into rehearsals. This year, I've been a part of every decision from the beginning. Auditions were this week, in my classroom. Difficult, but in a good way. It's a good thing when you have so many talented people that you wrack your brain trying to find a place to put them all. If he goes here, then she can go there. But that would leave this role for him, which means that she couldn't go there. We debated for hours. We had three days of auditions. We heard at least forty kids.

The show is Willy Wonka Jr. It's not going to be easy. Lots of sets, dynamic characters, difficult songs. But we have the vision and the drive to make it work. I admit, it was hard to picture it coming together when there was only a box of librettos and cds in my office. However, after today's auditions, I have a more clear picture in my mind.

"If you want to view paradise, simply open up and view it. Anything you want to do it. Want to change the world? There's nothing to it." - Willy Wonka

Seven Hours

2009-10-23T15:04:00.002-05:00

I had a hard time going to school. No, I don't mean this morning. I mean starting school; when I was five. I cried every day. The counselor and I were best friends. It didn't help that I had the meanest woman on God's green earth as a KINDERGARTEN teacher! Every day was an insurmountable obstacle. When I got out of dad's van, I would never return. Every day.
So, as I sit in the waning minutes of this Friday, with a raucous 7th grade team celebration having just concluded, I'm reminded of a piece of advice I received in that first year of my formal education. On a particularly rough day one morning, the assistant principal, Mrs. Fairweather, said this to me, "Honey, the school day is ONLY seven hours long." For whatever weird reason... it worked. How? I have no idea. Seven hours is an ETERNITY to a five year old. But, it was the way she said it "ONLY seven hours long", that got the job done. Once I knew this hidden gem of a scholastic secret, the days flew by. As each hour passed, I subtracted it from my grand total of seven, took a deep breath, and continued. This mantra continues to get me through the days that drag on. Most days don't. Most days, I have fun and the days fly by. However, every now and then I need to simply remind myself that, "the school day is ONLY seven hours long."

Caterfest '09

2009-10-09T21:27:00.002-05:00

I took today off. I got up super early and drove to Montgomery to meet my parents. I hopped in the truck with them and, a few hours later, was walking the white sand beaches of Gulf Shores, Alabama. It's time for Caterfest '09. The "09" might lead one to believe this is some sort of annual tradition. That simply isn't true. The Cater patriarchs, my father and his brother, simply decided it was time to unite the Caters under the banner of family, food, festival, fun, and fish. So, here we are. While not complete (we are missing some key members of the Cater Clan), I think we'll survive. Tomorrow, we're getting up early and going deep sea fishing. We will return from our four hour trip just in time to see the Tigers take on the swine of Arkansas. I can't think of anywhere I'd rather be.

I hope you have an excellent weekend.

The Dog Days

2009-10-05T20:36:00.003-05:00

In the last couple weeks, Jenny has become THE source of my stress. Bless her, she can't help it (most of it). Warning: most of what you're about to read involves lots of poop.

I came home from work Monday and Jenny had exploded, from her butt. A butt explosion. She was in her crate, and there was canine catastrophe all over her, the crate, the wall... it was bad. I spent the next two hours cleaning the house and cleaning up Jenny. The next afternoon, I took her to the vet to get things figured out. No worms, but he gave me some special food to give her as well as a prescription medicine. She seemed to be getting better, until the weekend. While at my parents house, I noticed a little bit of surprise matter hanging from her nether-regions. A surprise to me, as well as her. Then, in the car on the way home. We pulled into my house in Auburn and I went around back to let Jenny out. Sure enough, there was a little soft-serve left on the rubber mat where she sat. She can't keep the valve closed. And without getting too graphic, I've seen it, it literally doesn't close. (I know, you just shuddered a little. So did I.)

So that's an issue, obviously. Today, it was raining in the morning. I wasn't going to put her out in the rain while I went to work, so it was back in the dreaded cage-o-crap. I felt bad for her all day and actually zipped home at the start of my planning period to let her out. The rain had stopped, so I put her in the kennel in the back yard and went back to work. When I pulled in at 4:00, Jenny came running up, covered in mud, happy as a clam. She had dug out of her kennel. Not a gold star day for the J-bird. Here's the little mud-puppy, realizing the fullness of my disappointment in her.

So I took a trip to Lowe's, bought twenty cinder blocks, filled the hole, and lined the inside of the kennel with them. That oughta hold her (famous last words). Then, after a couple plays of Vikings v. Packers, I made another trip out to Tiger Town. This time, for diapers. Rediculous, I know. But she can't keep her butt closed. "Bottom" line. They say that owning a dog is good training for having kids.

I. Just. Bought. Diapers.

She's making life very difficult for me, her single parent, right now. But, at the end of the day, I love her. No matter how frustrated I am that I have to bathe her AGAIN because she dug out, pooped everywhere, got into mommie's make-up bag, had a little too much fun with the fingerpaints, etc. She's still my girl and I love her, diapers and all.

Frontman

2009-10-04T20:25:00.002-05:00

There are good bands, and then there are great bands. One of the things that makes a great band, is a great frontman. I'm not necessarily talking about the leather-pant-wearing, crazy-haired frontman. I mean someone who a) has a great voice (a unique voice helps too), b) is energetic, c) gets the crowd going, and d) makes you wish you were them. The last two shows I've been to had those kinds of men at the helm. First, Elbow. Lead singer Guy Garvey MAKES this band. He IS this band. Yes, the music is excellent, but his interpretations of the lyrics, his range, his British accent, and his unique tone quality makes Elbow's music really stand out. The show was incredible.

Then, The Decemberists. I must make a quick aside to tell you that my brother asked me last weekend, "So who are you going to see? Wacky Christmas?" Awesome. Anyways, their lead singer is Colin Meloy. He writes witty, whimsical, narrative, awesome songs. He has an unorthodox voice, with some kind of speech "impediment" like thing as well. It may or may not ACTUALLY be an impediment, I'm not really sure. Regardless, it makes his pronunciation of some words very interesting. I saw the Decemberists last weekend and they were incredible. Again, the other band members are very talented, but his voice takes the music to a new level.

Perhaps that's my beef with popular alternative music. So many lead singers sound like the same old raspy, Chad Kroeger (Nickelback) voice. A unique lead singer goes such a long way toward making a band truly great.

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As a post script, my grandmother turned 98 today! Happy Birthday Grandmama!

So Much Water

2009-09-20T20:19:00.003-05:00

I'm sick of the rain. I'm reminded of the poetic words of an old song: rain, rain, GO AWAY. Pictured above is the scene in Jordan-Hare Stadium just before the bottom dropped out. I took the picture with my phone, then put it in a ziploc bag just in time for the monsoon. We. Got. Soaked. It was more rain than I've ever stood in (and I've stood in rain everywhere from Tulsa to Timbuktu). I was saturated. I wore a raincoat, but it didn't work after seventy million gallons of water fell on me. I was miserable.

I have learned that I have a tendency to think that my current circumstances, whatever they may be, are permanent. Thus, I thought it would rain all night. I wasn't going to stay there in such crazy rain. There were even times I thought they might not play. I know that's dumb, but I thought it. So, I left. I rode my bike home and got dry. I watched the game from underneath my warm blue snuggie. Of course, as the game turned AWESOME I regretted my decision to leave. Spare me your comments of "How could you!" and "You call yourself an Auburn fan!". For there is nothing you can say that I haven't already thought. Waves of guilt wash over me like sheets of rain. But then I think of how comfortable and dry I was, and I'm like, "Peace suckers! Have fun with the flu." Seriously though, If I had it to do over again, I would've dried off and gone BACK to the game! They were letting people come back in. Oh well, hindsight is 20/20, until you smash into something because you were looking backwards.

War eagle.

I love My...

2009-09-14T21:38:00.002-05:00

Good evening, and welcome to another installment of "I love my Mondays". The post where I detail five things that, on a day when we hate everything, I'm loving right now. Despite the worst Monday weather in recent memory, I'll try to scrounge up five things I fancy.

1. I love my Auburn Tigers. And I'm not afraid to say it. I think I swooned when Antonio Coleman made his first career interception and ran it in for six. As previously posted, I'm so pumped about the Aubren War Eagle Tigers of Auburn's plains this year.

2. I love my seventh graders. I have a great group of seventh grade choir members this year. We have so much fun in class. I'm really looking forward to hearing them sing this fall.

3. I love my new show: Defying Gravity. If you know me at all, you know I'm somewhat of a space enthusiast. This is a new drama on NBC that takes place aboard the space vessel Antares. It follows the crew on a six year mission to Venus and back. It rocks.

4. Speaking of Auburn football, I love the new show "Auburn Football: Every Day". This is a documentary-meets-reality show about the day to day activities of Auburn's football coaches and players. There are interviews with players and coaches on a weekly basis. I got a little misty-eyed a couple times during the last episode. It's that good.

5. I love Samuel Adams. Octoberfest brew is here. Drink one.

The Chizik Era

2009-09-13T20:21:00.003-05:00

After two Auburn Football games, it looks as though the Tigers have an offense. What a sigh of relief this is for the Auburn faithful everywhere. After the offense-less struggles of the last couple years, there's nothing we like to see more than a team that can move the ball down the field. Not only that, it seems we have found multiple ways to strike. This week, Auburn had over 560 yds of total offense. It's a new era in Auburn football, and I'm happy to be here for it. I'm more fired up about Auburn football than I have been in quite a while. Everything seems more meaningful now. When the eagle flies, I get more choked up. When the team runs out, I get more fired up. I'll refrain from making premature, outrageous claims about this team and this year. Suffice it to say that I'm really pumped about Auburn football and the months ahead. War Damn Eagle!

A Great Message

2009-09-08T17:09:00.002-05:00

Everyone was up in arms about the president's speech to our nation's children that took place today. Parents were concerned that this Democratic president wanted to indoctrinate their children with his liberal agenda. School systems were divided on whether or not to show the speech live to their students. Did you see it? Have you read it? There couldn't be a more positive and uplifting message for our students to hear. There couldn't be a more "important" person from whom to hear it. There was no politics. There was no nazi brainwashing. Everyone chill the hell out. Our nation's leader simply wanted to encourage, inspire, challenge, and motivate our students. I don't know that I could confidently say that those things happen daily in many of today's classrooms. Here's the transcript. I encourage you to take ten minutes to read it. I'm thankful for these words. I only wish every student in America could have heard them.

A Name In Stone

2009-09-03T23:14:00.005-05:00

I left Auburn this afternoon at around four o' clock. Driving north to play with a band whose members I still barely know had become a weekly thing. Last week, I drove to Birmingham through a deluge of rain only to have to ride another thirty minutes to the rehearsal space (someone's house) upon my arrival. This time, the other members of this newly formed ensemble had taken measures to reduce my drive time. Today, I met them in Harpersville.

The sun was out. The drive was really rather peaceful. When I arrived in Harpersville, I had a half hour to burn before meeting everyone at our new practice space. I turned left on highway 25. It was as if I had been there a thousand times. Half a mile down the road, I pulled off and through the brick gates of a hillside cemetery across the street from the Methodist church. I had been here once before. My dad brought me several years back. I remembered a vague location in which to search. Still, it took me several moments. Then, I saw my name on the back of a large weathered stone: CATER. Even though I knew what I was looking for, I was a bit startled. I cautiously approached the tombstone, weaving in between other gray stones. I walked up the hill a bit further and stopped before a row of tombstones with my last name on them. Some of them were so old and weathered, the writing was hardly legible. Below these stones were buried the remains of people in my family, people who bore the same last name.

The melancholy calm that hangs over every cemetery intensified as I stood before these graves. One headstone was labeled for the "Infant child of M.Z. and D.E. Cater". Another bore a death date of 1903, a stone that had stood and displayed my name for one hundred and six years. I looked around the graveyard for a moment. ETRESS, GORMAN, HENDERSON, these names meant nothing to me; just names. Yet here in front of me were stones whose five chiseled letters represented my whole life. I've always been a Cater. I'll always be a Cater. My heart became full. My eyes welled up. What kind of people were they? What did they look like? Did they like pepper? Did they have a keen sense of smell?

Were they proud of me?

I sat down in front of all six stones. I prayed. I thanked God for my family; for those I've never met, and for those whose love compels me daily. I didn't want to leave. Eventually, I got up, brushed myself off and made my way back to my car. I stopped three or four times to look back at the spot on the hillside. I could almost see it from the street. CATER. A sense of peace; a sense of pride. They had taken their turn on this earth. They had lived their lives. And as I got back in my car and put the keys in the ignition, I went to go live mine.

