Band Camp 2020

 It's August, which means we should be having Marching Band Camp. In a normal year. Which this isn't.

Socially Distanced Sectionals

Fortunately, we are able to have voluntary band practices, with certain accommodations. We wear masks at all times. We have bell covers for all of the wind instruments. We maintain proper social distancing at all times. We do not congregate in large groups...

The Central League has just announced that there will be no sports until January 1, 2021, with the 2020 fall sports season (i.e. football) expected (hoped) to be played in March/April of 2021. (Winter sports in Jan/Feb and spring sports in May/June).

So the band rehearses music. And learns basic drill. But more importantly, for the first time in ~6 months, the kids sorta get to do something together with their friends. It's difficult to put a value on that...

School in the district starts next Tuesday, virtual for at least the first month. Beyond that, who knows, but I would doubt that anything but virtual will happen until 2021.

But at least for the moment, we have 100+ kids scattered around the width and breadth of the high school campus, doing something that has the vaguest hint of normalcy about it, which is a good thing.

I think that one of the things a parent would wish for the most is the ability to protect their kids from this sort of...whatever you would call it. But that isn't possible. So at the very least we can sew bell covers, do temperature screenings at check-in every day, ask about Covid symptoms, and spend 3 hours every evening strolling the campus and checking for proper social distancing. It's a very small sacrifice...

Something to Last

Roughly 21 years ago, in about 1998-99, we planted this tree. It's a Dawn Redwood, and was about 6 feet tall when we planted it, maybe a little less. All these years later, it's about 40-45 feet tall, which would make it a relatively fast grower for a tree. Which is a good thing, since it has a lot of growing left to do.

Dawn Redwood in the mist

The cool thing about this tree is that is has a good 60 feet or so of growth left, reaching a final height of about 100 feet.

The Dawn Redwood was only known as a fossil until found growing in a remote valley of the Szechuan province of China in 1941. Since then it has been propagated around the world. Including right here in my part of Pennsylvania, by me and my wife.

With luck, it could outlast me by a few hundred years. With a huge whole lot of luck, it could see the year 3000.

Highly highly unlikely, but possible. Which is kinda cool to contemplate. The end of life for this tree could be as far ahead of us as the defeat of Harold Godwinson by William the Conqueror at the battle of Hastings is behind us.

Perspective is good.

Our lives are a fleeting instant in the life of the world. Which I think means we have an obligation to not irrevocably mess things up for all that may come after us. My kids. My grandkids. Yours, and your descendants.

Mad Max is a good movie series. Not a good future.

What Passes for Normal

We're in the middle of August, and we're supposed to be halfway through the first week of band camp. If there were a band camp this year, which there isn't. At least not until maybe sometime in September. I've taken the week off anyway, as time is going by quickly, and there's no particular need to take days off, but I need to take some eventually, so, yes, this week is vacation. We should have been at the beach last week, and helping with band camp this week and next. Instead, we are home. Again. Like always.

In lieu of band camp, there will be socially distanced outdoor sectionals next week and the week after. I spent much of the morning today cutting wind instrument bell covers of all different sizes from exercise fabric (82% nylon and 18% spandex), which is the recommended fabric for homemade bell covers. It is said that you learn something new everyday, and over the last few days I have learned that the bell diameters of various musical instruments are (typically) as follows. Trumpets 5 inches. Clarinets 3 inches. Alto saxes 4.75 inches. Tenor saxes 6 inches. Baritone saxes 7+ inches. Baritones 10 inches. Trombones 8 inches. Mellophones 10.5 inches. Sousaphones 25 inches. And that the GV band this year has roughly 27 trumpets, ~35 saxes of various types, 7 trombones, 1 baritone, 2 sousaphones, 5 mellophones, 17 clarinets, and who knows what all else. It's a big band for us, with a big incoming freshman class. And fraught with uncertainty. The district and the volunteers are all doing a lot of work in the hopes that we can have some sort of band season this year.

On the home front, we are all still healthy. The company I work for still continues to be doing more Covid testing than any other commercial lab in the country, so that feels good. Amp still works in a dialysis clinic serving Covid patients, so that feels good too. The kids are starting to climb the walls a bit, which is to be expected. But no serious complaints.

I haven't been feeling much like creating any art recently (i.e. painting), but hopefully that will change with my sister in law's family staying with us this week (since she is a watercolor painter). I've been writing a little, but not much.

The biggest news here, I guess, is that Grace passed her learner's permit test and is now beginning the process of learning how to drive. She and I go out at least a little bit practically every day. She needs the experience of time behind the wheel, but she is doing fine, and our driving sessions have been remarkably stress-free thus far. Fingers crossed.

It's hard to believe that my little girl has turned 16, and is the tallest female on her Mom's side of the family. Mom is 5'4+". Julia is 5'2" on a good day. Her two aunts are less than that. A lot less... She is a shade under 5'6", and growing fast the last couple of years (a good 6 inches+). It's a remarkable thing to watch. And funny as well. I laugh on the inside when I find myself saying things like "where's the rest of your shirt?", "are you planning on wearing that outside the house?", and "what's with the green hair?". Most of which is just giving her a token hard time to let her know that we care, and that we are paying attention. I figure as long as she's taking all Honors and AP classes and getting fantastic grades, she can color her hair any color she wants.

Anyway... We forge ahead, doing the best we can with what passes for normal these days. School in the fall is still up in the air, with at least the first month being entirely virtual. Beyond that, who knows. The current occupant of the White House is still a worthless moron. So, same old same old. Hopefully in the not too distant future, things change for the better. I wish you all peace, health and happiness.

Appreciate the simple beauty in the world

Stay safe and wear a mask.

Mr. D, and High School Band

I was sad to see where Brother Dave posted on his blog that Mr. D, our high school band and orchestra director, had passed away. [see Dave's Musings link at right]. We were in SHS in the early 1980's, and Mr D retired way back in 1991. A very long time ago...

I don't know that I could add much to what Dave very eloquently said, other than "I completely agree".

Many of my fondest memories of high school revolve around the band room, and band and orchestra in general. High school wasn't always easy, especially the first couple of years, but the band room was always a safe place, and it was where most of my friends were.

As a volunteer for the Garnet Valley marching band in recent years, I have been back to Springfield 3 times for what are now "away games", and while much of what surrounds the football field has changed, the field itself is the same. Ghosts from the life of a much younger me haunt the place. I wouldn't want to guess at how many hours I spent on that field for 4 years as a trumpet in the marching band. Summer band. Evening practices. Games. Sweltering heat, bitter cold, and every temperature in between. A bunch of girls who weren't interested. A few who were.

It's funny...I can think back on 4 years at one of the most prestigious liberal arts colleges in the country and feel...not much. But I think back on 4 years at Springfield High School and smile, and have lots of good memories come flooding back.

As for Mr D, there are worse things, I think, at the end of a very long life, than to know that you touched the lives of a great many young people.

Rest in peace Mr. D.

The Dog Days of Covid

Sometimes I feel like this too...

 

School will start virtual-only for Grace's junior year. Band camp is postponed. Football season likely won't happen since the governor has recommended no scholastic athletics until at least January. Everything is in a state of flux.

Bah humbug.