Category: The Band Director

Magical Mystery Tour

When I was a kid, my mom told me that whatever you are doing on New Years Day is what you’ll be doing through out that year. On New Years Day, I was traveling (back to Austin from New Orleans). Turns out that this old saying may be true because I have had several offers to travel at the end of February. I can only take one because my students can’t have me not there that many days but still, I’m honored to have been thought about for the 2nd one. The first trip (not counting TMEA) is to Japan for my cousin’s wedding. My mom, sister and I will be in the Tokyo area right around a week for it. I’m so excited! The second was an offer from Music For All (and/or Bands of America) to go to Indianapolis to be Shelly Berg‘s personal assistant type helper person as he clinics the BOA Jazz Honor Band during the National Music Festival the last week in February. Let me tell you how HARD it was to turn that down. But, if this opportunity came up once, I believe it won’t be the last.

If you haven’t heard yet, this is the weekend that Stony Point Fine Arts Department is putting on their production of Rodgers & Hammerstein’s South Pacific. We had opening night last night and everyone that went is raving with their reviews!! If you’re in the Austin area and are interested in coming to see the production either tonight (Friday) or tomorrow night (Saturday), it’s at the Round Rock ISD Performing Arts Center (next to McNeil HS) on McNeil Dr. Doors open at 6:00 pm with the show starting at 7:00 pm. Tickets are $10 for adults and $6 for students.

Also, if you’re a jazzer and are interested, IAJE-Texas is having a Jazz Symposium on Saturday from 8:00 am – 3:00 pm at McNeil HS (on McNeil Dr) this Saturday. Cost is $25 for IAJE members and $40 for non members. There are two main sessions – one about teaching improv and the other about working your rhythm section. Lots of good clinicians working this event. Bring your instrument!!

If you’re interested in either thing up there, let me know and I’ll get you more details if you need.

Have a wonderful day and weekend.
Love you, mean it!
~C

Midwest Pictures!!

I made a point to take a few pictures of folks I got to hang with while here at The Midwest. Here are pics of me and:

Jonathan Newman

Jim Bonney

Steven Bryant, winner of the 2007 Reveli Award (Congrats, Steven!!)

Frank Ticheli

Martin Montoya

Amanda & Steve

And of course, John Mackey

I did take a picture with my buddy Daniel Montoya, Jr. but since it was taken by his camera, I have to wait until he posts it before I can post it. I’ve also been interviewed by Jonathan Newman for a podcast he’s going to make available soon so stay tuned for that. Notice that Eric Whitacre was not in attendance? Somehow, we did manage to get his picture in many of mine. Not planned at all…no, seriously!

Guys, it was really nice to meet and chat with you. Good luck with all your compositions and let me know when you write an easier one my band can handle. 😉

I also met lots of collegiate band directors, Jeff Jarvis (who is going to name a jazz piece either Ballad Me or Cathy with a C – LOL), and David Holsinger. Fun, huh?

Obama, Oprah and ME!

You guessed it, we’re all in Chicago! Actually, I don’t think Obama is actually here right now…and Oprah may not be, either. But I am! As are half the band directors from Texas. Gosh, everywhere I turn, I seem to bump into some other band director from Texas who either hasn’t been here in (10, 15, 20) years or like me, never have come to The Midwest. It’s certainly made for things to be interesting, to say the least.

In addition to the State of Texas uprooting for the week, I have also had the pleasure of spending some time with my dear friend Daniel Montoya, Jr. It sure is nice to let him spend a little time with me when I can. 😉 Also here is John Mackey. I think I’m going to try to dispel this thought that I am his stalker. As fun as the initial mention has been, I don’t like the idea of feeling like people might mistake me as dangerous to someone…which is not the case; I’d like to think. 😀 I know, it’s all in good fun but until and someone takes out an eye and that would be all kinds of bad. Eh, if it doesn’t happen, I guess it’s not too big of a deal seeing as John will walk up to talk to me. Just my personal paranoia – I don’t like people thinking I’m not a deep down inside nice person.

I’ve been very fortunate to officially meet Steven Bryant, Verena Möesenbichler and Jim Bonney here. Funny story, I was standing by the BCM booth, talking with Daniel when Jim Bonney comes up and says, “I’m sorry to interrupt but you’re Big Benford, aren’t you???” Oh, that made MY DAY!! I was a little taken aback, actually. More so than when I met Jonathan Newman for the first time and introduced myself as John Mackey’s stalker. He recognized me from my very fun moment on the MontBlog back last Spring. He said he knew me from TV! LOL

I’ve got a day and half left here at The Midwest and I’ve soaked in SO much, I don’t know how much more there could be…but there is! I’ve been so busy trying to get information about graduate schools that I haven’t snapped a picture yet! I really guess I should. I’m about to head back to the Hilton, where all the action is, here momentarily. I’ll be sure to take my camera with me and get plenty of pictures of us hanging out.

Gotta go check into my Facebook. More to come….

(Thank goodness for free WiFi in the Best Western!!)

**Update – I didn’t head back out. My sinuses have just overwhelmed me tonight and I need to stay in and get some sleep. G’night.

