Young At Heart Music Choir

                     The Young at Heart Choir is pretty much what it sounds like, it’s a choir. But there is something very unique about this group. Every person in this group is over the age of 70. They are independent and share a passion for music. After watching the documentary “Young at Heat, You’re never too old to rock” I was inspired to write about them.

                     Throughout the film the group faces a lot of difficulties. Such as the death of two members in the group. Even with everything they face, they are still working hard to out on the best show they can in loving memory of the two lost group members.

                     Many people in the Young at Heart Choir have been in this group for quite a long time, for example Eileen Hall was in the choir for over 20 years, until she passed away at the age of 93.

                     Everyone in this choir is so inspirational. They don’t allow their age or their health get in the way of doing what they love to do, sing. Just like Fred Knitle, who originally left the group due to a decline in his health but he still came back to sing for one more concert.

Band kids

With as much time band kids have to spend together, you would think we would get sick of each other and with some people that is the case, but most of the time spending all this time with everyone it just makes us all that much closer.

During marching band we are always together, we have marching band every day during 1^st hour plus every Monday night from 6-9 pm, then competitions on Saturdays and the bus rides there and back, and even rehearsal before leaving school or when we get back. Plus don’t forget football games.

During concert band season we are still always together, every day we still have band and after school rehearsals for Jazz Band, plus there is Combo in the evenings. There is always something going on. Especially once basketball season kicks up, then we have pep band for all the home games.

Sometimes we all get tired of some people but we just have to bite our tongue and deal with each other because we are always together, there’s no getting rid of us. There are rarely ever any problems between people in band because we all know much time we have to spend together and how awkward the tension gets, and we are all there for the same reason. We just want to play our instruments and become better players.

Transitioning from middle to high school

The transition from middle school to high school, from 8^th to 9^th grade, is rough for everyone, switching schools, more people, harder classes, not knowing people, getting separated from longtime friends, everyone knows how this goes. For band kids it’s a little different.

Yeah we are still all starting at a new school with new people and not knowing many people or where our classes are. But band kids start the second week of August with band camp so if you don’t know anyone at that point you will meet new people which helps at the start of the school year.

If you meet upper class men and stick with them they will help you so much, from helping with homework, to showing you where your class is if you forget where it is and get lost. Many times if band kids see another band kid lost and not able to find a class we help them try to find it because that’s what “family” does.

Even band is a lot different, it’s a lot stricter than middle school and you get a lot more work done in a less amount of time. There's really nothing to worry about, as long as you know how to play your instrument and you are willing to get better and put work in you will be perfectly fine.

Balancing time

Sometimes it is pretty difficult to balance band and all of the other activities that people and students are involved in and out of school. But most of the time it’s pretty easy if you don’t over book your schedule and you know how to manage your time.

People in band are in a lot of activities, from show choir to Spanish club. Most of the time clubs are during SMART lunch which helps with time management but sometimes we have band rehearsal during lunch if we need extra practice. But many times we just use class time to get work done.

Many times kids are in AP classes which means a lot more homework, which means even more of a struggle to balance time, many times AP classes give out homework every night plus nightly readings for some classes if you have to read a textbook.

Time Management is a great skill to learn if you haven’t already, especially if you have a lot of classes and extra-curricular activities.

Fun Times in the band room

Sometimes the things that happen in the band room at times are questionable. When band kids get together it’s interesting. Since most people in band have no life outside of band we are all crazy when we are together. We are all like a huge family of 140 something of us.

Many times whether it be during marching band camp or just during SMART lunch, you can find many band kids in the band room or in the band locker room. Some people play stupid little card games, others work on homework or practice music.

No matter what the case there is almost always something going on in the band room, even during class. Since there is so many of us there is usually at least two if not more of us that have release the same hour so we all go to the band hallway or the locker room and mess around.

Although the band might seem very strict and uptight, we aren’t, many times during rehearsal people are cracking jokes or nicely making fun of other sections. There is always something to do in the band room.

Different instruments

There are so many different instruments out there, sometimes it’s hard to find the perfect one for you or maybe it was easy but finding a new one to try is hard. Just pick one and try, sometimes you might hate it and never want to play that instrument again but sometimes you might love it and want to play that one full time.

There are many kinds to try for example there are orchestra instruments and then there are the band instruments, which include wood winds, brass and percussion. If you don’t have rhythm I would suggest not percussion, maybe a wood wind instrument?

To name a few winds there are a lot with reeds such as: Clarient, Alto Sax, Tenor Sax and Bari Sax, then there are double reeds like the Oboe and the only wood wind without a reed, the Flute. Then there are a lot of brass such as: Tuba, Baritone/ Euphonium, Trombone, and French Horn.

There are a lot of other band instruments but those are the “basics” so if you already play a wood wind instrument maybe try to learn a brass and vise vera. You are bound to find at least one that you like.

Cedar Rapids Municipal Band

The Cedar Rapids Municipal Band is full of a lot of very good and experienced musicians. Some of the people who are in the band give out private lessons while others are just long time musicians who are very good.

