CHERYL SHINES - GUISE IN HER GLORY!

HER DOCTORATE-NESS, CHERYL GUISE

Assistant band director Cheryl Guise amazed a small, but appreciative audience on Saturday when she performed her doctoral recital at Sursa Hall at Ball State University. Daddy V was very impressed by Cheryl's virtuosity on marimba, xylophone, vibraphone and timpani. A special favorite was "John Brown's Body", but the final number, "Prism Rhapsody" was also interesting and kept "Doc" on the run changing mallets 3 or 4 times and holding as many as 6 mallets at once. Daddy V can't remember when Cheryl has ever been that serious for that long except maybe the day the percussionists ran the marimba into the bandroom door frame - but that's annother story! Good job "Doc" Guise!

I "DUNN" WRONG!

My heartfelt apologies to Caitlin Dunn for leaving her off my list of summer staff. Considering I've known Caitlin since she was born (almost) and her extended family for 30 years, her name should have been the first on my list! Major league cerebral flatulence! Even the "King" makes mistakes sometimes! Sorry again, Caitlin!

WELCOME ABOARD, EMILIE!

EMILY BOYES, SEEN HERE IN A RECENT PHOTO, HAS JOINED THE PATRIOT BAND STAFF FOR THE 2007 - 2008 SCHOOL YEAR.

For those of you who may be out of the loop, the school board hired Emilie Boyes (our illustrious student teacher from last fall, genious!) to take Miss Guise' place next year. Daddy V applauds the hiring (one of the few intelligent things the board has done recently) and looks forward to great things from Miss Boyes. For those of you who don't know, Miss Boyes was an integral part of the success of our guard program last summer, has been instrumental in the continued development of dance and guard at the high school, worked hard for us during the new guard clinic, is currently running dance/weapons/flag sessions every Tuesday night and was the creative force behind this summer's "Colors of Russia" show concept, including flag and uniform designs which are already in the works! Miss Boyes also teaches private lessons at Arts Place 2 days a week and is the instructor in our new "Music Major Boot Camp" class. All this while still trying to be a college student, preparing for a senior recital and making time for her understanding boyfriend. And you thought your life was complicated!

Again, welcome aboard Emilie! Jay County hasn't seen such a combination of brains, beauty and talent since................well, since they hired Daddy V in 1977 - a mere 30 years ago! Holy Hannah! I'm gettin' old!

Daddy "Feelin' the Years" V

PITY PARTY 101

It’s been a disappointing week. When people disappoint me, I take it a little to personally sometimes. I’m constantly searching for perfection in an imperfect world. Occasionally, I even throw myself a “pity party”. You know, one of those “no one cares, why should I” attitudes that do absolutely no good but, hey, even the “King” is human!

I’m a big believer in the mission of the Patriot Band and MusicWorks. I have seen great things come from our students and you know what I am most grateful for – the fact that I have grown as a person due to my association with these organizations. Organization isn’t even the right word – “organization” sounds cold and lifeless. Let me say the people in these organizations – the students and staff that I work, eat, travel, and above all, make music with every year.

On the other hand, I’ve seen people give in to the “dark side” – the endless “pity party”. I think to be successful in what we do, you have to have a work ethic, you need to care, you need to have passion, you need to want to save the world! You need to believe that all of this is real and not hogwash! You need to believe that a few people can change the world or at least your small part of it. You need to laugh at a good joke and cry at a great performance and be sad when a great group of kids moves on! You need to get up in the morning vowing to be part of the solution and not part of the problem. You need to know that we do great things and because of each one of us involved, both students and staff, we will do greater things!

This is not a dream and this is not a dress rehearsal!

We change lives – teacher to student and student to teacher!

It is hard work. It requires sacrifice, but I say, the payment back, if you open yourself to the possibility, is incredible!

THANKS!

RECITAL "HOMERUN" FOR EMILIE!

WOW! I'M GLAD THAT'S OVER!