Something Old, Something New, Something Borrowed, Something Blue

2009-09-01T21:48:00.002-05:00

In this case, the something old and the something blue are the same thing. For years, I've been "the guy with the blue guitar." Last week, that changed. I purchased the guitar of my dreams. I'll keep "old blue", but it's now on the back burner. She was good to me. But I've upgraded. Let me take you back.

Seventh grade. I had just started playing guitar. I was in my first band. I ate, slept, and breathed guitar. In a conversation with one of my bandmates, I learned of Taylor guitars. No biggie right? Until I heard one. I wasn't aware a guitar could sound so good! I knew I had to have one. Twelve years later, after saving up for months and months, I bought a Taylor 816ce. It's perfect. It looks beautiful and sounds even more beautiful. I'm happy with it.

Something borrowed? It happens to be a guitar too. My latest musical challenge is the bass guitar. I'm going to start playing bass in the children's worship band at my church, Cornerstone. This is a worship band for children, not a worship band made OF children. We had practice tonight and it was so much fun. I love only being responsible for one note! I don't have to sing, I just play one note at a time. Now, I'm also in another band with a buddy of mine from college and some friends of his. We're called Donnie and the Dodgeballs. I was asked to be the lead singer. We also lack a bass player. I might just pull a Sting in the police or a Sheryl Crow and play bass and sing at the same time. I'm not sure how that will work, as bass isn't nearly as second nature to me as guitar. We shall see at the next rehearsal. I'm borrowing a friend's bass to practice. Peace.

A Popular Program

2009-08-24T17:20:00.002-05:00

Lately it has bothered me to the core when people try to dog the "Cash for Clunkers" program (and thereby attempting a dig at the Obama administration) by talking about how quickly it lost money. Really? The reason it ran out of money so quickly is because it was SO STINKIN' POPULAR! If you give people 4,500 dollars to buy a new car, sooner rather than later, you're going to run out of money! Can we just be glad that our current administration is creative enough to come up with a program that not only helps people buy cars in these tough economic times, but it also helps boost the auto industry. So, can we get our facts straight before we make a stupid attempt at an anti-Obama comment? That is all.

I Found a Track!

2009-08-23T20:00:00.000-05:00

Running on the road has taken its toll on me. The hard pavement is wreaking havoc on my leg in the form of shin splints. I got gel insoles a few days ago, and they surprisingly help a lot. Today, however, I ventured down the street to Auburn High School to investigate their track situation. Turns out they have one. I've never seen it before! It's hidden behind the new gym. The AHS track has a rubber surface, which us much better than concrete or asphalt. I took Jenny with me and she ran eight laps by my side. After eight laps, she was looking like she needed a break, so I hitched her to a pole and kept going. It's a perfect situation. I can run on a good surface, with my dog, without traffic to freak her out! I can also run without her for a lap or two if need be. It's great!
After my run I tried an ice technique I learned from the other Jenny (the human). She is a former AU Soccer star who has suffered from shin splints as well. She recommended that I take styrofoam cups, fill them halfway with water, freeze them, then peel away the styrofoam almost all the way. That leaves a chunk of ice with a styrofoam grip that I can then massage my aching leg with! It worked great! All in all, it was a great run. The weather wasn't even above 80 degrees! Great weekend. Can't wait to go back to work tomorrow!

(guitar on Wednesday!)

And so it is...

2009-08-23T00:59:00.002-05:00

I have a tracking number. The guitar is supposed to arrive on Wednesday. I continue to dream about it. Last night, I dreamed I was playing a dreadnought Taylor guitar made out of some darker wood (perhaps Koa). It sounded (in my dream) like an entire symphony. I would strum a chord and hear the cellos bringing out the mid lows. I would hear the violas as I plucked the B string. I strummed the high E and heard the violins soaring as in Barber's Adagio for Strings. It was an excellent dream as dreams go. I truly can't wait for this guitar to arrive. It's the end of an era, the blue guitar era. But also the beginning of a new era; the era of me having a SERIOUS instrument with which to make music. Me and this guitar are going to be best friends. I'll post pics when it arrives. I'll also probably eulogize my blue guitar in blog form for all to read. We've been through a lot. I love music.

To Those Who Wait

2009-08-19T16:37:00.002-05:00

I can't help it. I was going to wait until it actually happened, but I can't stand it anymore. I'm getting a new guitar. It's going to be a Taylor 816ce. I've wanted a Taylor ever since I first heard one (probably 12 years ago). When I realized that one wasn't going to just drop in my lap, I began to save. I've been saving for months now and put a down payment on one almost a month ago. It was being altered slightly at Taylor in California, and then would be shipped to Auburn Guitar Shoppe. Again, that was almost a month ago. I'm starting to get antsy. Guitar Shoppe has a good chunk of my money and all I have to show for it is a receipt. For the first week or so, I put it out of my mind. I knew it was at least two weeks away and that there was no point getting all worked up yet. Well, now I'm all worked up. I can't wait for this thing to get here. Supposedly, it shipped from Cali last Friday. I think it's on the back of a llama, because it feels like its taking forever! It's even reached the point where I'm having bad dreams about it. I dreamed two nights ago that it was shipped to my parents house in "almost ready to play" condition. I just had to PUT THE PIECES TOGETHER! I opened the box, reached for a piece of wood, and it splintered. I had broken my guitar before it was even playable. Ugh. I'll certainly let you know when it comes in. I'm going to call Taylor.

I love My...

2009-08-17T20:46:00.001-05:00

Here comes another edition of I Love My Mondays! The following are things I love, am thankful for, or appreciative of today.

1. My job. We just started a new year and I'm full of optimism. The kids seem to be in good spirits, I've got three choirs (instead of one and a half), and I just picked out music for the Fall! Let's get this ball rolling.

2. The people at my job. We had a grade level meeting today. One teacher walked in late and another one yelled, "Late!" It was hilarious. The atmosphere is so much fun because of people with good attitudes and great senses of humor!

3. My luck. I have to call it that. Friday night, I won big in a game of poker. I haven't played poker in quite a while. I told myself I would never play again because I was so bad at it. That apparently wasn't the case Friday night.

4. G.I. Joe. Surprisingly, I loved the new movie. Perhaps it's because my expectations were so low, but I really enjoyed it! At any given minute something was exploding, or there was a cool new gadjet or weapon. Go Joe.

5. My field. I feel blessed and am honored to teach music.

That's all for today. I hope you had some things to be thankful for on this Monday!

Stop Standing Around...

2009-08-13T19:30:00.002-05:00

I have two doors to my classroom. One of them opens into the Fine Arts Lobby. The other opens to the outside. This door is toward the corner of the building, with a long wall on the non-corner side. Yesterday, I let my fourth period go and sat down at the piano to play a little as the kids walked out. One of my sweeter, more innocent kids pushed open the back door to leave the room. As she did so, a human body slammed into the opened door, causing the door to collide loudly with the stopping pole behind it. I was at the other end of the room, so it took me a little while to get to the door. The girl who opened the door was standing back in shock as I walked out of the door. A tall boy was stumbling around with his hand on his mouth and his posse laughing hysterically. He had been running along the wall and must have not been paying attention when the door opened!
"What happened!?" I asked.
"That boy ran into the door! That one, in the white shirt" a student replied.
Ken was still in a daze, but slowly making his way to another teacher whose classroom is across the "courtyard" from mine. She stopped him and said, "move your hand, let me see your mouth." She looked, "HIS TOOTH IS CHIPPED!" she yelled. A piece of his tooth about the size of the arrow you control with your computer's mouse was missing from his left front tooth! More laughter from his friends.
"Stop standing around and help him find his tooth!" the other teacher yelled. A few seconds later, one of the other kids found the small fragment of Ken's tooth.
There was no blood, just confusion and hilarity. We sent him to the office. Luckily, we have a dental clinic at our school. I saw Ken later that day at football practice. He said he was going to get his tooth fixed by the end of the week. I sure hope so. He looks like Lloyd Christmas with that smashed tooth in his mouth.

What a Difference

2009-08-11T22:13:00.002-05:00

I'm probably going to get a big "Duh" from a lot of people on this one. Today, I ran with music. I usually have Jenny with me and feel that I need to be able to hear things coming and really be alert so that Jenny doesn't do anything stupid. I also don't run with my ipod because those stupid ipod headphones fall out of my hears at the slightest movement. However tonight, I ran without Jenny and decided to give the ole ipod another shot on my run. This time I used my Shure noise isolating in-ear earphones. These are top of the line earphones I bought on impulse a few years ago. I hardly ever use them and figured I'd give it a shot. These go all up in your ear canal and really block out everything else. I was a new man. It made me feel like I was in a movie. (I've realized that I'll do just about anything if it'll make me feel like I'm in a movie. Give it music or the right kind of lighting or sentiment and I'm GAME! "I punched an old lady today! Yeah, well the song I was listening to really just made me feel like I was in a movie") I digress. For one, the music blocked out the sound of my suffering, I mean, breathing. Two, it let me focus on other things as my mind wandered. It was a much more therapeutic run. Lastly, there were times when the next song on my mix would come at just the right time and give me the added boost I needed. Wow, I may never run without my ipod again. At least until it breaks from being shaken to death.

Weekend Recap and First Day Back

2009-08-10T16:40:00.002-05:00

The Music and Arts Week planning meeting went really well. We decided on a theme that I hope will bless the campers and staff of MAW 2010. Saturday evening Chandler and I drove to Atlanta to hear Elbow. We got there early, parked under the venue, and walked up the street to a restaurant called the Steamhouse Lounge. There, we enjoyed fried pickles, PBR, and Mahi Mahi tacos. It was a perfect meal. Then, we walked down the street and into the Center Stage Theater to hear Elbow. This band is from Manchester, England and has been around for several years. However, Chandler and I didn't really know how amazing they were until just recently. One day, Chandler recorded a show called Live at Abbey Road. We watched Elbow play three songs and when it was over, we both looked at each other and said, "Holy crap that was so good!" We then watched it another three times, and repeatedly over the next couple of weeks, showing it to all of our friends that came over. So, back to the live show. The venue was incredible. It was exactly how a venue should be. There was a large space on the floor for those who wish to stand and be closer to the action. Then, there were about 800 auditorium seats that rose at a steep angle in a half circle. There's not a bad seat in the house. I could have hit Guy Garvey, the lead singer with a football. Maybe not an NFL football, more like a NERF football. Definitely a Vortex football; I mean, hell, John Elway can throw a Vortex out of the stadium. Anyways, the show was incredible. They are such a refreshing sound and a genuine musical force. After the show, in the men's room, I overheard a British man say, "I mean, I like the Stones and the Who and all, but Elbow is just a whole other kettle of fish." Well said urinating British man, well said.

Today was the first day of school. It's weird how the students' first day jitters are almost palpable. I saw my choir classes today. It was so good. The kids are excited, I'm excited. It was hilarious watching third period walk in (the all boys class) and hearing guys go, "woah, an all dudes class!" It was also funny to hear a few of the guys say they joined choir because of the girls! Joke's on you kid! Anywho, it was a great day that I hope will translate into a great year. I just need to pick music, design a T shirt, order music, order T shirts, plan a trip... oh yeah, and teach kids to sing.

Doing What I Was Meant to Do

2009-08-07T23:20:00.002-05:00

These next few days are really busy for me! It seems like I go from one thing to the next with no time in between to even breathe. Typically, these types of situations stress me out, and put me in a bad mood. However, something is different this time. I realized a few days ago, as the looming weekend of craziness approached, that I was not in a bad mood about all the "stuff" I was about to have to do. Sure, I was stressed, but not disgruntled or ill-tempered. In fact, I was excited about it!
I have just completed the first of my weekend tasks and, on the drive back to my parents house, I realized why it's so different this time. There's one thing that all the events have in common. They are all music-based.
Tonight, I played music for a girl's birthday party who I had never met. There were a ton of family members gathered as my friend and I entertained with guitars and voices.
Tomorrow morning, I have a meeting with the Fellowship of United Methodists in Music and Worship Arts (the Fellowship for short). In this meeting, we will be laying the foundation for Music and Arts Week 2010; planning, talking, discussing.
Tomorrow evening, Chandler and I are driving to Atlanta to hear a favorite band of ours called Elbow.
Finally, my mind is near constantly on the upcoming school year. At school, I teach: music.
So, what does this all mean? I think it means that I am right where I need to be. When the things that stress us out end up lifting us up and inspiring us, rather than bogging us down, we are IN IT. You know what I mean? Submersed in that which makes us more fully alive. I have no doubt that God made me a musical person. So, I'm fine with being incredibly busy because I love everything I'm doing!

Chew on that.

