Here's my 5th period blog post :)
Room 170, EJK, Concert Band, is the loudest classroom in my day, but also the most relaxing. Everyone is talking loudly, updating each other on the latest fight, drugbust, or breakup/dating couple in the school, or, more recently, who is going with who to TWIRP.
The saxophones and tubas are usually have their instruments out first, and are busy having mini battles or practicing. The flutes and clarinets are next, followed by the trumpets and trombones, and finally the bassoon (that's me!) and the bass clarinet (someone who doesn't really like me. Prep.).
Its pure cacophony in there before Mr. Kimbrough of Mr. Hansen tap the stand and call out our warmups: "Page 4 number 1!"
The warmups are fairly easy- scales and arpeggios. My favorite warmup is actually a song- Tallis' Cannon. We do that one usually only with Mr. Hansen.
Now the great, revered, yet father-figure to some, Mr. Kimbrough steps up to the stand and asks us to pull our the piece of music we are currently working on, Tribal Quest. and we will pound it as much as we can today.
Most of the flutes love talking, especially Nora and the bass clarinet next to me, Austine (pronounced Austin). They don't like me, I think its cause I"m not preppy.
The saxophones like to practice while Mr K is talking- not a good idea.
Hershel, a goodnatured alto sax, sits beside me. Next to him is one of my favorite people in band, as well as my marching band brother, Brock Ware. Brock is a sweetheart, not afraid to hug anyone who's having a bad day and not too cool to acknowledge you in the hall at school.
The room itself is huge, with what I call 'soundboards' to help with the sound. The room is white just like most other classrooms, but but the soundboards help cause they are a softer NightHawk purple.
Kimbrough is calling people out section by section recommending them for next year's classes. He recommended me for Wind Ensemble (an honor to be in) and backed up Miss Golrick's long ago request that I join Honors Chorus after she heard me unconsciously harmonizing with her when she was singing.
I like that Mr K knows he can toss me into the middle of something -something I have never done before and that is highly stressful- and he knows that I'll be able to handle it.
Its my personal goal to never let him down. Like I told him when I first came, "The harder you push me, the harder I will work."
We've got 3 minutes till the bell rings, so I gotta go.