The Letter

Doing these trips is a daunting task for band directors.  It is an all consuming, tremendous responsibility that takes hours away from family time during the planning stages and typically falls during the holiday season when families are gathering together.

These are optional trips, not part of the competitive season schedule or the curriculum. They are “extras.” Directors joke: extra work, extra headaches, and extra sleep deprivation! The chaperone pay during the few days of the trip is also an extra, but no band directors who do this ever calculate the actual hourly rate based on the entire trip process, better we don’t know.

So here I am, planning on pulling next year’s trip off the table, an easy decision with the bad economy and knowing the expenses associated with being in this band to begin with. I was thinking we could simply skip a year or maybe a few years until my youngest children (2 and 4) are in full time school, or old enough to go on the trip. It is very hard for me to cut the holidays short or leave them during a break, which is why most band directors either choose not to do these big trips or have their families accompany them  With 120 family members going to Florida to be a part of this trip, it is obvious that being with our families during the break is a priority for all of us. Last year at Disneyworld, we had huge numbers as well.  Remember that big dinner show at Epcot! It is clearly no wonder that I am torn between my immediate family and my extended band family.  And then I receive this incredible letter from Joe Capozzi, one of our chaperones at the Orange Bowl. It reminded me why we do all this. No person on the earth could have worded it any better.  Please read on.

5 January 2011

Dear Mr. Patterson:

I want to thank you for including me and congratulate you on an incredibly successful trip.
The experience you provided for your band members far exceeds the fanfare of standing on a field before 80,000 fans and millions more on TV.  The memories they will hold forever transcend perfected notes, synchronic steps, and undulating candles.  It is the pride, the camaraderie, the esprit de corps, the teamwork, the mutual support, the work, the blood, the sweat, the tears, and the laughter they shared that will so profoundly impact each of them the rest of their lives.

I knew a few of your members prior to the trip from class.  It was a pleasure to view them in a different venue as well as to get to know more of the members.  To see these 68 students of varying ages, abilities, and experience blend, meld, sync, and bond was the most heart-warming aspect of the trip. To see students who are perhaps not the biggest stars in a Roslyn classroom shine in the Florida sun was a great reminder of why we do what we do, why we teach.

It is not the lessons of the classroom, but the lessons of life that are our most valuable gifts to our students.  And through your (and your co-workers) efforts, your consideration, your attention to detail, your support, your encouragement—and likewise admonishment when necessary—your tireless and sleep-deprived dedication to your members, you have provided numerous and significant gifts that will last all of your very fortunate members a lifetime.

As a parent, our children become the barometer for all of life, and I can think of no higher praise to proffer than the thought that I wish my own children could experience a similarly nurturing experience. It takes a Herculean effort to plan and implement this type of undertaking.  I applaud your efforts and dedication.  To do what you do and have your students walk away with the positive experience they do is beyond commendable—it is almost incomprehensible, especially considering 50+ hours of bus rides!

Congratulations and thank you again for including me.

Sincerely,
Joe Capozzi

Running Late

Some logistical things were sprung onto me during this trip. Due to the hotel cutting out drivers out of their rooms, the drivers had to wait to go through red tape with BGA to get their rooms back, rooms we already paid for (after they took a taxi back from the hotel to sleep).  This cut us back about an hour or so. In addition, we have had some problems finding places to eat on the way home, we stopped at a bunch of areas which resulted in longer rest stops both ways.   With finding food areas, since the kids do need to eat, and that has to be a priority, we are running late.

The good news, they will be well rested!

We instituted a “mandatory sleep time” on the busses from 12:30 to 8 am in which all the kids slept very well.  They are continuing to sleep, at any given time half the band is sleeping. We will try to squeeze in another 5 to 6 hours of sleep time for them so that we are all in good shape to go to school tomorrow.

Parade Crash Course and Info about today's parade

First of all, from Claudia, and thanks to her for getting information about the parade

Hi All,

I know that everyone is concerned about where to go tomorrow for the parade.  After much “googling” I’m suggesting meeting on the south side of Miracle Mile at Ponce De Leon Blvd, which is where the Band will turn to go west on Miracle Mile.  From that side of the street we should be able to see the Band come down the street facing directly at us.  If anyone has a better suggestion, please let me know and I will email everyone.

It is approximately 43 minutes from the Hyatt to Miracle Mile.  For those of you staying at the Hyatt, I’m suggesting that parents meet in the lobby at 12:45 to be at the parade route by 2:00PM.  Also parents can carpool if possible, since we have heard that parking can be difficult.

Please know that this only “my” recommendation. Unfortunately, we haven’t been given very much information about the parade.  See you tomorrow.  It should be a great day.

Claudia

Now my blog on this and other parades,

As you know, I usually give out all information about every aspect of every venue and event we are involved with.  You have nothing at all about today’s parade.  You have exactly the same information as I do.  Parades are fickle, unorganized, and it is amazing that any of them even get down the street.
From the Columbus Day Parade in New York, to every single parade I have ever been involved with, they all excel in one area accross the board.  Total chaos.  This parade seems to be no different.  The directors and parade committees change yearly and are competitive with each year in how each year’s parade goes so no information is usually passed down to help things run smoother. I have received three different spots to go to with the band, communications from the parade committee demanding that we report to all three spots three hours ahead of time, with the busses not allowed to stay and us not allowed to warm up.  Of course this is the way they all do it.  Any band director knows this.  They also sent an old fashioned waiver to me weeks after the deadline which they needed immediately, remember?  I had to have every single parent sign one and get it to them in one day.
Don’t expect anything today from the parade. The Hyatt parents will be meeting in the lobby at 12:45.
 
Please go to the spot Claudia has chosen, I will tweet out as much information as I can as the day proceeds so you know what is going on.  We will be doing a 2 minute stand still of our show closer, wherever the judges booth is, once again I have no idea.  I would go to Claudia’s spot to watch the show, you will get to see the band for a longer period of time from the approach through the pass by.  If the parade stops alot (it probably will) we will perform our stand still 2 minute show near there as well.  It might be possible to walk from there to the end of the parade, it may not, I have no idea how crowded it will be there.

Once again, I will tweet out everything on our twitter.