Adventure on the Tallapoosa

2009-08-01T14:36:00.002-05:00

I'm ashamed to say that this is the first summer in quite a while that I haven't been to the beach. I've just been busy with camps and other things and didn't make it down there. I've spent the last few days in the house with two dogs. I'm dogsitting for a couple that kept Jenny for two weeks this summer. I owe them and am happy to keep Connor for a week. However, I was getting a little stir crazy. So, an adventure on the river was just what I needed. Yesterday afternoon, Lee, Dana, Chandler, Claire, Drew, Brian, and I loaded up and headed to the Tallapoosa River. It was about an hour drive, but well worth it. We took Lee's Land Rover and Drew's Toyota Tacoma. The off road trails were a blast. Every ten yards or so there was a huge mud puddle that Lee would send us splashing through. After a little "roverin' around", we drove into the river... literally. They just drove their trucks into the river bank. We got out, and began making our way across the river. Here, it must be noted that I love rivers. Rivers are constantly flowing, constantly changing sources of life. They cleanse and replenish the soul. Ok, enough of that. On the other side was a vertical rock face that climbed 30 or so feet. We climbed to the top and, after some mustering of courage, jumped off. This act was repeated again and again for the better part of an hour and a half. Jump off, swim over, climb up, get scared, get made fun of for being scared even though you've already jumped like six times, then jump again.
After the cliff jumping, we made our way back across the river, loaded up again and did some more off roading. An hour or so later, we made it back to the river bank and built a fire. Here, we roasted hot dogs, ate pita chips and hummus, and generally were merry. So it wasn't the beach, but it was a great getaway with some great friends.

Ok Now I'm Pumped

2009-07-16T21:55:00.002-05:00

I just came from a dinner meeting with the other two secondary choir teachers in the Auburn City School system. We discussed next year, music, concerts, possibilities, etc. I'm really starting to get excited about the coming school year. In the past two years, I have struggled to really feel like a choir director. I mean sure, I had choirs, but I didn't really feel like a choir director. Not like the choir directors I know and call colleagues. So, what's so different about next year that is making me shift my mood? Two things really: 1) numbers. I'm going up from 86 kids, to over 100. That's great, but numbers aren't everything. 2) I will have boys and girls split in different classes! Three classes of girls and one class of boys! Ask any middle school choir director and he or she will tell you, separate your boys and girls! Not only will the distractions of adolescenthood not be nearly as present, but this situation will allow me to have three different choirs. I will have a boys choir, a girls choir, and a mixed choir. I have to (get to) select music for not one, but three choirs. I also made the decision not to offer a choir I used to call Drake Singers. This was an "auditioned" choir for sixth and seventh graders. In two years, I couldn't get the students to take that choir seriously, so, it is no more. Life is so much more enjoyable when you have things to look forward to!

Potter Perserverance

2009-07-15T18:11:00.003-05:00

I'm in need of some serious perserverance at this point in my Harry Potter adventure. I've been reading Order of the Phoenix all day (it seems like) and it is wearing me down! The end of the last book was so huge and pivitol, in terms of good versus evil, that going back to chapters and chapters about the classes Harry is taking is frustratingly mundane. I want to see some fighting, some explosions, SOMETHING. Luckily, the last bit that I read involved a little bit of both of those, so here's to hoping it picks up from here. I can't read anymore for now though. My eyes hurt.

I love My...

2009-07-13T14:13:00.002-05:00

Welcome to another edition of "I Love My Mondays". The post where I, your host, provide a short list of things that I love in an attempt to make this Monday a little brighter.

1. I love... Harry Potter. That's right, I said it. I decided that one of my goals for the summer was to read the Harry Potter series. I read the first book and was hooked. I'm now well into the fifth book, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. And no, I won't be caught up in time to see the movie that comes out this week.

2. I love... Summer. This past week, I actually lost track of the days. That's how you know you're in the thick of the summer. You wake up thinking it's Wednesday, only to find out hours later that it's actually Thursday.

3. I love... Taylor guitars. Like most things that many other people put on a pedestal, Taylor gets a bad rap for being the guitar that everyone wants. You know why everyone wants one? Because it's a damn good guitar! I've been saving up for one for many months now and am ready to begin the purchasing journey. I've spent some time this past week looking around. In fact, I'm going to another shop this afternoon to see what they've got.

4. I love... Music and Arts Week. It came and went in the blink of an eye. It was tons of fun and I already can't wait for next year.

5. I love... the teachers that inspired me to do what I do. This past weekend was ACDA Summer Celebration. At one point in the workshop, we paused to give an award. My middle school choir teacher stepped up in front of everyone and introduced the man whose name is on the award: Dr. Thomas R. Smith. Dr. Smith was my choir director in college. Then, the Dr. Thomas R. Smith award for excellence in choral music education for the state of Alabama was given to Diana Mayhall, my high school choir director! My entire choral education in one room. It was a cool feeling. They are all very important people in my life and I love them!

Where Have You Been?

2009-07-08T23:55:00.003-05:00

Where have you been? Where have I been? It's been a crazy few weeks, but I'll catch you up quicker than you can say "subterranean wonderland". I think my last transmission was between camp weeks one and two. These two weeks could not have been more different. The first week of engineering camp was blissful compared to the sh*tstorm that was the second week. A severely emotionally disturbed camper, an incident involving serious misconduct, my co-counselor having to leave due to a death in the family. These are just a few things that made my second week of engineering camp a total failure. In fact, I received a phone call from my boss's boss yesterday while guitar shopping. He needed further information on the (aforementioned) incident of serious misconduct among a few of my campers. Really? I even took a week off, away from cell service and internet access and this crap is STILL going on? I won't go into details. Just know that I've taught middle school choir for two years and NOTHING like this has ever come up. I can't wait until it actually is over. Regardless, the following week, I was able to head north to the foothills of the Appalachian mountains for some much needed separation from life. This was MAW: Music and Arts Week. It's one of my favorite weeks of the year. This is a week long camp held at Camp Sumatanga that focuses on Music and Worship Arts. In recent years, I have served as a camp counselor as well as the tenor section leader (we rehearse all week and present a choral concert at the end of the week). It was so good to see my MAW family again. They really are like distant cousins that you are really close with and as soon as you see them again it's like you never left. This year was especially enjoyable because I wasn't wheelchair bound like last year. The biggest surprise came at the Fellowship (The Fellowship of United Methodists in Music and Worship Arts) meeting on Thursday afternoon where I was elected to be Dean of the Youth division in 2011! I know. I laughed at first too, it's ok. The dean is responsible for, well, just about everything. I was entirely content on being a counselor for the forseeable future. However, the current youth dean, as well as the elected youth dean for next year approached me throughout the week and asked if I would consider being dean-elect! My mind immediately flashed to the scene in "Harry Potter and the Sorceror's Stone" where Professor McGonagall asks Harry to become Gryffindor's seeker in his first year! He is the youngest seeker in 100 years! I will be the youngest youth dean of Music and Arts week in quite some time. It is quite a responsibility, but I received a peace from God about it during rehearsal on Wednesday evening. I'm pumped.
So now I'm in Birmingham at my parents house, taking it easy and reading Harry Potter. Oh, I guess that's another big event in my life right now. I decided to begin the Harry Potter book series. It's so stinkin' awesome. I also picked up the harmonica, or blues harp. Practice makes perfect they say. I know it's been forever since a blog post. I've been busy. Get over it. I'm back now.

Busy as a Buzzy Bee

2009-06-28T12:22:00.002-05:00

I know it's been forever since a blog post. I've been at camp for the last two weeks and am leaving for another week of camp today. The last two weeks have been Auburn University camps put on for kids ages 7th grade through graduated senior. The two camps I was a lead counselor for were Engineering camps. The last two weeks provided some funny moments, some intense situations, and some straight up terrible times. It's been an up and down and I'm glad that these two weeks are over. Next stop, Camp Sumatanga for Music and Arts Week. If it gives you a glimpse of how much I love this camp, I'm paying them to work there! This time last year, my ankle was broken and I wasn't sure how camp was going to work out. I can't wait to have two working legs at camp this year. Peace.

Out of Place in the Tiny Kingdom

2009-06-11T14:01:00.003-05:00

Today, Cater Design and Landscape worked in the Tiny Kingdom, Mountain Brook. It's referred to as the tiny kingdom "due to its reputation as an enclave for the area's elite and the disparity of wealth between it and Birmingham where nearly a quarter of the population lives below the poverty line, according to Census data" (from wikipedia). Basically, it's a snooty, incredibly rich area of Birmingham. As we worked, tennis moms drove by in their SUVs. The most interesting moment came after work, at lunch. We left the job site and headed into town. I decided to eat at Golden Rule BBQ. Now, to those unfamiliar with Golden Rule, it is perhaps the best bar-b-que in town. I grew up going to the one on hwy 31 with the funky roof. At any given visit to Golden Rule, one would see white collar mixed with blue collar. Business men meet over a plate of ribs, while dirty paint-covered workers scarf down a jumbo chop sandwich and fries. The atmosphere is loud, everyone is friends with everyone, nobody cares how your dressed, and the food is delicious. So, you can see why I wanted to eat there. Pablo, my hispanic coworker, and I were dirty and sweaty and Golden Rule seemed like a place that wouldn't much care. We went in, grabbed a table and ordered some food. I began to look around and I realized, this ain't the Golden Rule I'm used to! It's clean. The servers are wearing T-shirts that say, "Q in the Kingdom" (which disgusts me). Halfway into our meal, a woman wearing PEARLS came in and sat down. I'm sorry, I don't care if they put one in the White House, PEARLS should never be allowed in a Golden Rule! And, in a corner table by the window, sat myself and Pablo, complete with sweat rag still draped around his neck. I loved it. Other than the food, he and I were the most "Golden Rule" thing about that Golden Rule. Looks like the Tiny Kingdom has a thing or two to learn about BBQ joints. Oh, and check your pearls at the door.

Deck Dog

2009-06-10T20:11:00.001-05:00

I love My...

2009-06-09T14:44:00.002-05:00

It's been a long time since an "I love my" Monday. And, since I was working all day yesterday, I didn't get a chance to blog it out. So, here's a new "I love my" Monday... a day later.

1. I love my mom. As I type, she's going under the knife to have her right knee replaced. She's been struggling with extreme knee pain, difficulty walking, etc. for over a year. Hopefully, today is the beginning of the end of that!

2. I love Apple. My Iphone randomly stopped working yesterday. Straight up, wouldn't work. Don't ask me what was wrong with it, because I don't know. Neither does the applecare representative I spoke with on the phone, or the Apple genius in the Apple retail store. However, as they've done for me in the past, the great folks at the apple store replaced my phone, no questions asked. Awesome.

3. I love Dave Matthews Band... again. Around the beginning of high school, I really started listening to DMB. As a guitar player, I couldn't stop learning and playing their music. It was so intense, different, difficult, and it provided me with just enough of a challenge to be able to always push myself. I went to several live shows. I even joined the fan club, called the Warehouse (which is a song title). In 2000, they were due to release a new album, produced by Steve Lillywhite. However, for whatever reason, this album was scrapped and they started all over. The scrapped album was leaked and became known simply as "the Lillywhite sessions" or just Lillywhite for short. The album they ended up releasing was called "Everyday" and, let's be brutally honest, it sucked. Compared to their previous work, Everyday was no good. I fell away from fandom as a result of a sub-par album and just burning myself out on their older work. That all changed last Tuesday. With the release of "Big Whiskey and the Groo Grux King," they are back on top! It's a fantastic album that I cannot stop listening to. Dave himself said, "If this is the last album I ever make, I want it to be the one anybody listens to." Following the death of saxophonist Leroi Moore in August of 2008, the band seemed to really come together and refocus. The result is some damn good music. If you're a DMB fan and haven't picked this album up, shame on you. If you're not a fan, this could be a great place to start.

4. I love chili-cheese dogs. I've always loved chili cheese dogs, but lately that love affair has been rekindled. A new restaurant called "Hot Diggity Dogs" opened up in Auburn and they make good ole, honest hot dogs. They aren't gourmet. There's nothing crazy special about them. They are just good!

5. I love summer. One of my favorite summer memories was when I was about nine or ten. My mom had grilled bbq chicken, and we ate dinner outside on the deck. After dinner I caught fireflies in the back yard until dark (which happened much later in the summer, and made the days feel so much longer!) Summer is different now, but still brings with it a sense of "I can do anything I want." This summer, I'm back and forth between Birmingham and Auburn. I'm landscaping in Birmingham, and doing summer academic camps in Auburn. If the start of the summer is any indication, it'll be a great one. Let's just hope I don't break any bones.

The Bizarro Landscapers

2009-06-03T16:24:00.002-05:00

In the comic world, a bizarro is an evil version of a normally good superhero. So, for instance, Bizarro Superman is an evil version of Superman.