We’re due for an update

Gosh, I wonder if anyone really checks my blog anymore since I rarely update it! I’ve gotten a little addicted to Facebook and spend my “spare time” playing on that. I guess since I have such little spare time and it’s quick and easy to play on/communicate with, I tend to get online there than try to find words to update this blog. It can be exhausting trying to find something to say when you’re already tired, you know? I know you do…. I guess it doesn’t help that many of my friends either have minimized their blogging or have their blogs somewhere I can’t access from work so the motivation to blog from reading the blogs of others might have minimized with that, too. No, no…I’m not saying it’s your fault. I guess in figuring out why my motivation to blog has decreased, I can help myself overcome that and start blogging again. Again, it’s MY motivation we’re talking about here. It’s not you, it’s me. 😉 I will ask that if you read my blog and find anything (hopefully something nice or productive) you can comment, please do. That doesn’t ever hurt for that acknowledgment that someone is actually reading what I write.

As I’ve written a bit before, it’s been quite a crazy semester. Fairly non-stop, actually. And it wasn’t even a 5A Area (and State) Marching Band year. It’s amazing how starting school a few weeks later has put a real strain on the fall semester for everyone at Stony Point. And I’m sure that if it’s happening at Stony Point, it’s happening at any school! Anywho, in the course of a semester, I have had a total of about 3 weekends completely to myself (not having to work) and I’ve spent two of those weekends (including Thanksgiving weekend and this one…which wasn’t a work-free weekend) sick. Yup, it’s official – Benford is EXHAUSTED!!! But, I’ll sleep a lot and I’ll survive. Actually, I already feel quite a bit better today which is a blessing because I have to spend most of today organizing my stuff and packing as my trip to Chicago and the Midwest Band and Orchestra Clinic is this coming week. I am SO very excited!!!

…and a little freaked out, honestly. Chicago is flippin’ cold in December. I’ve been watching the news lately and keeping my ears open for when they talk about any of the Great Lake states and they’ve come up a lot in the news, especially in the weather and airport reports. I think they’ve shut down O’Hare at least once already because of the snow and ice. *sigh* I really want to go on this trip and not be delayed by icy conditions. So, I’ve added Chicago as one of my weather sites on the iPhone (yes, I’m dropping my ownership of the iPhone again…it can’t be done enough) and I’ve been keeping a watch on that. Luckily, according to the iPhone, Tuesday (when I travel out) is supposed to get up to 31 degrees and partly sunny. A little sigh of relief on that. It seems like it’ll snow on Thursday so I’m excited that I get to hang out in that weather. I’ve gotta get some shoes that I can trudge around in the snow in, I guess (YAY, shoe shopping). I don’t have forcast up to next Sunday yet (and if I did, I couldn’t trust it because it IS weather…which can change oh so quickly anywhere you are) so we’ll keep good thoughts about my flight home, too. The other concern I have with the weather is the all important, “What will I wear?” question. I have quite a variety of options when it comes to clothing. Although I’ve resided here in the great State of Texas for over 20 years, I’ve done my share of traveling to have accumulated clothing for various activities in various climates. Problem is, most of my layering is really designed for under, and since I’ll really be indoors a lot, I guess I’ll just make sure I have a good coat, gloves, scarf and hat and suck it up when I have to travel outside? I do have all those things, and stylish, too so am I okay? I’m guessing there might just be a coat check; I mean this is Chicago – the Windy City – where everyone wears big coats and doesn’t wanna haul them around when not wearing them, right? Someone, anyone, who has been there this time of year give me a hint!!

Okay, moment of non-sequitor – Kathy Griffin: Straight to Hell is HILARIOUS. I could watch this over and over and laugh out loud each time! Oh geez!!

So, here’s my travel schedule:
I get picked up by SuperShuttle on Tuesday morning between 3:40-3:55 AM (yuppers, kids…in the morning). They’ll take me to Austin Bergstrom Airport for my 6:00 am American Airlines, flight 1614 to Chicago O’Hare. Yes ma’am, I got a direct flight. 🙂
I stay in the Hostelling International on Tuesday & Wednesday and go over to the Congress Plaza Hotel on Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights.
On Sunday, I got a flight home on American Airlines, flight 2491 departing at 9:35 pm, arriving in Austin at 12:20 am on the 24th. I’m most nervous about that flight being delayed or canceled since it’ll be after dark and that’s when snow and ice tend to stick more. I think I’m actually going to get to the airport a few hours earlier to see if I can fly standby on an earlier flight. I probably won’t get one seeing that it’s Christmas eve eve but you never know. It’s just the one me, not me and 18 thousands kids or something. We’ll see. Think good thoughts for me that day, will ya?

Aside from those things, things have actually been a lot of fun this fall. My friend Crystal and I have been hanging out and going out when we can and that has helped keep me from getting too uptight about not having a lot of time for myself. I was also seeing this guy for a while but you know, you can tell me that age is just a number but we must also remember that many guys are less mature than women of the same age so seeing a younger guy is usually fairly risky if you’re looking for a lot of maturity. Nice guy as he is and fun that we had, there wasn’t a meeting of the maturity there and low and behold, we are no longer seeing each other. Let’s hope he’s done sending me MySpace spam…. 🙄

Other than that, football playoffs have been done for a few weeks, basketball has started, the Winter Band Concert is done and I have a different friend staying with me for a while. I’m glad I bought a spacious house. Lots of guests have come and gone through casa de Benford. Keeps life quite interesting. 🙂

Oh yeah, no real Christmas decorations this year. I was sick over Thanksgiving (as mentioned earlier) and being gone this week, I kinda feel the effort would be put to waste. My current roommie did put up a little tree though. It’s cute and keeps some Christmas spirit alive. And I have received some Christmas cards (another thing I didn’t get to do this year) recently so I’ll be sure to display those.

Sorry about the long post with no pictures. If you really wanna see pics, friend me on MySpace and you can see LOTS there! Gotta go be busy now!
Love you, mean it!
~C