They have many concerts during the summer from June to August at various parks around Cedar Rapids. For information on their schedule check out their website http://www.crmuniband.org/

June of 1951 was the first concert played by the Cedar Rapids Municipal Band and since then they have been playing concerts all the time. It is such a great experience to go and see them play especially if you are an inspiring musician.

Jazz Band

There is three different jazz bands at Kennedy. Normally there are only two but this year is special. For the past two years there have not been very many people in jazz two but this year we had 40 people who wanted to be in jazz two so we had to split the group into two separate bands.

This year we have Jazz 1 which is the top jazz band and then we have Jazz 2 and Jazz 2.5 which are the “beginner” jazz bands.

Even though we are separate bands we still all do stuff together, for example Jazz 1 and Jazz 2/2.5 go to some of the same Jazz Band Competitions. Although Jazz 1 go to some competitions that Jazz 2 doesn’t because they are the “better” band and are stronger as a band.

In Jazz 2 you can play almost any instrument, while in Jazz one you can only play the “normal” jazz instruments. Jazz 2 allows flutes and clarinets if they want to join.

Jazz band is always a lot of fun, although it takes up a lot of time, it is so much worth your time. And it doesn’t take all that much effort. As long as you know your music you should be good.

Winter preforming arts concert

The Winter Preforming Arts Concert is on Tuesday December 15^th, 2015. For everyone who is preforming in the concert it is a lot of work. There is so much rehearsal time put into each song played for each group, and many people are in more than one group. This year the concert is split up into two “acts”.

For each group that preforms, there is a difference in the music picked and the sound of the group. For example the difference between Jazz 1 and Jazz 2/2.5. This year jazz 2 was too big to just have one so we had to split jazz 2 into two separate bands so we now have three different jazz bands preforming at the concert on the 15^th. Jazz 1, Jazz 2, and Jazz 2.5; although Jazz 2 and Jazz 2.5 are basically the same thing we have been working on different music.

Then there are also the different choirs which I know nothing about, since I’m not a choir kid. My expertise is in the band room and with instruments, not singing.

There is also the different bands that play, there is concert band, symphonic band, and of course, Wind Symphony. The different bands work on different music since everyone is on different levels in their playing. There is also one where Wind Symphony and Symphonic band play together, which is always fun.

There are even little groups that play, for example Santa’s Saxes “open” the concert and the flute choir plays during intermission between the two acts. There are even little chamber choirs that go as well.

This year’s Winter Preforming Arts Concert should be a blast and go over really well, as the first concert band season performance it should be a lot of fun.

Honor Bands

Every year there are many chances to make it into honor bands, although they are really hard to get into and take a lot of work, they are extremely worth it. Some of them are just a weekend thing and you stay in a hotel like UNI and ISU Honor Bands.

There are others that last two days, usually two weekends; you go in one day and have rehearsal all day and then the next weekend you usually go back for the concert, such as Coe College. High school honor bands are a lot different from honor bands in middle school.

In middle school when you make an honor band, it basically only takes up one day, you usually go to the school in the morning and practice all day and have lunch there in between practice times, and have the concert in the same day later at night. There are many different middle school honor bands although many people don’t make it into them.

There is different ways to get into middle school and high school honor band. For example when you are in middle school, in order to get into an honor band your director has to tell them that you would be good for it. While in high school you have to fill out an application on your own and give it to your band director and they turn it in for you.

Honor bands are a lot of fun and are really worth it, you learn a lot, become a better player, and you even meet a lot of people from a lot of different places. So if you are in band and haven’t been in honor bands, it’s worth trying it.

Band Party

Every year the band program has a party, it’s usually in the winter when not very much stuff is going on. It usually lasts a couple hours and we basically roam the whole school. From the band room to the gym.

Usually in the gym there is dodge ball, soccer ball, and basketball, on one side of the band room there is usually video game counsels, while on the other side there is mainly board games, such as chess and cards, sometimes there is even a movie playing. Then in the hallway on tables there is food galore. There is always chips and cookies and pop, sometimes even huge bags of candy. And with so many of us, a lot of it gets eaten.

Towards the end of the night we all gather in the band room to find teams for our game of school-wide hide- and- seek. That’s always fun but it’s really hard because there are so many of us and only one team to find everyone. There are boundaries to this though. You can’t go down by the gym and you can’t go past the band hall.

Many people hide in the hallways and doorways up and down stairs. Even under the back stair case. Since all the lights are off in the hallways it makes it even harder to find people. Sometimes the team of seekers end up using flashlights on their phone so people don’t jump out at them.

The band party is our way of celebrating the marching band season and a way of bonding for all of us, since many of us get separated from our friends during the split in the bands.

Private Lessons

Many high school musicians who are serious about music or have a real passion for it, and want to be the best player they can be have a private lesson teacher. Private lessons are very useful if you want to go somewhere with music. Most of the time they are pretty cheap and really easy to find if you know where to look.