As you probably know, school is out. I'm no longer a music teacher for the next couple of months. So, in the meantime, I'm a landscaper and camp counselor. Today was my first day back on the job with Cater Design and Landscape. When we think of a landscaper, we typically think of one who is a friend to all plants. And, normally, he is. Today, however, I witnessed the dark side of landscaping. I learned today that landscaping is not simply allowing all plants to grow in peace and harmony. Nay, landscaping is man exerting his dominance over all earthly grown things. Our task today was to weed eat a large overgrown natural area, then spray it with commercial grade herbicide, and cover it with straw. Dad dropped me and Pablo off at the job site, got things going, and then prepared to leave to get some more supplies. Before he left, he pulled me aside and said, "Okay, put the backpack sprayer on and spray behind Pablo's weed-eater. Spray everything that's green." You know that scene in many action movies where the main antagonist instructs his minions, "kill everything that moves. Leave none alive." That's what this was, except for plants. I suited up, and set off to murder helpless plants with a spray of deadly poison. Oh, hi little sapling... POISON. Oh, a tall flowery looking thingPOISON! It was a veritable scorched earth policy. I killed it all. (insert evil laugh here). That was only phase one.

After the earth was scorched and covered, we had to deal with the half pallet of sod we had bought and didn't really know where to put. Boss man said put it in front of the house in between the house and the natural area (scorched earth). We called him a few times to try and get him to clarify, but we still weren't very clear. The grass in said location was splotchy and dying in spots, but half a pallet's worth? Oh well, boss man's orders. Dad begin tilling up the ground to rip up the old turf. We replaced the sod, but still had twenty or thirty pieces of sod sitting on the trailer that would go to waste if we didn't use it. So, Dad found another spot and begin to till. When he cut the motor off, he looked up at me and said, "Well, that was the senseless killing of good grass." Bizarro.

2009-05-28T12:41:00.000-05:00

Did You See That!?

2009-05-23T09:38:00.002-05:00

LeBron James is a freak. Did you see that game-winning, last second three-pointer last night? It was incredible. I still get chills when I watch it. Cleveland fans thought it was over. They were down by two with one second left. What can happen in one second? Well, if you've got LeBron on your team, a lot can happen in one second. That's the beauty of a three-pointer in the sport of basketball. You can dunk all you want, you can alley-oop, you can 360 windmill, behind the back, under the legs, eyes closed, tongue outstretched slam... but it's only worth two points. The three point shot pays homage to what the sport is all about: the ability to put a ball in a hoop from varying distances with skill and efficiency. Watch and be amazed.

A Letter to Yourself

2009-05-21T20:08:00.002-05:00

On the first day of school this year, I had my seventh grade choir students write a letter to themselves in the future. I had them list three goals they hoped to achieve, their friends, their interests, etc. I took these letters and put them in my desk, not to be touched until today. Today was the last day of 7th grade choir class. It was a great year with them. I thanked them for their hard work this year. I thanked them for buying into this whole "choir" idea. I thanked them for making my first real choir a great one (I don't really count last year).
So I gave them their letters back today. It was great to watch their reactions as they read their words from nine months ago. Some were surprised. Some were unmoved. I just wonder if they realize how much they have changed. I see it. Do they see it? They have grown so much, literally and musically.
Tomorrow is the last day of school. In honor of the "letter to yourself", I went back and read my blog post from the last day of school last year. I sincerely hope I continue to change in a positive way.

The Pursuit of Happiness

2009-05-20T07:42:00.002-05:00

Board games have become increasingly loud, colorful, and crazy in an attempt to catch the buyer's eye. However, last night I played a tried and true board game that requires little fanfare: Trivial Pursuit. It's true, in recent years Trivial has tried to stay up to speed with mainstream board games. With editions like "Pop Culture" and "90s" it's tarnishing an already golden game. The good ole Genus version(s) is the best around. It's simple: answer trivia questions correctly, fill your gamepiece with pie pieces before the other team and win. I grew up on this game. I love it. It gives me an outlet for all of the random facts swimming around in my head. For instance, last night I was able to successfully answer this question: "What Pakistani president was the first head of state to give birth while in office." I dug deep. It starts with a B... Benazir Bhutto! Where in the world did that come from!? We ended up losing the game last night, but it's moments like those that I thrive on. Digging into the deep recesses of the mind to pull to the forefront random facts that surprise and amaze your friends. It truly is a pursuit of happiness.

A Home

2009-05-18T17:20:00.002-05:00

"That's Auburn's new head football coach," I whispered to Brandy. We were on our way into church yesterday. I had heard that Gene Chizik went to Cornerstone, but had never seen him there. As we sat down I thought to myself, "I've got to text my brother and tell him that Coach Chizik goes to my church." Suddenly, a much greater realization hit me: I just referred to Cornerstone as "my church." Woah. If you've followed this blog or know me with any sincerity, you know that I've had church issues in the last year or so. I pretty much left the church. Still believed in Christ and the beauty of his death for me, but didn't so much believe in the church's ability to adequately communicate that to the world. Two or three months ago, God eased that burden for a few days. Why? I don't know, He's God. During that window of vulnerability, I went to Cornerstone Church one Sunday morning. It was great. Perfect? No. No human is perfect and no church is perfect. There was, however, a sense of calmness as if God was saying: just check this joint out, give it a good go. I left with a desire to go back. However, my schedule was such that I was out of town for a few weekends and didn't get to go back. Recently (the last four or five weeks) I've been able to go weekly. Every time I go, I am challenged, convicted, uplifted, and I leave knowing I've spent time in communion with other believers and with the one in whom we believe.
Gene Chizik goes to my church. Gene Chizik is not what's important in that sentence. My church is what's important. God has given me a new place to feel at home. I'm still new there, but I can't wait to go back each week. I can't wait to get more involved. Please don't think I'm putting Cornerstone on a pedestal. It is simply a church that can handle the ecclesiastical baggage I've accrued in recent years. I thank God for that.

But seriously, if Auburn is having a bad season next year, email me your prayers and I'll pray them for you. Ya know, because Gene Chizik goes to my church.

Where Blues Lives

2009-05-11T12:59:00.002-05:00

For today's post, I'm proud to welcome my father as a guest blogger. Here, he recounts his experience at Gip's place, a small blues shack in Bessemer, AL.

It is difficult to describe the location and the ambience at Gip’s place. Somewhere deep in the heart of a rundown Bessemer, Alabama neighborhood lies a “juke joint” that is 110% blues music. I was invited by my friend Phillip Davis to join him and two other male friends, Joe and Andy, to visit Gip’s. last Saturday night. Gip is an 87 year old blues guitar player and singer of the Mississippi John Hurt genre who stayed true to form throughout the evening. His “place” is a shack in someone’s back yard between Bessemer and Midfield. There is no cover charge, but a cowboy hat was passed around frequently to help with the performer’s expenses. The roof is tin, as are the walls. There are tables (but not many) and chairs and ashtrays. The Christmas lights are still up as are the decorations. There remained a bobble head Jesus/John Lennon doll on the Peavey amp on stage during all the performances. Neon signs adorn the walls and there is one commode outside (no sink). But the main thing at Gip’s is the music—blues music and lots of it. One fellow got up and played his slide guitar and then his cigar box guitar with 4 strings and a fretless neck. Yes, a guitar made of a cigar box! Then the evening got serious. The MC stated that weapons, including guns and knives, were forbidden as was cursing and fighting. The Spoons took the stage and rocked, covering ZZ Top and KW Shephard. Then a 65 yr old African American woman named Shar-baby covered Elvis Presley’s Blue Suede Shoes among others, followed by J.T. Brickman from the N. Mississippi All-Stars. By this time all heads were swimming in genuine juke joint blues. There is a smaller shack halfway up the driveway where ribs, burgers and smoked sausage were for sale as well as $1 water, .75 Pepsi and $2 beer. It rained at 9 o’clock but no one noticed. People bring their own beverages (Nascar style) and sit on their coolers. The racial split was about 60-40 black to white and everyone got along very well. Love of blues music was the common denominator and the place was loud and peaceful. We left at midnight, but the place was still totally rocking. Who knows when they shut the place down.

Anyways, it was a great experience I will not soon forget. And the thing is, they do this every Saturday night.

Was it a dream? Was it surreal? No, it was Gip’s Place and it ROCKED solid!

To Boldly Go...

2009-05-10T10:15:00.002-05:00

*Warning: This blog post contains nerd content. Drew, if you can't handle the nerd, get off the starship.

I saw Star Trek last night. It was really good. I don't want to sit here and tell you it was the most incredible movie I've ever seen and you be disappointed when you see it, but it was really good. When I was growing up, my mom (Happy Mother's Day Mom. I love you!) watched Star Trek: The Next Generation. I was too young to really get into it, but I liked what little bits and pieces I saw. I knew characters (Captain Picard, Riker, Worf, Data, and Lavar Burton from Reading Rainbow with the crazy headband on his eyes.) I'm also a bit of a sci-fi geek, so this movie was right up my alley. It was directed by J.J. Abrams, the director of my favorite TV show LOST. In case there's anyone reading this that has seen Star Trek and watches LOST, I have a question for you. Is J.J. Abrams the unequivocal king of time travel in our day or what? He pulls it off every time without getting TOO weird. I mean yeah, it's weird. But he does it in a way that seems to say, "This is how it COULD work, if we were able to do it." It's more believable than getting into a mad scientist's machine, dialing in a year, and pressing a glowing red button. In LOST it's a result of a source of highly volatile energy. In Star Trek it's a result of singularity, or black holes. Now, we don't know much about black holes, but we know that they bend space and time. I think that if we are ever going to travel time, it is more likely to be a la Star Trek than LOST. Regardless, the only way we will ever get there is to... "Boldly go where no one has gone before."

Survived

2009-05-08T21:57:00.002-05:00

I survived. This past week has been looming large for a month or so now. I have known how busy it would be, how much it would demand of my time and attention. I am now on the other side and, for the most part, and very pleased with the results. Snow White was a great success. We did one evening show for the community and two daytime shows for the school. The kids did so great and I think they really had a blast doing it. It was well received by parents, students, and faculty. One faculty member came to my classroom and raved about the show. He claimed it was the best Drake drama club performance he's ever seen! It was a great experience and one I can't wait to be a part of next year!
The very next night, we had our Spring Choir concert with the Junior High school. Because the musical was so late in the year, I really didn't have the time to mentally prepare for this concert. Thus, the result seemed rushed and unorganized. I forgot to even remind my after school choir (mostly sixth graders) that we even had the concert! As a result, only about ten of them showed up. Yikes. They were so embarrassed and hardly sang during the first show. Two of my officers ("historians") made a slide show of pictures from the year. It kinda took the choir by surprise when, after we finished our three song set, I asked them to sit and turn around and face the screen. They laughed, pointed, cheered, and jeered as the pictures rolled by. It was a great way to recap the year and say thanks for a great year!
The second show went much better. I would even go so far as to say that the seventh grade choir sang their three pieces the best they've EVER sung them. I was very proud. My only regret is that I wasn't more prepared for this concert. I would've liked to have added another piece or two to make it more special for them, but I was simply zapped from this crazy week.

I hope yours went well.

Let the Tale Unfold

2009-05-04T22:16:00.003-05:00

The day has come. It's been months in the making, hours of sweat, some tears, lots of laughs, and a lot of fun. Tomorrow night we premier our Middle School production of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs: the Musical. I'm not going to lie, I've had mixed emotions up to this point. However, tonight we had our first full dress rehearsal with EVERYTHING: lights, costumes, makeup, the works. Save a few microphone mixups, it went very well. It finally "clicked" for me tonight. The dwarfs finally looked and acted like dwarfs, the crone finally looked like an old cranky woman, and Snow White finally beamed with princessorial innocence and joy. One of the other Drama club teachers reminded the cast and crew of something that helped me out a great deal as well tonight. She reminded them that this is a live show; things will go wrong. And it probably will not be the same thing two times in a row, but you move on. The show must go on! So, I hope to see you at Drake Middle School for our production of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. It's a gem of a fairytale!

Swine and Dandy

2009-05-02T19:36:00.002-05:00

This weekend is the date for the 2009 Young Voices Festival. This is a state-wide choral festival for kids in grades four through nine. Kids audition earlier in the year, and if they make it they go to Auburn University for the festival. There are four choirs made up of kids from all over the state. They rehearse music they've been working on for months and a final concert is performed on Saturday afternoon. Many kids and choir directors look forward to this event. It got cancelled this year due to fears of swine flu outbreak. Are you kidding me? I just don't get it. Perhaps I'm ill informed, but I don't see what the big deal is! To me, it seems like the media has caused a global frenzy over this virus that is causing people to panic. Now, on one hand, I can see why an event like Young Voices would be a dangerous situation for an airborne virus (tons of kids sitting next to each other for hours breathing all over each other.) I'm just not convinced that this H1N1 "swine flu" is all that big of a deal. How is it any different or more dangerous than the regular flu? People have been getting the flu all over the world for years. I really feel sorry for the kids. There are hundreds of kids all across the state of Alabama that spent hours practicing music and looking forward to a trip that they aren't getting to take. It's a shame. I was only going to take four kids. But some schools take forty, fifty kids. Oh well. Better luck next year, I suppose. Never in a million years did I think that something like this would be cancelled by something called "swine flu". Stupid pigs.