ON THE "MELON" SCALE FROM 1 TO 10, I GIVE IT AN 11!


Our former student teacher, current color guard caption head, and future assistant band director Emilie Boyes completed a milestone today when she performed her senior recital in the recital hall at Taylor University. Daddy V and Mr. Smeltzer were fortunate enough to be able to attend today's recital and were certainly impressed by the Emilie's french horn "chops". Not that we ever doubted her ability, but today was Emilie's chance to really shine and shine she did! The music was almost as gourgeous as the musician! Incidentally, Emilie was accompanied on piano by the Patriot Band's own Jason Hart. Good job, Secretary!


YEAH, DATS RIGHT! MY DADDY PLAYS PIANO AND HE PLAYS IT GOOD! IF YOU SAY OTHERWISE, YOU BE TALKIN' TO MY COUSIN GUIDO FROM NEWARK, SEE?

Daddy V congratulates Emilie on this accomplishment (remembering his own feelings of relief following his senior recital) and wishes her the best as she finishes up her last week at Taylor. Today, a beautiful black dress - next Saturday, cap and gown - June 25th, shorts and a t-shirt! Summer band starts in 42 days!!!!!!!

BAND BANQUET WRAP-UP

Another Patriot Band banquet has come and gone and with it bittersweet feelings as we celebrate our successes of the past year and say good-bye to our seniors who have meant so much to the band program and so much to the staff. Congratulations to our award winners: Outstanding Senior - Sara Garringer (actually related to Daddy V) Outstanding Underclassman - Lee Haggenjos (lead vocal and guitar player for Faere Wyndes, Daddy V's celtic folk group) Outstanding guard member - Alisha DeWitt (gotta love those red heads).

After some discussion among attendees, the following was decided:

On a scale from 1 to 10:

Speeches:
Miss Guise - 7
Mr. Smeltzer - 8
Daddy V - -2

Band Camp DVD - 10 (Thanks Jason and Mark)

NY/DC Power-Point Presentation - 11 (Thanks Devon)

Next year, fewer speeches - more video!!!

KICKING AGAINST THE PRICKS....DON'T BACK UP!

In the book of Acts (that's in the New Testament genius) there is the story of Saul (later re-named Paul) and his Damascus Road conversion. One of the quotes from the voice of God referred to the fact that Saul was "kicking against the pricks". The origins of this phrase go back to ancient agricultural practices when farmers used oxen to plow their fields. Behind each ox was mounted a sharp pointed stick called a "prick". If the ox tried to back up or kick at the farmer he would receive a less than gentle reminder to keep moving straight ahead. Hence the derogatory use of the word "prick". I've heard this story many times and it always reminds me of the way some of you try to "kick" against those trying to keep you in line. More often than not you "kick against the pricks" (no pun intended) and through no fault of the "pricks" you have to get the "point". Two examples that come to mind are the continued problems with gum chewing and going the wrong way in and out of the instrument room door - two rather innocuos examples that continue to give you and the staff fits. You, (the "oxen") kick at the staff (the "pricks") with your gum chewing and wrong "way-ing" and since it's up to the "pricks" to maintain order, we have to hurt you. And not just the band staff - how about your parents! Again, parents are given the responsibility of maintaining your personal order and sometimes they must be the "pricks" to keep you moving in the right direction. So do yourself a favor and realize that the "pricks" behind you that are put there for your own good and someday you'll probably be a "prick" too!

Daddy "The Prick" V

ON-GOING PREPARATIONS......AHEAD OF SCHEDULE!

