3-26-22 PERCUSSING IN MARCH

I'm tired. Really tired. It's 12:30 am and my body wants sleep. A lot happened today. Lots and lots of "happens".  Here is 30 minutes worth of March 26, 2022: Something I created.

I didn't actually create this boy, but I helped create his mom, who helped create him. So, I have some measure of ownership in the creation process I suppose.

Timo Petersen - Captain of
Mountain Ridge Drumline.

This is Timo. His Drumline at Mountain Ridge High School had a competition today. Since it happened to be ten minutes from our house, we took a break from the monumental task of cleaning our garage, picked up my sister Libby, and went to clap. Well, we actually went to see it, and hear it, but any grandparent and uber-auntie knows the driving force behind the attendance at multiple performances that pile up this time of year is the foreordained calling to be a clapper. And, in this case since it was in Davis High School gym, we whooped and hollered too.

One of the nice things about these indoor percussion competitions is the show itself lasts something like four-and-a-half minutes. They are docked points if they don't get on and off stage within a certain amount of time, so it's a mad rush.

Here's what my iPhone absorbed of the short visit we made to Davis High today:

Upon arrival the lined-up marimbas and xylophones
looked sort of like a funeral procession.

Each high school percussion group had its own
area in the large parking lot.

The group stood in a large circle and reviewed their
piece vocally, with one drummer keeping the beat.
It sounded awesome.

Showtime! The whole band has something like two
minutes to roll out a large painted tarp as part of their set.
Then they roll all their instruments on there, set up their props,
and place their bodies and instruments in position.

It's an amazing physical orchestration.
Then the music starts.

The thing about marching band is it's almost as much
dance as it is music.

When they're done they have to get all that equipment
 off stage in a couple minutes or they are docked points.

They end by rolling up their canvas floor prop
and removing it. It takes serious teamwork.

My drummer boy is a Senior this year...

... and I'll hug him every chance I get.

Timo is just now hearing from colleges where he auditioned. He has, so far, been admitted and offered music scholarships at BYU, the U of U, and BYU-I. Man, time flew since that day I bought him his first pair of drum sticks as a four-year-old!