Gone but not forgotten

2009-04-27T22:54:00.003-05:00

You move on from things, and it becomes easier and easier to forget about them. When you start to forget about them, you start to forget how valuable your time there was. Tonight I went to the AU Singers Spring Show. Spring Show is the big one. It's the culmination of year's work and it usually lasts around two hours. I've been out of Singers for two years and many of those memories are already starting to fade. How could I forget them? How could I forget how many hours I spent in rehearsal? How could I forget the thousands of hilarious things we did and said in Singers? How could I forget the incredible musical moments? Tonight made them all come flooding back. It's a tradition in AU Singers that Alums are invited back onstage to sing one of the final pieces "What Would I Do Without My Music." It's a ballad that encompasses all that Singers stands for. It talks about the simple value of music in a person's life. I went back onstage and sang the piece as the former director and founder of the group, Dr. Tom Smith, conducted. Emotional? Yes. But not emotions of sadness or longing. Rather, these were emotions of pure joy. Being on the teaching end of music these days, I rarely get to sing anymore. Singing in a choir is one of the things I miss most. Sitting amongst friends, bright lights in my face, Dr. Smith conducting; it was joy. It made me really stinkin' happy. It's true, I had many mixed emotions about singers during my four years. But tonight reminded me and re-proved to me that AU Singers was such a huge part of my life for four years. I made so many great memories with so many great people. It's a time of my life I never want to forget. Thanks Singers.

Trills and Thrills

2009-04-26T10:43:00.002-05:00

First, let me breathe.... (huge sigh of relief).... ok.

This weekend, the band director and I took our band and choir to Atlanta for our big spring trip. I have to admit, I was nervous. But, after the first few hours, I knew that this was going to be a great trip. Allow me to recap:

We met at the school at 7:30 a.m. After a meeting with all students and chaperones, we loaded the buses and were on our way. Two hours later, we stopped at a mall to eat lunch. Our choices were: Chick-fil-a, or three Asian restaurants. Needless to say, the line for Chick-fil-a was a mile long. After we ate, we loaded the buses and left for the World of Coke. If you haven't been, it's worth a visit. They sure do a great job of making you want to drink a coke. They show a short animated film, then a self-guided tour through the museum begins. The tour ends with the tasting room, where you can drink all the coke you want and try the other 63 flavors of coke products from around the world. After we pumped the kids full of caffeine, we went to check into the hotel. This was the part I was perhaps the most nervous about. It takes a while to check 227 kids into a hotel! The hotel gave us a stack of room keys and a list of names and room numbers. We had to sort throught them, and figure out which room key packets went with which pre-determined room of kids. As it turned out, I was missing close to fifteen room key packets. Eventually, we got it all figured out and kids got checked into rooms. From there, we went to ESPN Zone. Here, kids got to play a million arcade games and eat an all you can eat buffett. After that it was back to the hotel and lights out, tomorrow is an early morning. Wake up call was at 5:00 a.m. (4:00 a.m. CST) We got all the kids fed and loaded onto the buses.
The whole reason we went on this trip was to perform in a music festival. Sure, we did a ton of other really fun things, but the performance (in my opinion) was the most important experience for the kids. We were performing at the Trills and Thrills music festival being held at Marietta Middle School. The band got "Superior" ratings, which is incredible. The choir peformed at 8:50 a.m. Luckily, we had plenty of time to warm up and were ready to go at our performance time. We sang our first piece well, with only one major mistake (which I take full responsibility for.) After a brief pause, we sang our second piece and, in my opinion, really sang it well. I was so proud of these kids. It all came together at that performance and I really felt like we were a team. We got "excellent" ratings, which I'm perfectly happy with and I think we deserved.
We spent the rest of the day in Six Flags riding roller coasters, eating junk food, screaming our brains out, sweating, and generally loving life. By the time we got home last night, I think the kids were sufficiently worn out and ready to be home. It was such a great weekend and I'm so proud of my kids not only for their performance, but for their overall behavior this weekend. I love my job.

Where There's Smoke...

2009-04-23T18:30:00.002-05:00

We had morning rehearsal this morning. Eighty kids in one room make it hot, no matter the temperature outside. So, I turned on the air conditioner. The room quickly cooled and all was well. Fast forward to first period. The kids said they were cold, so I turned the AC off. Fast forward to third period. The sun was out (beautiful day) and it was beginning to get warm again in my classroom. Again, I turned on the AC. This time, however, nothing happened. The room did not get cooler. I thought little of it and went about my day thinking it might "kick in" any minute. Fast forward to fourth period. I'm in the middle of talking to my students about this weekend when I smell the unmistakable smell of an electrical fire. Immediately I think of the AC unit. I ran to the back of the room, threw stacks of chairs aside to get to the closet that housed the AC unit. I expected billowing flames and smoke. I opened the door. No flames, just smoke. A light smoke started to seep into the room through the air vents in the ceiling. A haze clouded the room and kids started coughing. I immediately told them to go sit outside. I called my principal on the new phones that have been installed in our rooms. She answered very happily, "Hi!"
"Umm.... Mrs. Beebe, there's smoke coming into my room from the ceiling."
"I'm on my way!" she said.
When she arrived she ordered everyone out of my building, called the office to get them to call the fire department, and got someone else to pull the fire alarm and evacuate the WHOLE SCHOOL! I didn't see it, but later a student told me that four fire trucks pulled up and about thirty fully dressed firemen went running into the building. There were people from Central Office. We sat outside for about twenty minutes, when students started going back into the building. By this time, the next class had begun so I sent my students on. I went back to my room and nobody was in there. I had to talk to an assistant principal to find out what happened. Turns out the AC motor had blown or burned up and the fan was just blowing that smell into the room. No biggie. Good adventure. I won't have A/C in my room for quite a while, according to my principal. I started to feel guilty and embarrassed, but I really had nothing to do with it. Nothing like a little adventure to keep you on your toes!

Tomorrow, I take sixty-seven seventh graders to Atlanta with 160 members of the Drake Band. It's going to be a blast. Coke museum, ESPN Zone, Performance at a festival, all day in Six flags. If you're the praying type, pray for us. I'll tell you how it goes!

Magic

2009-04-15T19:47:00.002-05:00

The Poison of Mass Appeal

2009-04-13T17:33:00.003-05:00

I'm one of those people that likes to dislike what everyone likes. Let me rephrase. Every now and then there are certain things that most people like. I tend to dislike them mostly because... everyone likes it. I know it's kind of backwards, but I'm not alone. It's really a common thing with people my age. This is especially so with music. Enter Ben Harper. When he became popular with his beachy, hippie style, I immediately began the disliking process. Some of his most popular songs include "Burn one down," and "Steal my kisses." The latter was so repetetive and had such mainstream success that I really began to loathe it. All of that changed yesterday. I went home to my parent's house this weekend for Easter. I spent some time across the street with their neighbor Joe. Joe is a music lover and musician who loves to try out new instruments. His most recent purchase was an acoustic lap slide guitar. I had never even seen one until yesterday. He said his inspiration for the purchase was the music of Ben Harper. He showed me a video of Ben playing a similar instrument and my opinion of him immediately changed. His mainstream success with repetitive songs about pot and women overshadowed his real talent. Joe gave me a Ben Harper album called "Both Sides of the Gun." I listened to the whole thing on my drive back to Auburn last night and really enjoyed it! Perhaps I shouldn't write people off so fast when they become popular with mediocre music. Sometimes, there's a true talent behind the mainstream junk.

Happy Easter... Yo!

2009-04-10T23:01:00.001-05:00

At the urging of my brother "It's time for a new blog post, brocephus", and my father, "just post a link... that's what Joe Cribbs does," I've decided to do both. I will now post a link as my newest blog post. Happy Easter everyone.

Is That Your Final Answer?

2009-04-05T17:47:00.003-05:00

One of the things that has always caused me to become uneasy is the altar call, or invitation to the altar. This is a common practice in many churches and at many worship services. Most of the time, it is done with the best of intentions: bringing people into a relationship with Christ. That, in itself, is a great thing. It's the best thing; the most important event that could happen to a person. But is it our (human's) job to make this happen? I don't think it is. We, as humans, are completely incapable of saving anyone's soul from sin, death, and eternal separation from Christ. So why then, do pastors and religious leader insist on trying to make this thing happen? Won't God take care of it when He and his child are ready? I'm in no position to doubt the inegrity of anyone's decision at an altar call or otherwise. It simply seems to me like these people are coerced into accepting Christ when it's convenient for the pastor. Back off reverend, let the only one who CAN save, save!
Secondly, if you've ever experienced an "altar call", you get the sense that it's some one time commitment, and afterward everything will be fine. "Okay, I just need your signature here.... that's it.... congratulations you're the proud new owner of a 2009 Relationship with Christ with airbags and anti-lock brakes." That's great for the new believer. But those of us that have already made that decision just sit there like "Oh, I'm fine... thanks though." Like we've just eaten a huge meal and are being offered more mashed potatoes. Romans tells us that all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. If this was true 2000 years ago, and it's still true today, this must mean that we CONTINUALLY sin and fall short of the glory of God. Thus, we CONTINUALLY need salvation! Rather than it being a one time, sign on the line and everything's fine event, what if it were a weekly, daily, moment by moment event? I know that I need to invite Christ into my heart and hand him the reigns of my life multiple times a day, if not near constantly.
Sure, the moment that a non-believer comes into the fold for the first time is a momentous occasion. But the enemy is constantly fighting for our attention, affections, loyalties, time, commitments, relationships, etc. We should constantly be fighting for those back, in order that we might hand them right back over to Christ.
I'm reminded of a skit that our FCA leadership team did Friday morning at FCA. Taylor sat on a stool. The stool represented her life, her heart, all the things I mentioned above (essentially the steering wheel of her life). Christ approached her and she invited him to sit on the stool, to take over for her, to be in the driver's seat. Then, one of her friends would approach her and ask if she wanted to go to this party, or get some older guy to buy them beer, or (insert another distraction from the Lord here). Taylor would think about it, then say "Sure!" as she knocked Christ off the stool and sat back down. This happened multiple times. The object of the story being that we try to take over our own lives, to be in charge, multiple times A DAY. The remedy for this, in my opinion, is not only a one time acceptance of and invitation to Christ. Rather, it's a constant, recurring plea for Christ to come back in; to sit on that stool and drive. So maybe we do need the altar call. Constantly.

The Last to Go

2009-04-03T16:22:00.003-05:00

Well, that's it. All four of my pregnant friends from work have now hatched their offspring. Katie was the last to go, yesterday. I'm happy for her, and for all of the new moms. However, if I may, I'd like to explore a selfish vein for a moment. These formerly expectant mothers were all people I regularly talked with and enjoyed the company of at work. Who will I talk to now? Gee thanks, procreation.

The Adventurer and the Nostalgic

2009-03-30T18:12:00.003-05:00

There's something to be said for the adventurer. There's a level of respect and admiration for someone so willing to venture out into unknown places. This isn't about the adventurer. What about the nostalgic? The one who is content in reliving prior events. If the feelings are the same as the first time, isn't it a little like being there? I want to be an adventurer. I want to boldly go where no man has gone before. But, I'm just not that way; at least not 100%. Not even 70%. Most times I'm completely happy with doing things the way they've been done. I could sit around with my friends from high school, retell old stories, laugh my ass off, and be fine. Maybe it's because whenever I do try to be adventurous, I screw up. I break an ankle.
The Postal Service got me thinking about all this. The band, not the government run parcel service. I refer back to my lack of musical adventurism. When we are so concerned with finding what's new, what's cutting edge, what's original; we sometimes lose the ability to really fall in love with an old song or an old album. Have you ever known someone who was like that with people? They are so concerned with "networking" and "making connections" that they never really cultivate any solid friendships. I feel like I "should be" a musical adventurer. I should be a guy that people can go to for the new stuff. I'm not. I'm more likely to be found listening to an old Caedmon's album or, like I said above, a Postal Service EP. Am I resisting change? I don't know. Most of the time I'd simply rather listen to an old favorite for the 29th time and discover a new ride cymbal part I've somehow never heard before. What's the old saying? "All things in moderation". Perhaps I'd be best served by a healthy dose of both adventurism and nostalgic... ism.