There are high school musicians who give lessons, but there aren’t as many and they don’t have as much experience as older teachers. For example there is Robert Manson for trombone and Joanne Chadima for flute and hundreds of others that are around this area, you just have to find one that works for you.

Many lesson teachers are pretty laid back but they help you so much, I have been taking private lessons for 6 years now from Joanne Chadima and she has helped me so much, without her I wouldn’t be the player I am today. Every lesson teacher has a different way of teaching, a different schedule, and a different price.

Some teachers cost more than others, for example McKenna Woods is a high school musician who gives lessons and she charges $10 for a 20 minute lesson whenever convenient while Joanne charges $20 for a 30 minute lesson every week. It just depends on how they teach, but all in all private lessons are a great thing and will help you become a much better musician. 

Margaret Kegel

Margaret Kegel was a great person, anyone who knew her was greatly moved by her openness and her passion for music. Margaret was a flute player and she helped with most of us flutists at Kennedy. All of us who were helped and taught by her are better flute players because of her.

Margaret was fighting cancer and even while she fought she was still coming in to help all of us whether it be for private lessons or for All-State clinics. Even though she lost her battle with cancer, she lives in all of our hearts. She touched so many lives and inspired so many people to become better flute players.

Along with teaching the flute at Kennedy, she also helped at Jefferson and other places, and she even played in the Cedar Rapids Municipal Band. Margaret touched so many lives and she will forever be remembered as an amazing flute player, teacher, friend, and beloved family member.

Wanted by Hunter Hayes

The song Wanted by Hunter Hayes might just seem like another love song just like all the others that are out there but to me it has so much more meaning than just being another love song. To me it was a matter of life or death and somehow it helped me choose life.

As you know in my last post about the hospital and how music helped me, why I was in there and this song is a very close to my heart. Every time I hear that song I think of one person and I think that’s what love songs are supposed to do, they want to make you think about that one person you are with that you love dearly, or maybe even think about an old lover who you let get away.

If you think about it every song tells a story, and the song Wanted by Hunter Hayes is kinda like my story in a way, maybe it’s not the newest or upbeat song that’s out there but it’s my song and I think everyone should have one song that they can listen to and think of something or someone in their life that went right.

There is so many things to this song that can change the way you think about one person if you just sit and listen to the words, with me it just helped put feelings into words, which isn't as easy with everything, sometimes it's easy to put feelings into words or on paper but sometimes it's just impossible. It's hardest when you are really passionate about something or just really feel strongly towards something or someone and it just leaves you at a loss for words.

My time in the hospital

The week of November 29^th through December 4^th was spent in the hospital at 3E, for those who know what that is, I’m sorry it's a place I wish no one had to go to, and for those of you that don't know what it is be happy that you haven't had to go there. 

3E is the behavioral and mental health ward at St. Lukes for children and adolesents. People get put in there for many different reasons, such as drug addiction, behavior problems, or the reason I was in there depression and suicide attempts. While your in there it's really hard on everyone. Family, friends, school, even though you go to "school" while you are in there you still get really behind in your class work.

In my room, me and my room mate had a little radio that the nurses that were in there gave to us. We always had it on, music was the one thing that kept me from going completely insane being locked up in there all week. We were always singing or dancing around the room trying to keep ourselves occupied when we weren't in groups or in "school".  Cause there's not much you can do in that place.

While we were in groups or "school" many times there wasn't any music playing an having to talk with the people who were also there for sometimes the same reason made it even harder to concentrate. We all just wanted to get out of there and see our friends and family and as much as I hate to say it we all wanted to get back to school.

So I guess moral of this post is music is a great thing, for me it helped me get through a really rough time, and even now that I'm out of the hospital I almost always have music playing when I can. It is one of the biggest coping skills that I used in the hospital and that I use now that I'm out. So if you're ever feeling stressed put everything away and just listen to music and focus on the words and nothing else. Music can be a life saver.

Dot Books vs Drill Books

Dot books and drill books. Many people who are not in band have no idea what these are or what we mean when we talk about them. But any band kid who marches knows exactly what they are and why they are so important to us.

Drill books are in a binder, normally we have music, and drill in separate in page protectors with everything in order. With the drill we have to find our number and highlight it. We also have to find out last spot and mark it so we know the path that we have to take from point A to point B. Also don't forget to make marks on the yard lines and hashes to know where they are and can see them at all times.

Dot books are kind of similar to drill books but they are different in many ways. For example they are not big binders they are just little spiral notebooks basically. Even though they are little they are very helpful because it’s a lot easier than holding the binder.

The dot books need a couple different things than drill books, for example you have to cut out little sections of the drill around where your number is so that it fits on the sheet. You also have to highlight the yard lines and mark the path from point A to point B.

All in all the dot book it a lot more useful and a lot easier to use rather than a drill book, even though it takes more time to get done. There are also a lot of ways to get extra credit on them, like putting in music it and stuff.