A Day In the Life

In walk the normal group of students, asking questions and getting ready for the day. High school students seem to have a lot of questions at times. Then again, there are other times that one simply feels invisible around them.

As the bell rings to start the day, they all head off in their own directions, lumbering off to begin another day. The typical half closed eyes and shuffling of the "night owls" mix with the laughter and optimism of the "morning people".

Then in walks the new student I met yesterday. A very nice young man. Very polite and excited about this new opportunity to learn a band instrument. He is a junior and has just moved into the area but has an interest in music.

"I'm going to have to see what level of aptitude you have for the instruments." I ask, "have you ever played an instrument before?"

After taking a moment to think about the question, he answered, "Well, I have never played a trumpet. But I would like to try. I think I can do it."

"I hear that you have played the drums before. Would you like to show me how you can play those?"

"Yes," he said. "I would like to do that." What a great lesson we had. A very pleasant young man who has some special needs but was able to brighten the room with eyes that smiled and eager enthusiasm!

He definitely showed some aptitude for music and was a joy to work with. At the same time, in the other side of the room was the other extreme. One of my very gifted seniors who was working on a piano piece that she wants to perform at an upcoming show. "Hey, 'P', what do you think of this? It is really frustrating me."

A few other lessons come through the room, then my first class arrives - Music Appreciation. We spend our time working on some rhythmic theory and reading notation, mix in some ear training and a bit of sight reading. We laugh a little at some of the "music" they created - and I must say, the term music is used very loosely!

Next is a group of about 45 students. A mixture of 9th and 10th grade students that I hadn't planned on, but were sent to me to watch while our juniors and seniors were pulled out to discuss graduation projects. Since it is very hard to waste any time that could be used encouraging young minds, I begin a discussion on what they can expect as they move into their junior and senior years in regards to their graduation project requirements. Of course, once again, the class is a mixture of blank stares, looks of fear, fatigue, interest and confusion. In an attempt to motivate, I link the project requirements to interests and hobbies they currently have. "Do something that you enjoy! Try finishing it early - don't procrastinate! In the end, you might actually learn something about yourself that you didn't know before."

As they leave, some stay behind with questions. I tend to get a lot of questions in a day - I mean A LOT!.

In walks my band. They have a very wide spectrum of abilities and interest levels. Through the class, we cover a few theory items then have a short discussion on the level of performance we are at with our marching band. "How can we improve our performance? What is wrong with it? What have you heard from people concerning the show?"

High school students can be very insightful at times. They were able to identify many areas that need attention and improvement. Then we played some music. Unfortunately, our music rehearsal wasn't very productive - once in a while, we have those days where nothing seems to go right, musically speaking. Oh well, we will have another crack at it later in the evening and perhaps it will go a bit more productively.

Next, I work with several students on various things, from piano parts, to broken horns that aren't playing right, to reading music for the guitar, to improvising on a pentatonic scale.

The bell rings and everyone slowly trickles out, on their way to their next class. Ahh. Peace and quiet. Now I can get some work done during my lunch time - there is always a pile of paperwork to be accomplished, especially during marching season. Ahh, who am I kidding, there is always a pile of paperwork to do all year long!

Just as I sit down, it is like I have a button on the chair or something that summons students, because in walks the senior pianist, "Hey, 'P', mind if I work some more on that piece of music during lunch? I won't stay for long."

What's a guy gonna say? Of course it is alright. What's the harm? After all, now I get to do my paperwork to piano music! Although, it isn't long and I have to actually kick her out of the room. Sorry, but you really have to get to lunch!

Then I get the news that one of my seniors will probably be withdrawing from school. A great member of the marching band and one that has so much untapped potential. He has a fantastic personality, is really bright and very talented, yet hasn't found those organizational skills that make him successful academically. What a kick in the gut. I was really pulling for him - and still am! I pray that he will find that motivation soon because he has a great deal to offer!

Several classes, lessons and great moments pass by. Including the boy who handed me the instrument during junior high band and said, "Mr. Peters, this piece just fell off. What do you want me to do?" It was one of the mounting posts for the keys! Basically, the instrument will not play without it! The humor is that this poor boys seems to have a good dose of my dad's luck - you know, things seem to fall apart in his hands!

The day finally comes to a close at 3:05 and the students all head for the door. That is of course, all of them except the handful that will hang out in the room until marching band practice at 6pm. That is okay, tonight I have a pile of work to get caught up on so they are fine in the room while I get some work done. Some of them messing around, you know, playing around with the drums and guitars, some working on homework, and some just playing games while listening to music. A great environment for me to get my work done, wouldn't you say?

More and more students gather until 6pm quickly rolls around and we begin our practice. Once again, we begin with a discussion on what needs addressed followed by an overview of the rehearsal order; we will begin with parade work, focus on basics, then review pre-game, run the show as a review, then clean up the 4th song.

Our parade rehearsal was pathetic. I gave them a swift kick for motivation (figuratively, of course!). Wow! We ended up with a fantastically productive rehearsal through the rest of the night!

I drag myself into the door at 8:30pm to the smell of a wonderful supper that Dawn and prepared. We chat for a while then I grab a shower. And, well, here I am. 11pm.

So, why do I share all this with you? I'm not sure. Perhaps you can get a glimpse of what happens behind those walls of a music room where those strange combinations of sounds seem to continuously stream out. Perhaps you are pondering working with children in some capacity and you find this to be a confirmation to that thought. Or maybe you are simply rejoicing that your days are much more peaceful than mine! Go ahead, rub it in!