Miscellaneous On the Rising Winds by Robert W. Smith

[jbtsax]

The SOTM "Let's Face the Music and Dance" reminded me of a saying I used back in my former life when I taught beginning band. I would tell folks that my job made me have to get up every day and go "face the music". I would also say that if reincarnation is true I must have done something really bad in my former life to come back as a beginning band teacher. Of course this is a bit of hyperbole. Teaching youngsters how to play music is/was actually a very rewarding experience, and it is surprising how far they can come musically in just two years. This is a piece we performed the year that there were strong players in each section. Of course 2nd year students didn't sound as professional as this demo recording, but they came quite close in terms of tone quality and intonation. I regret that I didn't keep any concert recordings when I retired. I am sharing this to provide a glimpse into the music education (band) programs in the U.S. and I suppose being cooped up for so long due to Covid 19 I am feeling a bit nostalgic.

https://soundcloud.com/jbtsax%2Fon-rising-winds-robert-w-smith