Tag Archives: Music

Marshall Honor Band

Audio, Awesome, WV, ,

It’s been awhile since I have posted anything and I cannot decide if it is because I have the winter blues or if we have been busy or if it is the effects of the water chaos and snow.  Speaking of snow, we are covered again and stuck inside with the latest polar blast…like the other 250 million or so people in the country who are affected by it.

Omega March

Anasazi

Engines of Resistance

Anyhow, one interesting thing we did get into recently was Isaac’s involvement with the Marshall University Honor Band.  The Honor Band is an honor for middle school students.  Each school’s band director nominates their best students for a one day seminar with the Marshall University School of Music staff.  Students from the tri-state area come together in one day and get excellent instruction throughout the day that pinpoints their specific instrument.  Later in the evening, the students put on a concert.

What makes this concert especially impressive to me is that the band kids have never seen the music prior to the start of the day.  They learn the music and somehow pull together as a group in a single day.  It’s amazing but really so awesome to see and hear!  So, take a listen if you please…maybe you can forget about the polar vortex and poison water for awhile!

Middle school band concert!

Audio, Awesome, Fun, WV, ,

With Christmas near, it is concert season!  Most recently Isaac’s band performed their Christmas concert.  I learned a few years ago that his middle school band is incredible and always puts on a superb show!

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American Bell Carroll

Isaac plays tenor sax and is really pretty talented at it.  He picked up clarinet and can play it pretty well too.  I don’t know if his band director knows that but his first love is tenor so it probably doesn’t matter.  Anyhow, the local middle school band has around 120 kids and they can play as well as many older bands I have seen.  In addition to the concert/marching band, Isaac also plays in the jazz band, a group of about 20 or so musicians.

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Mainstreet Christmas

So, I am so proud that both kids play music and I was especially excited to hear what they had put together this year!  I guess some people don’t look forward to this sort of thing, but I was on the edge of giddy waiting for their first number!

Jazz Band!
Jazz Band!

I think the music speaks for itself (of course, remember this is just my recording with my phone)!  These kids are amazing and work so very hard and their dedication really shows!  This concert really got me in the Christmas spirit and I couldn’t be prouder of Isaac and his band-mates!

My grass is blue

Fun, ,

My brother and sister-in-law love travelling around to music festivals, especially bluegrass shows. They have made lots of friends and met many of the bands and finally decided to have a show themselves. Last weekend, we traveled to their place in MD where they had gathered 6-8 bands to come play in their barn over the course of 2 days. They don’t have a typical nasty old barn but rather a large, modern facility that happens to have a stage area built in! It was perfect for the bands to play upon! Between musician friends and their own collection, they put together a first-class sound system and had an all-around great party.

Ready for some Bluegrass My Grass is Blue My Grass is Blue

I took some pics and videos of some of the bands so  you should definitely check out their websites to hear what they are all about.  I wish I had gotten info on everyone.  Oh well, next year you will have to come to hear for yourself!

The David Mayfield Parade was there.

 

Ernie Bradley and the Grassy Ridge Band
Ernie Bradley and the Grassy Ridge Band
The Polka Dots
The Polka Dots
David Melchior and the Sympathetic Vibrations
David Melchior and the Sympathetic Vibrations

In between bands, there was much time for frivolity. Of course, even when they played, there was much opportunity for dancing and acting up. Many people were fueled by a common liquid wheat-based fuel source which added to their courage levels and self-determined dancing skills! It was a ton of fun.

The barn

The barn…story about the firetruck in another post

The view from the barn

The view from the barn

Playing the flute

Abigail played on stage some and out in the yard some and collected a few tips

All told, there were 150-200 people that came. Some folks camped on his property, others “fell asleep” in the beds of the pickup trucks and some never slept at all. We opted for the hotel a few miles away. I think that worked well for us.  Anyhow, we had a really great time and heard some really great music…some was bluegrass, some was folk, some was hard to describe but that’s what makes music so much fun, isn’t it?