Drum Corps!

I am SO glad that we went to Drums Along the Chippewa. I thought is was going to be a bunch of small, shaky open class corps even so late in the season. Well, whoa. It was a wonderful show AND there was a full stadium...in EAU CLAIRE!
I try to spend so much time telling myself that it was a great activity while we were younger and though I gained a lot through it that there is a lot more to life and to music itself. I haven't seen a show in a long time so it's easy to brush off how much of my background in based on marching and when I've been applying for jobs I've been telling myself "It's ok if they don't march" and "I've done the marching thing". But as soon as the first corps took the field there was a huge lump in my throat and as they built chords in their on-field warm-up my eyes filled with tears in an almost embarrassing way. This WAS a MAJOR part of me. I'll never forget and it shaped who I am today. For the first 2-3 corps I was just flooded with memories and emotions. I felt like it were my own kids out their performing and I was SO proud of everyone. These were mostly corps that we didn't march with in shows when we were in Capital Sound, but drum corps is drum corps. Tan faces, sweaty hair, clear execution, loud and in your face moments....and the drumlines were SO good. I think it is remarkable how so few drummers in the world march, but the ones who do are like machines they are able to play so much, so clean, and they are so often in HIGH SCHOOL. This is going to benefit them in so many ways. Even Racine Scouts were the best I've seen them, by a long shot. The peak musical and emotional experiences that I had in drum corps have fueled my passion for music and teaching so much so that when I had tried to ignore them for so long that I nearly exploded with emotion that night. I wanted to shake everyone's hand and thank them for giving corps a chance and that they wouldn't regret it, no matter how hard it seems at times, or how crappy your staff can be sometimes...or how hard the economy has hit your corps family. God, I'm gonna cry again and only those of you who have experienced drum corps will probably understand. I spent 6 years in an activity that is much like the army or a permanent music and leadership camp/exercise, and I met people from all over the world.
*sigh*
So every time I am in the car I hear Miley Cyrus. "The Climb" may not seem like the greatest song to a lot of you, but the words are chilling in that they seem to pertain to my life and job hunt tremendously.
I can almost see it
That dream I am dreaming
But there's a voice inside my head saying
"You'll never reach it"

Every step I'm taking
Every move I make feels
Lost with no direction
My faith is shaking

But I gotta keep trying
Gotta keep my head held high

There's always gonna be another mountain
I'm always gonna wanna make it move
Always gonna be a uphill battle
Sometimes I'm gonna have to lose

Ain't about how fast I get there
Ain't about what's waiting on the other side
It's the climb

The struggles I'm facing
The chances I'm taking
Sometimes might knock me down
But no, I'm not breaking

I may not know it
But these are the moments that
I'm gonna remember most, yeah
Just gotta keep going

And I, I got to be strong
Just keep pushing on

'Cause there's always gonna be another mountain
I'm always gonna wanna make it move
Always gonna be a uphill battle
Sometimes I'm gonna have to lose

Ain't about how fast I get there
Ain't about what's waiting on the other side
It's the climb, yeah!

There's always gonna be another mountain
I'm always gonna wanna make it move
Always gonna be an uphill battle
Somebody's gonna have to lose

Ain't about how fast I get there
Ain't about what's waiting on the other side
It's the climb, yeah!

Keep on moving, keep climbing
Keep the faith, baby
It's all about, it's all about the climb
Keep the faith, keep your faith, whoa


It's like Dr. Rieck says, I'm a visionary person. I see my tops goals so clearly and feel my feelings so strong that I just want to get there NOW. The journey seems painfully slow most of the time and I've worked hard to reach the top and so it's hard when things are out of my control and not going as planned, especially when I don't feel like I'm moving towards the end goal. This song soothes me sometimes and other times make me angry...

Well, we're off to Chicago for SAI National Convention. Should be exciting, especially with a side of Joe Rodriguez. Update following our return late Sunday night. Peace, love, and drum corps.