Love whatever you're listening to.

Live

2009-03-29T18:02:00.004-05:00

This weekend was great. Live music every day. On Friday we went to a really great bar in Opelika called 8th & Rail. We went to hear a band called Act of Congress. It was refreshing to hear good live music in the Auburn Opelika area. So many bars are full of no talent musicians and nobody seems to care because they just want to drink and have something going on in the background for them to drink to. Act of Congress was a mixture of folk, jazz, and bluegrass. It was excellent. The next night, we went back to the same bar. This time to hear a collection of artists that are touring together. David Berkeley, Micah Dalton, Ryan Horn, and Jon Black. This was even better than the night beore. The whole evening was great: great music, great drinks, great people, great atmosphere. Great, great, great. Ok then. See ya.

great.

Growth

2009-03-24T18:43:00.002-05:00

In these economic times, growth is not a word used to describe many things. Businesses aren't experiencing much growth. Stocks certainly aren't growing. My portfolio isn't growing. Wait, who am I kidding, I don't have a portfolio. People are scaling back; spending less. Less is the new more.
However, there is one sector that, early reports show, is on track to experience growth from 2009-2010. The Seventh Grade Choir at Drake Middle School is on the up and up! I got a list from one of my counselors today that included fifty-five current sixth graders who have signed up for choir next year! Wait, you say. That's thirty less kids than this year, you say. Hark! That's only students with last names M through Z! Only half the precincts are reporting, Wolf Blitzer! If the A through L contingency follows suit, I could have 110 kids in 7th grade choir next year! Wouldn't that be awesome!? We're gonna need a bigger boat. I'll keep you posted as more reports come in.

Over and Out

2009-03-22T17:23:00.002-05:00

Well, Spring Break is over. I worked, I played, I had lots of fun. This weekend was my good friend Paul's wedding. I was in the wedding as a groomsman (so nice not to have to sing). A bunch of us went out Thursday night to my favorite bar in Birmingham, the Garage Cafe. What was so great was that, literally, as people were getting into town for the wedding, they were coming to the Garage. My new friend Martin flew in from NYC, my best friend Daniel flew in from Pasadena. It was almost as if we had predetermined that "when you arrive in Birmingham you are to go straight to the Garage." The next day I worked a half day with dad and then got ready for wedding festivities. I met the guys at our hotel room and we got ready for the rehearsal. Wedding rehearsal, rehearsal dinner, all great. That night we partied at the hotel. Here were fifteen people who some knew each other, some didn't know anyone, some from here, some from afar, and we just partied like we were all lifelong friends. We laughed more than I've laughed in quite a while. I'm talking sore abs the next day kind of laughing. The next day, the groomsmen woke up, ate some chicken, got dressed, and went to the church for pictures. The rest is pretty textbook: pictures, sitting around, ushering people in, wedding (nobody fainted), reception, game over. It was a great weekend and a great end to my Spring Break. I made new friends, hung out with old friends, met a very attractive young lady, and saw my good friend Paul get married on what was hopefully one of the best days of his life.

Now, it's back to work, back to school. I was always the kid that secretly looked forward to going back to school. Some things never change. I'm secretly looking forward to going back to work tomorrow. I miss my students and am ready to buckle down for this last nine weeks. See ya!

SB09

2009-03-15T20:29:00.002-05:00

As I write, I'm staring out at the gulf waves lapping the white sands of America's gulf coast. Actually, that couldn't be further from the truth. I'm here in rainy Birmingham. My spring break goals include a different type of tan; a farmer's tan! I'll be working landscape this week; the ole family business. Some families make their name in the restaurant business. Some families practice law. We push dirt around and cover it with grass. It's great! Hopefully the rain will move on so we can get some work done this week.

My father just purchased a piece of equipment for the company called a "boxer". Imagine a bobcat, without the rear-end, and you don't sit in it, you stand on it. It has tracks like a tank, but made of rubber. One can purchase or rent an array of attachments to do all sorts of different jobs. With this one piece of equipment, we can move thousands of pounds of dirt, till up the earth, dig trenches, drill holes under driveways, herd sheep, grill chicken, wash clothes, cast magic spells, rock babies to sleep, and do your taxes. Productivity and efficiency should increase, as well as fun-percentage.

My plan has been to work for Cater Design Landscape (heretofor referred to as CDL) during the summer. However, another opportunity has come up which might prove to be somewhat more lucrative for me. Last week, I received an email from the secretary at my school. Twas a forward from the Outreach Program Coordinator at Auburn University. Apparently, Auburn runs several week long camps during the summer for high school students focusing on different areas of study. There is an engineering camp, a fisheries camp, an architecture camp, and even a musical theatre camp. They are in need of "Lead Counselors/On-site coordinators" whatever that means. From what I can gather, it seems to be some type of "head counselor" position. I had to send my resume in! The kicker? One thousand US American dollars a week! We'll see how that plays out. I'm game for whatever! As long as I don't break any bones this summer (knock on wood), It looks like I should have some fun and make some money.

But for now, it's Spring Break '09. I'm going to get an airbrushed T-shirt at one of the 11 Wings stores within two miles of each other. Oh and one of those shirts that looks like I'm a girl in a bikini... but I'm not... it's just a shirt. SB09!

Tempus Fugit

2009-03-12T17:24:00.002-05:00

The third nine weeks started today. I cannot believe that this school year is three fourths over with! I got new sixth grade music students today. On the first day of sixth grade music, I do my song and dance, quite literally. We do a goofy song/dance called Singin' in the Rain (courtesy of Dr. Randall Hooper at Sumatanga this past summer). The kids LOVE it! It gives them a chance to let loose and goof off a little bit. I also go over rules, procedures, etc. Then, I sing for them. I figure their music teacher ought to be able to make a little music, right?

So here we go. The home stretch. In a way, each new nine weeks is a chance to start over. It's a chance to right the previous nine weeks' wrongs and repeat its successes. I wish you luck over the next nine weeks, whatever you may be doing.

The This Time Last Week Game

2009-03-11T18:18:00.002-05:00

Whenever I return from a fun trip, I experience a let down in the absence of the previous week's excitements. Fun's over, there's nothing to see here. The people you laughed with are all back at their homes or their jobs. It's back to the "real world". As a youth, I experienced this let down after church trips like Mountain T.O.P., Ski Trip, Choir Tour, etc. In college it was usually after AU Singers Summer Tour. Currently, it's the ACDA let down. No more corny music references that nobody else back home would get. No more overly exhaggerated critiques of some of America's best choirs as if we're in any place to say so.

So, how do I cope? I play a little game called This Time Last Week. The rules are simple, think about what you were doing at this exact time last week. It conjures up good memories... well... memories nonetheless. It sweeps you back to the fun times you had last week. Here goes. This time last week I was with my ACDA posse trying to find somewhere to eat. We went to a place called Mantle's, but we didn't have reservations. So, on a tip from our cab driver, we went to Toby Keith's I Love This Bar and Grill. Now, if you know me at all, you know I can't stand Toby Keith. He's slimy, his music sucks, and he just wants to profit off of America's war efforts and the feverish patriotism of some Americans. I digress. I sucked it up and went. We walked in and it wasn't so bad, save the larger than life mural of Mr. Keith holding his American flag painted guitar up in the air with a "we just won State!" linebacker look on his face. We had heard that the country fried steak was excellent here. Of course, I ordered it. When our food came there was a frisbee on my plate.... no... wait... that's the country fried steak. Toby, I gotta hand it to you, your music is crap, but your country fried steak is tops! I can't tell you much further, because then I'd be getting outside of the "this time last week" window. Ask me again in a couple hours... it involved lots of alcohol and intoxicated music teachers.

Time Shift

2009-03-08T20:06:00.002-05:00

I love the spring time change. Sure, we lose an hour of sleep, but we'll get over that. It's worth the extra hour of daylight. Being that the time change always happens on a Sunday, I would always go to church that day. Then when coming out of MYF on Sunday nights, it would still be light outside! This would awaken within me that deep down longing for summer. The extra hour of daylight would begin to melt my summer heart, frozen from winter and caked with snow and ice. And so it has begun, the countdown to summer. Maybe not an actual countdown yet, but with every passing day we get one day closer to flip flops, sunburns, frozen drinks, and hot hot heat. Okay, for me it will more likely be workboots, farmers tan, jugs of water, and miles of sod. Nevertheless, bring it on.

Conventional

2009-03-07T10:19:00.006-06:00

I had a great week in Oklahoma City. I really didn't know what to expect, but was pleasantly surprised. We stayed in an area of downtown OKC called Bricktown, named for its all brick buildings and red brick streets. There was a small river, more like a canal, that ran through most of bricktown. Above is the start of "riverwalk".
Here's John in front of the bus that bears his namesake. We couldn't resist taking a picture.
One of the greatest things about this week was all of the incredible music we were able to hear. There were two concert sessions every day featuring various choirs from around the world. Then, on Thursday night we had a huge concert involving several choirs from around the area and an area orchestra. They performed a commissioned work by American composer named Domenick Argento called Cenotaph. It was cool to see and hear a world premier performance by a composer who is still alive. Following that work, we heard Ralph Vaughan Williams "Dona Nobis Pacem". I had never heard it before, and it was incredible.

One of the things that's so great about these conventions is that you can hear a piece performed by an incredible choir. Then, when they finish singing, the conductor will turn around, scan the audience and acknowledge the composer, who is in the room because everyone who is anyone in choral music was at this event. I saw Eric Whitacre, choral music's rising rock star of a composer. I hate to use this phrase because it sounds so cliche, but it was just cool. We went to interest sessions and lectures given by prominent minds in choral music today. It made me re-evaluate my teaching and gave me a new fervor for my job. I plan to get back to school and hit the ground running with my choir. No, I don't have nearly the "program" that many of these other people have. I would hardly even say I have a choir "program" at all. But after this week, I'm going to work passionately and tirelessly to make my little corner of the choral music world the best it can be.

Where the Wind Comes Sweeping Down the Plane

2009-03-02T21:38:00.002-06:00

Tomorrow, I'm leaving for the rest of the week. No, it's not a vacation, it's a convention. The American Choral Director's Association National Convention in Oklahoma City to be precise. The week will be full of interest sessions, concerts, conversations with leading professionals in the field, and general musical merriment. I will learn alot, but will also rub elbows with some big names in the choral music community. I may or may not be blogging throughout the week, but at least you'll know what's keeping me if I don't.

Adieu.

A Wacky Weather Weekend Without Women

2009-03-01T16:29:00.011-06:00

This weekend was my good friend Paul's bachelor party. We all met in Atlanta for a Ben Folds concert. I know the picture isn't that great, but he's the one sitting at the grand piano. It was a crappy drive, because it was storming the whole time. I would soon learn that this was only the beginning of the strangest weather weekend!
After the concert, I drove to Birmingham and met up with the rest of the guys at a lake house on a small, private lake. I was exhausted, so I went straight to bed once I got there. The next day, we shot guns. It's been about six years since I've shot skeet. It's so much fun. I wasn't that great at it, but had a lot of fun doing it (and posing for pictures because the shotgun made me feel bad ass.)
Almost as fun as shooting the clays, is throwing them. There's a handheld plastic device from which the clays are launched. Here's Matt throwing a clay.
Here's John throwing a clay.
We woke up to a winter wonderland. That's right, snow in Alabama! We didn't have any food at the house, so some guys and I drove out to McDonald's to get biscuits for everyone. The drive was beautiful because it was still early.
Snowy lake.
After biscuits and cleaning up, I headed back to Auburn; completing my triangular weekend travel. Surprisingly, the snow was still unmelted. I had to play with Jenny in the snow, as well as do some of the things you ALWAYS do when it snows. Here we see Jenny in a haze of confusion. I think I had just hit her with a couple snowballs.

And finally, here's the snowman I made. What an awesome weekend.

A Kid in King Arthur's Court

2009-02-25T17:58:00.003-06:00

After school today, we had a faculty meeting with our superintendent of schools. Yeah, it was a big deal. Obviously he was here to talk about budget issues in these tough economic times. I came away with two observations.

1. I felt like a child amongst giants. Here was the superintendent spouting off financial figures that I couldn't even register. He might as well have been saying, "We've got eleventy bajillion dollars here, and four gogillion dollars in this account. Now if we cut point four percentage points to the lateral axis of every fiscal hydrogen bonded rotator cuff, we can alleviate the negotiable divisor betwixt the three million and the seventy-leven zillion mark." WHAT? It was really hard for me to follow everything he was saying. I guess I'm a simple man who deals in simple figures. I trust that he knows what he's doing; which leads me to my next point.

