July 4th Weekend Commentaries

If that doesn't make you feel all patriotic on the inside, I don't know what will. That's a clip of my friend Byron and me playing before the Graves County Democrats' Breakfast in August of 1992. My dad sent me home with a bunch of videos from high school, and I've been having a hoot watching them. Some have suggested I buy a DVD recorder and transfer them over. I took the redneck way out and just recorded the television with my digital camera. It's not fancy, but it suits my purpose. I thought we did OK for some high school kids. Having gotten out and heard more people since then, I have only one suggestion for us.....more air (and that's primarily for me). Having not tooted a horn for some 14+ years now, I can honestly say that I miss it. I miss the camaraderie. I miss practicing a piece of music and then performing it with people you enjoy being around. There's a line in the 2002 Charles Stone III classic, Drumline, that always resonates with me. It's near the end, they're getting ready to take the field, and Dr. Lee tells them to enjoy playing with their bandmates. I may be a little sissified, but that always gives me a little chill.

On the topic of music....I did hear a little over the holiday weekend. The Naperville Municipal Band had their patriotic concert on Thursday night. Before they played, there was a ladies' trio from the USO who sang "Don't Sit Under the Apple Tree", "Boogie-Woogie Bugle Boy", and "Chattanooga Choo-Choo" before the concert. The instrumental portion of the concert was the usual stuff. The service medley always give me chills. The Marines who stand for the "Marine Hymn" are always so stoic and look like they could "...pick up a weapon and stand a post." while the Navy guys appear to be in for more of a swash-buckling good time as they stand and clap along with Anchors Aweigh. Unlike years past, there was even a Coastie there to represent for the Coast Guard song/hymn/anthem/diddy. The band played a piece called "The Blue and Gray". It featured all the popular music from the Civil War era. I had no idea that "Aura Lee" and "Yellow Rose of Texas" were big in the 1860's, but you learn something new every day. The piece closed with Battle Hymn, and the climax was when a blue guy walked across the stage to meet a gray guy walking from the other side. They saluted, shook hands, and hugged before retreating to their origins. As cheesy, and historically inaccurate, as it sounds, I kinda liked it. Everyone else did too as there was great applause. The Civil War soldiers also brought along their mounted cannons to play along with the 1812 Overture. That piece is forever long, and I'm glad I had my Readers' Digest (what am I, like 65?) to get me through to the good stuff. The band closed with "Stars and Stripes Forever". It's quite possibly my favorite march that I never got the chance (read not good enough) to play. The piccolos took it up a notch and really played well during the obbligato. That reminds me, what's the difference between a piccolo and a chainsaw? You can tune a chainsaw.

Other musical events include watching Pops Goes the Fourth on CBS. I liked it alot better when PBS showed the whole concert. CBS had too much Rascal Flatts for my liking, but they did manage to get in the patriotic sing along and S&S4E. The piccolos are quite solid. I also caught a replay of a Capitol Fourth. While we're on the subject, they didn't have a piccolo player on S&S4E, they used a marimba, and I thought it was way cool. Finally, there was a bari-sax player with the band at church on Sunday. I thought he was too loud.

That's all for me.