Your Patriot Band staff continues the hard work of completing this summer's show. If preparation is any measure of success, this should be a GREAT summer! Those of you in band know that the repetoire is in place and it is "HOT"! Please be patient while we "tweek" some of the music. We usually don't have the luxury of doing this during school time, but thanks to Mr. Smeltzer and Miss Guise the music is way ahead of schedule. On Monday, Mr. Smeltzer and Daddy V met with Jeff Wroblewski concerning drill and show concepts. Ideas flowed freely, and some really sweet things could develop with this show. Again, this meeting was way ahead of schedule and gives us time to bounce more ideas back and forth. Add to this Emilie Boyes as our on-staff guard choreographer with her flag designs already in the works and we have the formula for success. Daddy V has promised the guard that we will have all show flags in place by the first contest. Incidentally, for those of you who don't know, we have added sabres to the guard this year. Other staff this summer will include old stand-bys Jason Hart (how many years now Jason?) Mark Garringer (have to keep an eye on him this summer - ya know what I mean?) Leslie Schwartzkopf, Sam Hilfiker, Sara Ullom, Amy Grady and new-comers Caitlin Dunn, Samantha Freeman and Lauren Whitesell.

Obviously, all the staff and preparation in the world won't make up for a lack of effort on the part of you the band members. Some of the things we will ask you to do this summer may seem odd, but we will be pushing the "envelope" and trying to step up our level of performance. Do your part - PRACTICE, encourage others in your section, PRACTICE, stay positive, PRACTICE, work hard, PRACTICE, and above all...

Talk to me, I'm Daddy V!

TRAVEL FOR AWARENESS OF EGO AND ETHNOCENTRISM - THE WORLD DOESN'T REVOLVE AROUND YOU!

Can you believe that 34 years after high school graduation, Daddy V still remembers some of what he learned in high school sociology. (I had a great teacher - Tony LaFemina. He also taught anthropology and economics, and co-owned an Italian resteraunt with a fellow teacher. He was also the drama club sponsor. Because of him, I found a love for the stage and for economics. This is the guy who got his entire economics class a tour of the World Trade Centers before they were even finished!) Egocentrism is the belief that the world pretty much revolves around you - you are right everyone else is wrong. Ethnocentrism is kind of the same thing only it's not about you personally as much as it's about your "people" or your social group. Now I don't believe that this is as much a problem in Jay County in 2007 as it was back in 1977 - Jay Countians are a much more mobile group now then ever before. My point is that travel, especially to large metropolitan areas, makes you realize what a "small fish" in a really "big ocean" you really are! Even growing up in the New York/Metro area, I didn't realize this myself until the first time I flew out of Newark Airport and for the first time realized the size of the NY/Metro area and the millions of people who lived in the there. To bring it closer to home, I'm sure that most Patriot Band members were certainly awed by the sight of New York City and humbled by the pace and variety of life (even in the rain) and the opportunites available in a land area that is smaller than Jay County. This kind of "wake-up call" is a great way to counter-act much of the psycho-babble we hear these days concerning the importance of the individual - secular humanism. Surprise, surprise - the world doesn't revolve around you, Jay County, or even the State of Indiana. We are all just small players in the God-created drama called life.

Agree or disagree!

Talk to me, I'm Daddy V

TRAVEL TO REPRESENT - THERE IS MORE THAN CORN IN INDIANA!

How about the value of representing our county? Granted, most people in Washington D.C. and NYC have absolutely no idea where Indiana is let alone Jay County, but still, the chance to show somebody somewhere that “there is more than corn in Indiana” has got to count for something, and yes, we looked GREAT in the Cherry Blossom Festival Parade (a festival I might add that is sponsored by our National Park Service, who also employs one of our former drum majors, Jeff Jutte, who was able to visit with the band for a time). Representing our county and state is nothing new for the Patriot Band. We have appeared in parades in Washington DC (4 times), Philadelphia (2 times), Michigan (Detroit, probably 5 times, Holland, once) Gatlinburg, TN (probably 5 times) and Indianapolis (more times then I can count). In addition to our parade performances, we normally received great comments on the way our kids handle themselves in motels and restaurants. Again, our kids know what is expected of them on band trips because the middle school band directors start taking them to concerts and theatre events when they are in the 6th grade.

Agree or disagree!

Talk to me, I'm Daddy V.