2. We often see these "higher up" figures in a negative light. "He is so out of touch with us" or "He doesn't even come into the classrooms", etc. We often think that we are the ones that do the grunt work while they sit in their leather backed chairs lighting cigars with flaming Benjamin Franklin greenbacks. I can tell you, that is not the case with this man. I really got a sense that he fights for his schools. He doesn't spend much time in the classrooms, because he CAN'T. He's up to his eyeballs in financial figures, politicians, and bar graphs trying to steer our school system successfully through this "crisis". I do my job, he DEFINITELY does his. For that I'm grateful.

These Are the Moments

2009-02-23T19:12:00.002-06:00

There are moments every now and then that make me go, "Oh yeah. This is why I do this. This is why I love this job. This is why I love teaching music." I had another one of those moments today. It couldn't have come soon enough, because I was in a slump of sorts. Each day seemed so boring and lifeless, until today. And, keep in mind, when I say "moment" that's exactly what these are. It was literally about five seconds long, but that was long enough.

I'm teaching my choir an African-American spiritual called "Yonder Come Day". It allows for much artistic liberty, including the use of percussion. I decided to purchase a djembe, a large African hand drum. It came in last week and it's AWESOME. I'm no expert on percussion instruments, but it's got a great sound and it's fun to play.

Oh yeah, the moment. It was second period. We were rehearsing Yonder Come Day. We got to a section towards the end where I've asked the choir to sway (which was rough when we first started it, but it all came together today.) I was playing the drum, the kids were singing, we were all swaying; it was a real Mr. Holland's Opus moment. I know, pretty cheesy, but I loved it so back off.

A Random List of Things on My Mind

2009-02-20T14:32:00.002-06:00

-I can't believe Ricky wasn't voted into the top three. It makes me hate American Idol... again.

-I watched Survivor last night at Debbie's house. We would ask her questions about what was going to happen, and then try to interpret her facial expressions to come up with some sort of answer.

-Lost on Wednesday? Eh.

-Twenty four on Monday? Eh.

-I watch too much TV.

-I'm tired of cold weather. Can't wait for Spring, when the weather breaks.

-What are you doing this weekend? Me? Nothing. Ahhh...

-I recently joined Twitter. I'm still not fully sold on it's worth.

-I ordered and received a Meinl Djembe (expensive African hand drum) for my classroom today. It sounds so good!

-Teaching will take it out of you! I'm tired!

-I might already be addicted to the nasal spray I bought this past weekend.

-I'm reading The Shack right now and really enjoying it. Thanks for the recommendation, Holly.

-I'm also into a Japanese animated series (anime) for the first time ever in my life. It's called Cowboy Bebop. Judge me.

-That's all for now. Have a great weekend everyone.

Holy Moses

2009-02-18T14:54:00.002-06:00

Did you see Ricky Braddy on American Idol last night? More importantly, did you HEAR Ricky Braddy on American Idol last night? And? Blown away I assume. I'm not just saying this because he's my friend or because I'm biased, but he was clearly the frontrunner of his group last night. Sure, the last guy was great too. But I still don't think he sang as well as Ricky. We shall see this evening as they reveal America's decision on the top three from group one. I never thought I would care this much about American Idol. I used to hate it. Eventually, I got to where I would sit through an entire episode. Now, I watch with baited breath to see what will happen. Who knows, at this rate, I might be auditioning for next season...

You didn't think I was serious did you?

www.thebraddybunch.com

Moxi Mix-up

2009-02-16T21:15:00.002-06:00

It turns out you can't set a show to record simply by thinking about it. All day I've been looking forward to watching 24 and then Heroes. With my new moxi, I would be able to watch two shows that air simultaneously by recording them, then watching them one after the other. They started at eight. Any DVR enthusiast knows you wait twenty minutes so that you can fast forward through commercials. So, I waited twenty minutes. When I turned the TV to Fox, I realized I hadn't set 24 to record. BLAST! I could start watching now, but I'd be twenty minutes behind; that'll never work. I had lost. There was no way to watch 24. I'll have to catch it online in a few days. I'm almost embarassed that I even care this much, but when I think back to all of the crazy obsessed Bachelor related facebook statuses today, I don't feel so bad.

As Sayings Go...

2009-02-14T13:16:00.002-06:00

My family has a few of them, sayings that is. One of my favorites being a phrase that my grandfather would say at EVERYONE'S birthday party, no matter what. He would wait for the lull of the crowd, then proudly exclaim, "Never been this old before!" As if his words were a revelation unfolding before our eyes.

Today is my birthday, and no, I've never been this old before. The saying rings with the same truth as it did last year. My grandfather is no longer with us, but my brother and I proudly carry on the tradition. Every time one of us has a birthday, the phone will ring and you can bet there's a Cater on the other end just itching to remind you that you've,

"Never been THIS old before!"

Is This Real Life?

2009-02-12T18:02:00.003-06:00

Reality television has been around for several years now. The percentage of Americans that have participated in a reality television series is increasing every year. Surely, it's only a matter of time until someone you know becomes involved in a reality television series. That time, for me, has come. Firstly, I have a good friend in the top thirty six of American Idol season eight. I've known people to try out, but I don't think I've ever known anyone to get this far. His name is Ricky Braddy and his voice will melt your face off. Secondly, my boss is a contestant on the newest season of Survivor! Are you kidding me? The premier was tonight, so we can finally talk openly about it. We've secretly known for a while that she was on the show, but we couldn't say anything. She mysteriously left school (in case you don't know, I'm a middle school choir teacher, so my boss would be the principal) for two months in October. While life at our humble middle school continued its mundane course, our principal was fighting for survival; literally. Her name is Debra.

So I guess the scope of the reality TV machine has reached its tentacles to my front door, or rather to my television. If you're the type to get online and/or text in votes for contestants (or even if you're not) get online, text, do it all. Vote for Ricky Braddy for American Idol. Vote for Debra Beebe for fan favorite on Survivor's website. This is crazy.

Operator Won't You Put Me On Through

2009-02-11T16:02:00.002-06:00

It was Friday night, around 7:00 p.m. My phone rang...

Me: Hello?
Robotic voice: This is Charter Communications calling to confirm your appointment for Friday from 7:00-8:00 p.m. To confirm, press 1. To cancel, press 3.

I cancelled and they transferred me to a representative. I was greeted by a very nice sounding customer service representative. I made a joke about being called by the "robot". She laughed, and the rest was history. We settled the issue of the random call within about five minutes. We spent the next hour on the phone, just talking. That's right, I "chit-chatted" with a Charter customer service representative for an hour because she sounded attractive. Luckily, I had a Charter bill that I had not opened sitting on my desk. I asked Sarah to stay on the line with me while I opened the bill. Sure enough, there were erroneous charges on the bill. Sarah kindly deduced fifty dollars from the bill and talked me through some other options. We talked about everything from Kentucky "Bourbon Balls" (a chocolate and bourbon treat) to Xbox to wireless routers. An hour later, I had sweet talked my way into a free Moxi DVR upgrade. Of course, I'm very skeptical. Last time I was told something would be "free" from Charter, I got billed for it... twice. So, Sarah gave me her email address to ensure that I could get back in touch with her if there was a problem. Sounds too good to be true, and probably is. I'll keep you posted.

When in Rome

2009-02-09T21:20:00.002-06:00

My good friend Emily is in Italy for the semester. If I let it go unchecked, my jealousy boils into a frenzy. I can't believe the things she's getting to see, do, and eat. I imagine that one would obtain such a different perspective of a foreign place by living there, not just visiting. It makes me feel like my humble little life here in Auburn is nothing compared to her new Italian life. I'm eating leftovers from last night's dinner and she's eating 1,000 year old cheese and fine Italian wine. Live it up.

We Are the Champions

2009-02-08T15:12:00.002-06:00

I found this image on Facebook. I had to show it to you. This is my father after the Steelers won the Super Bowl. To those less savvy, he's waving a "terrible towel". It's Steelers tradition.

Go Steelers!

Bile em' Cabbage Down

2009-02-05T16:48:00.002-06:00

For the last several weeks, the space between my watch and my wrist has really stunk. I'm sorry if I startled you by frankly coming forth with a mysterious bodily odor. It's a Fossil watch, all metal. So, it's not one of those stinky velcro band issues. And, it would stink after only wearing the watch for a few minutes, so it had nothing to do with sweat. I deduced that there was some kind of "funk" in my watchband. Every time I would put the watch on, the funk would get warm and release its funkiness.

So, what did I do? I boiled my watch. That's right, I brought a full saucepan of water to a rolling boil and dipped my watchband into the boiling froth. Three or four dips lasting about ten seconds each and I was done. I let the watch cool and dry overnight. Today, I'm funk free.

Domo Arigato

2009-02-04T21:40:00.003-06:00

I begin each class with a "Bellringer", ironically titled since we don't use bells at my school. Most of the time, I like to come up with my own bellringers. However, I often turn to a small book of music related journal questions that are perfect for just such an activity. Today, I used a bellringer that I've used before and had conversations similar to the ones I always have with this question: "Could a robot compose or perform music better than a human being? Why or why not?" What's particularly interesting is not necessarily their answers to the question, rather its their presupposed and readily offered knowledge of robots that cracks me up! "Robots" in the sense that we think of them (Rosie from the Jetsons) don't really exist, right? I mean, Honda created some kind of little walking thing that will one day help old people around their house, but we don't daily interact with "robots" from popular culture. This information doesn't phase a sixth grader. Don't even mess with them. They already know most everything there is to know about robots.

"If you program a robot to compose music, it could compose better than a human."

"It depends, if you like robot music you might like what a robot composes better than what a human composes."

"No. Robots might run out of batteries or have a short circuit."

"No, because robots voices only have one pitch."

"Yes, because robots are made of metal and are awesome."

These kids talk about robots as if they have a daily interaction with and deep understanding of them. I never knew I knew so little about robots!

Swimming Upstream

2009-02-03T20:15:00.002-06:00

Warning: Stream of consciousness ahead.

It's show choir season. This brings with it mixed emotions. Don't get me wrong, I love me some show choir. But, I do think it can get out of hand in some cases. There are school choral programs that are solely devoted to having the best, loudest, flashiest show choir in the land. Trophies. As a result, these students are receiving an unbalanced music education. They are missing out on a ton of excellent choral literature. Another adverse effect of show choirs is the tendency to be exclusive. Just like a team, a choral director must pick the best performers. A school whose choral program exists solely for show choir would leave out a large number of students that simply want to sing and have fun doing it.

I live in Auburn; a city whose choral programs take great pride in their show choirs. Fortunately, these are well balanced choral programs that offer students experiences in classical choral literature as well as popular show choir literature. My choral program does not offer show choir. It just wouldn't fly at this age.

Do I want a large, flourishing show choir program? Sometimes. Most times, no. It's a TON of work, but the rewards are great. No, I don't mean trophies and first place ribbons. I think that performing on a stage in front of people greatly increases confidence in those that perform. It has such a great impact on people.

Tonight was the preview shows for the Junior High and High School show choirs. It was incredible to see so many of my former students performing in a show choir for the first time. I was beaming with pride.

So, I think I'm okay with not having a show choir. No, I know I'm okay with not having a show choir. I'm perfectly satisfied with going to the occasional high school show choir practice, offering my two cents of advice. Playing electric guitar in one song for the high school show choir band. For now, I've got all the show choir I need.

I'll Trade Ya

2009-01-31T18:22:00.002-06:00

On my way to Birmingham this morning, I stopped by the Apple Store for my appointment with the "genius" (apple's customer service reps). My iphone's accelerometer hasn't worked for months. It's not a deal breaker, it just keeps me from getting all of the functionality out of this amazing device. After five minutes with the genius, I had a new phone in hand. Wow. It was that easy. Thank you apple.

Punched

2009-01-29T21:51:00.005-06:00

In music, a virtuoso is an idividual who is highly skilled at one or more musical instruments. I'm talking head of the field skills. If the value of a musical outfit were determined by the collective talent of its members, then Punch Brothers is as talented as any out there! I just returned from their performance at the Opelika Center for the Performing Arts. I scored some free tickets, and Chandler and I eagerly attended the show.

Punch Brothers is fronted by Chris Thile, formerly of Nickel Creek. Chris single-handedly changed the way the world thinks about the mandolin. I think the word virtuoso accurately describes his skill. However, it wasn't just a rag-tag band of string players fronted by the big name. On the contrary, every member of the group was equally skilled in their instrument, be it double bass, violin, guitar, or banjo. An entire group of virtuoso musicians. Needless to say, it was incredible. They played the entire "Blind Leaving the Blind", a forty minute, four movement string quintet composed by Thile. These five guys played their instruments with as much grace and attention to detail as any orchestral player would. But, let me get back to Chris for a moment. Think about a singer and how a singer controls his or her instrument. The brain simply wills the voice to "play". There's no middle man. Any other instrument requires the brain to communicate with an inatimate object in order to produce the desired sound. Watching Chris play, the middle man fades away. It's almost as if his brain is communicating directly with his instrument. I imagine there have only been several such musicians in history. Perhaps Miles Davis had this trait. Maybe Stevie Ray Vaughn and his electric guitar. It's quite a site to witness, and I'm humbled every time I get the chance.

