TUBA!!!!!

This week my high school band performed with the Brigham Young University-Idaho Tuba Professor Matt Moore. We played a piece he had commissioned specifically to perform with high schools around the state called Party Potatoes by Benjamin Dean Taylor. My students enjoyed it quite a bit but the audience loved it! It was by far one of our best concerts. We had 4 bands perform that night and it really showcased how fun music can be and the growth they make in a matter of a few months and years. I love getting to show off the beginning band all the way up to the high school band in one night. I hope to be able to find some more pieces to do with professionals like that and have them come in and play pieces with the students. It got some of my students fired up about Tuba and how awesome the band sounds when the bass section is filled out. I think it also helped some of them achieve at a higher level and hear some really awesome music.

The unlikely side effect it had was not only encouraging me to keep writing but also not feel ashamed for plugging my own music. I maybe don't know exactly how to sell my music but I figure I should start somewhere. I want to sell my music and that is hard for me but I made an effort, will change some of my approach and keep plugging away.

We have state basketball next week and I hope my kids bring their A game for pep band. We made the decision a few years ago when I started at the high school that they would be our community outreach and they have grown so much and make great ambassadors for our music program. We have more people show up to our concerts that don't even have students in the band. The auditorium is more full with every concert and I hope we can build on that success. Those students put in a lot of hard work and time and I feel they deserve the recognition that some of the other activities like sports get.

Hope to get a bunch more done on the march and I am looking forward to next trimester and our final concert for both MS and HS.