Out of the Office
Sunday, July 3, 2011 at 9:51PM Previously on I Save Western Civilization:
- Halt kick DOWN
- If you need a circle of people made, import Jason The Ridiculously Young Drum Major
- During Sessions, I hover like a... blonde... hovering... thing, and this is pretty much not what I had in mind when I embarked upon the life of a mysterious solitary writer on a mental desert island
I try to spread the hovering equally between the beginners, the intermediates, and the advanced, because not only am I learning how to bust out a wicked toe-point on a chair step, I am also learning about the Drum Majors and the members of D-Row as they pass on what they have so painfully gained. They quite literally use their batons as pointers.
You garner a great deal about a person when this goes on. For example, when I teach a writing workshop, I make as many people as possible cry and run away on Day One because I pretty much get paid the same whether they're there or not, and the less papers I have to grade, the greater the chances I will see that morning's Card Sharks on same-day DVR delay.
"You need to be more awesome right HERE": Josh Halter, Subdued Strut Guru
I didn't get to see Matt The Badass teach so much, but I assume a great deal of silent glaring was involved. Josh Halter The Supposedly Subdued is patient and thorough and Alex Who Talks Real Pretty is loquacious but encouraging (more on this later), and this says something about who they are as people and who they were as Drum Majors.
As an English major and extreme band virgin, I am sprinting to catch up-- there is so much to learn, in so many arenas. That's why I trail my Drum Majors, for I trail in every possible way in terms of information, experience, and wisdom. Also coherency.
It's a refinery once the upper levels are reached by the older high school students and the members of D-Row. Jason spends much of his teaching time with them. And he knows the weak spots, the jagged edges.
"You might want to move," he said to me as I stood off to JD Who Gots Game's right as he was working on a back bounce. As I scurried behind him, silver metal crashed a few inches from where my feet had been.
"What went wrong?" he asked when one of his potential replacements winced.
"I keep hitting myself."
"Then don't do that."
There followed an extended technical discussion, but really, that was the heart of it. And there are times when I wish I could stand over my own students in the same way: Move that word. Shift the perspective a little to the right. And you see the cliche here?... Don't do that.
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Reader Comments (31)
JOSH HALTER IS AWESOMEPOLOOZA
Ooooooh, MB works on holidays. Sweet.
"They quite literally use their batons as pointers."
(see photo evidence below)
"Then don't do that."
he is so wise
Happy 4th, everybody!
Card Sharks FTW
"extreme band virgin"
I love how she takes words and phrases that just are not supposed to go together and makes them do just that.
I really like to see these drummajors at work behind the scenes. This is just such a tight post. Thank you MB.
"the life of a mysterious solitary writer on a mental desert island"
No, we want you out here with us!
That picture is great.
Wahoo, Drum Major action shot!
who wants to bet that most of MB's math knowledge comes from Card Sharks?!
So great to see that this tradition is passed on in such a personal way. BUCKS!
"I didn't get to see Matt The Badass teach so much, but I assume a great deal of silent glaring was involved."
He transmits knowledge mentally and does not need to speak.
yyyeaaaahhhh, picture!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
"this says something about who they are as people and who they were as Drum Majors."
That's a pretty interesting insight. I wouldn't have thought about it like that necessarily.
Looking forward to the "more on this later" concerning He Who Talks Real Pretty ;) I will hold you to that one.
*when I teach a writing workshop, I make as many people as possible cry and run away on Day One because I pretty much get paid the same whether they're there or not, and the less papers I have to grade, the greater the chances I will see that morning's Card Sharks on same-day DVR delay. *
Okay here I officially call BS on you, Miss Ellis. You were one of the best profs I ever had and one of the most passionate, truly caring member of the human race, period, I've ever met. Card Sharks, whatever! The only thing that made me cry in that course is when it was over!!
More close-up Banding please.
This has got to be the only place on the entire internet where baton twirling, the art of teaching, and "Card Sharks" are mentioned in the same place.
"As I scurried behind him, silver metal crashed a few inches from where my feet had been. "
This sentence just makes me happy. It's so pretty!
Batons in the air, yeah booooyyyyeeee
Hot for teacher ;)
Aw, MB just posted on FB that she finally has a niece courtesy of Josh The Pilot's brother!
Sometimes I wonder what she leaves out.....
I feel like Tink used lots of vibrant words in this one. It has kind of an HD feel or something to it. Maybe it's the lovely lovely picture of Mr. Halter.
She is in Boston with the fellowship now, yeah?
"Aw, MB just posted on FB that she finally has a niece courtesy of Josh The Pilot's brother!"
Congratulations!
congrats on the baby girl, great news :)
MB, doing OK-- shuttle launch, somewhat suspicious DM-related silence...?
I am just seconding Isabella10-- more PLEASE