I had such a chance my freshman year of college. Back then, Chris Thile was still in Nickel Creek, and Sky Bar was still the Blue Room. Nickel Creek was playing at the Blue Room and I went to hear them. I got there extra early, and thus got a spot very near the front (it was standing only). The show was outstanding, of course, but the fun didn't end there. I went home and began getting ready for bed, when a friend of mine called and said, "Dude, come back up to the Blue Room. Nickel Creek is playing unplugged outside their tourbus!" I threw my clothes back on, grabbed my mandolin, and headed back downtown. I got there in time to hear them play a few old bluegrass tunes completely unplugged in the parking lot to the Blue Room. It was great. Afterward, I ventured up to Chris and asked him to sign my mandolin. I handed my bottom of the line mandolin that I hadn't played in several weeks to him. He flipped it around and began to play! (At this point, I froze. I knew I hadn't played this instrument in quite a while and I was sure it would be horribly out of tune). He played a lightning fast bluegrass lick, paused, and said, "hmm... still in tune." Wow. He flipped it back over, signed it and handed it back to me. I smiled and said thanks. Thus, my brush with greatness was over. Five years later, he's in a new band, but still just as amazing to watch and listen to. Thanks Punch Brothers for a great show!

We've got spirit yes we do...

2009-01-28T17:23:00.002-06:00

The Pep Rally. An all important event in the collective spirit of a school. When I was in middle school, pep rallies were fun. We yelled, someone won the spirit stick, and that was all. Drake does pep rallies a little differently. The first pep rally I went to last year blew me away. The sheer volume of sound these kids produce is breathtaking. Teams come up with cheers to use at the pep rallies to compete for the coveted "Best Cheer" award. Nobody actually says it, but winning best cheer means you won the pep rally. "Most Spirit", thanks for playing, try again.
Students and teachers paint their faces and wear the most team colors they can fit on their body. Don't be mistaken, these pep rallies only slightly pay homage to the athletic teams of the school. For the most part, it's one seventh grade team versus another seventh grade team; one sixth grade team versus another sixth grade team in an all out scream fest. You can imagine that I, as a choral music teacher, cringe with every blood curdling scream, every vein popping yell, every hoarse student that attempts to sing in my class the following day. I try. I tell my singers not to yell so much, to let other members of their team carry the weight. Fat chance.
I was tasked with announcing the 7th grade softball team at the pep rally today. I decided to have fun with it since most of the softball girls are also choir members. I gathered the softball players and had them choose a nickname. Then, in my best Michael Buffer voice, I announced each player as "Suzie 'the thunderbolt' Smith" etc. After the pep rally, our bookkeeper asked me "Who was that announcer they hired?" Excellent.

We've got spirit, how bout you?....

Moroccan Around the Christmas Tree

2009-01-27T17:53:00.004-06:00

My cousing Reid is in Morocco for two years working for the Peace Corps. Two years! You couldn't do it. So he's pretty much a bad ass. He started a blog today to chronicle his time in Northern Africa. So, I've devoted my post today, to his blog. Even if you don't know him, it'll be cool to read a blog written by someone living across the world! It'll be like a pen pal, except much more one-sided.

www.atlassnows.blogspot.com

Developed

2009-01-26T20:59:00.002-06:00

Today, I took a half day off work so that I could drive to LaGrange, GA. My destination was Long Cane Middle School to see the choir director there. In music education, one often finds that he is the only professional in his field at a particular school. The closest middle school might be Opelika, but I've observed the teacher there and feel no need to go back. I met with Mrs. Biggs to discuss my program and music selection. I expected to leave with a few titles I could check out to get me on the right track. I left with four written pages of titles and composers of tried and true middle school repertoire. I dare say that this simple trip was one of the most professionally developing pieces of "professional development" I've ever experienced. Sure, I could flip through a J.W. Pepper catalog (music supplier and distributer) until my thumbs turn blue. But by meeting with Mrs. Biggs, someone who is good at what she does and has been doing it for a while, I was able to see tons of music that someone has done and that works. "This one is great," she would say. "You MUST get this one."

So now I have new direction, or perhaps a more precise heading in my current direction. I was affirmed in some of my teaching practices, which is always a plus. Now, I have the task of choosing from this huge list the pieces I want to do this semester. Wish us luck, and come hear us sing sometime!

Have I ever told you...

2009-01-25T11:47:00.002-06:00

That I've been skydiving? It was one of the most fun experiences of my life. I also happened to live with Aubie at the time, and he came along. This video is actually of Aubie skydiving, but I'm in it! I'm the one in the yellow jumpsuit. Off we go, into the wild blue yonder.

Like a Charm

2009-01-22T16:17:00.002-06:00

As a new teacher, I have faced a lot of challenges. As a good friend and colleague of mine said, teaching is one of the only professions where those who are brand new are expected to perform on the same level as those that have been doing it for years. My challenges have simply been trying to figure out how to do my job and do it better today than I did the day before. However, on a broader scale, one of my greatest challenges has been selecting choral literature that "fits" with my choir and the situation at my school. By "situation" I mean this: I have a 7th grade choir made up of 88 students. These students are split into four different classes. Each of these classes is a microchasm of the greater choir. There are about twenty girls and four or five boys in each class. This makes things much more difficult than if the whole choir was together at the same time. Each student doesn't have the confidence that they would if they had eighty seven other voices singing with them. Instead, they have to be one of twenty or twenty four voices. It is a challenge, but I must make it work.
As I said, selecting literature has become one of my biggest challenges and I have realized in the last year that it is one of the most important decisions a choral director will make in a given year.
Every school is different. So, I could ask for all the advice I want, but in the end I've got to choose music that will best fit my choir at my school. So, first semester, I decided to set the bar high and see how much they could achieve. I chose three part mixed, mostly homophonic music. Homophonic means that everyone is singing the same words at the same time, just different pitches. For whatever reason, my brain thought that this would be easier for them. We tried, and we did ok. I noticed that the main problem was that everyone wanted to sing the melody. Basically through trial and error, I learned that middle schoolers will want to sing the melody if they are singing the same WORDS as the melody. It makes sense. "I'm saying what they are saying, so I should probably sing the same pitches that they are singing."
So I'm rethinking literature selection. I was too ambitious first semester. I've scaled way down. I'm seeking more advice, browsing through more music, visiting another middle school choir director in LaGrange to compare notes. I want to get it right this time.
The other day, I stumbled upon a piece in my personal collection called "Yonder Come Day". I received a few copies of it while I was in Louisville, KY for a conference last year. Dr. Patrick Freer from Georgia State used it in his lecture on the boy's changing voice. It's an African American spiritual that uses several different melodies that eventually combine to create three part harmonies. I decided on a whim to try it the other day in class. It worked like a charm and is continuing to work better and better. EVERY CLASS today (even my tiny fourth period class) was confidently singing three part chords thanks to this fun, ingenious piece. Not only does it "trick" them into singing harmonies, but they LOVE the piece. "Can we sing that again?" they ask as they pack up their things at the end of class. What have I learned? There are ways to achieve what I want; ways to achieve the potential I see within these kids. I just have to keep digging until I find the key to unlock it. Today, "Yonder Come Day" was that key. If every class is singing it well, then I can't wait to get them all together and hear them sing it. I love days when I learn more than I teach.

I love my...

2009-01-19T12:01:00.001-06:00

Welcome to another edition of I love my Mondays, the post that tallies five things I love that are going on in my life. Why Monday? Monday is typically a day filled with thoughts about how much we hate things ("Mondays boy I hate Mondays. They make me so steamed. Weekend, I prefer the weekend.") So, in order to combat those ill feelings, I decided to list things I love about my life... on a Monday. Thumbs up, let's do this.

1. I love... Martin Luther King Jr. Today we celebrate the life and works of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. How crazy is it that someone was born with the names Martin Luther and is able to bring about such sweeping change in their surroundings, much like the first Martin Luther. Not only do I appreciate him for his valiant fight against racism in the United States, but for the day off of work!

2. I love... my brother. See previous post.

3. I love... Lord of the Rings. I know, I know, I'm SUCH a huge nerd. If you follow this blog with any regularity, then you know I'm a gamer, and a nerd. I recently purchased the new Lord of the Rings Xbox game that came out this week. It puts the player into the major battles of the epic saga. Nerds, unite and slay the evil forces of Sauron.

4. I love... cold weather. And boy have we had our share of that this week! It's been in the high teens at night here for the past few days. All we would have needed was a drizzle and we would have had snow. Snow is a frozen white precipitate that falls from the sky sometimes in winter. I have to remind myself from time to time. But no, the rain waited until after the arctic blast. Sigh.

5. I love... change. Tomorrow, our nation will swear in a new leader. Let's set aside the "change" from the campaign trail for just a moment. I simply want to talk about the word change. The only thing that stays the same, is the fact that things will change. As humans, creatures of habit, we are resistant to change. However, change is most often a good thing. Even if our current president had not done so poorly in his time in office, we simply need a change. There is a feeling of stagNATION. The pond needs to be stirred; new life breathed in to our sullen country. Regardless of your political leanings, let us rally behind our new leader. He is passionate about America. He is passionate about bringing about change. Even today, he and his wife are participating in a "Day of Service" and encouraging all Americans to find a way to serve their communities not just today, but everyday. Get excited. Whether it's true or not, I like to think that America's best days are ahead of her.

No Reservations

2009-01-18T09:10:00.005-06:00

My mom and I both love the show Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations. It follows Anthony, a New York City chef, as he travels the world in search of genuine food and genuine experiences. He is apparently very well connected as he meets someone he calls "one of my good friends" in just about every location. That good friend (often an executive chef) usually sets him up with amazing food and gives him the inside scoop on just about everything.
Last night, I was Anthony Bourdain. The episode? No Reservations: Auburn. From this point on, I will narrate in the voice of Anthony Bourdain.
Auburn, perhaps most notably a lovely shade of hair color, also happens to be a city in the southern state of Alabama. Known for their football fanaticism and agricultural prowess, I wasn't sure what we were doing taping a food travelogue in a southern college town. I met up with my brother, a landscape guru from just north of here and his lovely wife who just happened to be running a half marathon here in Auburn... in January... in twenty degree weather. My brother went to college at Auburn and knows the area and the people quite well. He took us to a restaurant called Amsterdam Cafe, where his friend and fraternity brother is the executive chef. Chef had reserved a table for us in the front window of the restaurant, no waiting involved. Soon after our arrival, the chef came to greet us at the table and tell us about some of the special menu items. He emphasized the bar-b-que Georgia quail, the Berkshire pork, and the true Alaskan cod. He reminded us that the bbq sauce was not Heinz 57 with mangos tossed in, that the pork had been hand massaged, and that the Alaskan cod was not Captain D's fish sticks. This guy was growing on me already. My brother ordered the quail on a bed of fried green tomatoes and topped with sweet potato shavings. As we waited and browsed the menu an appetizer arrived that nobody had ordered. Descending from on high was the largest lobster claw I have ever laid eyes on. Completely shelled, it was a mini nerf football of succulent lobster meat, covered in butter and beer foam, sitting on a flash fried grits cake. I became instantly more happy to be here, in the South. The meal that followed was a series of bests. The best porkloin I've ever tasted. The best seared Tuna I've ever tasted, the best meal I've ever had at Amsterdam. But, perhaps the best of the best? My brother picked up the tab, thanks bro.

So who's to say there's no fine dining in Auburn? It was plenty fine for me.

(insert electric guitar riff and raspy voice saying "Nooooooo reservations".)

Longest Dinner Trip Ever

2009-01-14T22:00:00.002-06:00

This afternoon, I drove from Auburn almost all the way to Birmingham. I met my mother, father, brother, and sister-in-law for dinner at Lloyd's for my mom's birthday. It was an hour and forty five minute trip, but worth every minute. It was so great to walk into Lloyd's and see, sitting in the back of the restaurant, a table full of people I really love. They were waiting on me. We ate a huge meal, shared some stories, and then showered my mom with gifts! After dessert, we got up and left. It seemed like such a short time, but again, so worth it.

Happy Birthday Mom. I love you!

LA Song

2009-01-11T14:59:00.003-06:00

Nothing like a lazy Sunday afternoon to play some music. This is LA Song by Dave Barnes. Recorded just for you. Enjoy.