They started practicing this morning — Saturday — at 6:30 a.m.
The sound — which I rather love when I hear it wafting in from a distance in the late afternoon — is loud and sleep-annihilating in the morning.
१२ सप्टेंबर, २००९
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२८ टिप्पण्या:
I think you’re allowed to hate the sin, but God pretty much expects you to love the sinner no matter what.
But He always gets to sleep in, so who knows?
Nature's percussion section, thunder and lightning, woke us at 4:30 this morning. Fortunately, the snare drum pinging of raindrops on the skylight soon followed.
While I'm thankful for rain given the tinder dry hills and high fire danger at this time of year; I give up, the gods do not want me to enjoy lush vine ripe tomatoes this year.
I am right there with you. Mein Gott that was rude of them.
I can sleep right through the biggest thunderstorm, but the annoyance of On Wisconsin at dawn destroys all sleep.
What the hell were they thinking?
Try to focus on what you "love."
There's a local radio station here in Ithaca, NY, that plays a Souza march every day at 6:30 AM and then plays another one at 7:30. Of course it's voluntary on the part of those who listen, but a lot of people must love waking up to that stuff because it's a program that gets very high ratings.
I understand and sympathize with your hating them at 6:30 AM, Ann, but I promise they hate having to be out there fully clothed, instruments put together and warmed up, at that hour, on a Saturday, even more.
Not that that helps you any.
Stop sleeping in. You should be cooking breakfast so you can have it ready for your man when he decides to bless your day by waking.
The band hates it as much as you do.
What a drag marching band was.
And then you have to sit through football games as well as practicing.
And the music sucks.
former trombone player.
Did I mention that you're also pressed into service for mayors' speeches on memorial day.
You can't even just play something and leave before he begins.
As another former marching band member, the first thought that hit me was "there must be a game today." Sure enough, I checked; it started at noon. So unless they have a ridiculously early pregame show or their practice field gets overrun by tailgaters before the game, 6:30 does seem excessively early. Had I been in charge, I'd have been hard-pressed to start practice before nine.
@rhhardin--Perhaps, as a former trombone player, you'll appreciate this one:
Q: What's the difference between a dead snake in the middle of the road and a dead trombonist in the middle of the road?
A: (Pick one) There are skid marks in front of the snake.
OR
The snake was on his way to a gig.
(Thanks--I'm here all week. Try the veal!)
OK, one more:
Q: How do you know when a trombonist is on the playground?
A: He doesn't know how to use the slide, and he can't swing.
(I have 'em for other instruments, too; just ask!)
wv: lenoss. I'm looking forward to Lenoss new show premiering next week.
BJM said...
Nature's percussion section, thunder and lightning, woke us at 4:30 this morning. Fortunately, the snare drum pinging of raindrops on the skylight soon followed.
Do you live in the east bay? Cause I'm living in Pleasant Hill right now which is about 5 minutes north of Walnut Creek and that series of thunder cracks went off early this morning with a vengeance. It shook the whole house and the air column that hit the ground came rushing into the house cause we kept the windows open to air it out. It was a lot of fun, but sure makes you jump when you least expect it.
The troubles of living in a college town on a Fall Saturday...but it is all worth it.
Perhaps, as a former trombone player, you'll appreciate this one:
Q: What's the difference between a dead snake in the middle of the road and a dead trombonist in the middle of the road?
A: (Pick one) There are skid marks in front of the snake.
I heard that joke years ago, although it was a dog rather than a snake. Also, it wasn't "trombonist," it was of a more ... ethnic nature.
Peter
Laura is correct -- hate the Band Director or some other Power That Am -- no 18-22 year old gets up willingly that early on a Saturday morning.
I heard it not with a trombonist, but with a lawyer.
What do you call a bus full of lawyers plunging off a cliff?
A good start.
"...but the annoyance of On Wisconsin at dawn destroys all sleep..."
Yeah! What gives with that, MadisonMan?
While I'm gradually falling in love with Madison, Wisconsin, I don't remember my beloved band of Boilermakers ever imposing such abuse upon my childhood slumbers.
"...but it is all worth it."
Quite true, sir traditionalguy. And nicely understated!
Of course, everyone knows that THIS is, objectively, the quintessential fight song.
You're allowed to hate all marching bands, especially since they're almost always out of tune.
Y'all can keep your "fight songs"--I'll take a War Hymn any day of the week. :-) Gig 'Em!
The Fightin' Texas Aggie Band practices every morning at "oh-six hundred". I lived on campus next to the quad for 1 year, then moved off, for the obvious reason.
What the hell were they thinking?
It was 6:30 AM in Madison on a Saturday game day. It was the famed UW Marching Band.
They were drunk.
The practice paid off. They sounded great at the game. And, yes, they woke me up at 6:30 a.m., though it seemed appropriate.
As a former trumpet section leader in the University of Texas Longhorn Band (in which I was privileged to perform all through college and my first two years of law school), I'll weigh in here and say that the band ought not have been making that much noise that early.
If they had to practice then, they could have done things which didn't require playing at full volume. It's entirely possible, for example, to practice an entire half-time show with the band members' instruments simply being carried and the band members humming -- I'm not making that up, I've done it! And in fact, doing that allows you to focus on marching precision to a degree that usually isn't done when there's the additional challenge of playing musically and well; which is to say, accommodating your sleep until, say, 8:00 a.m. could have been used by the band as an opportunity.
Wisconsin has a nationally famous, nationally well-regarded band, but that's a reputation built over time, and it must be vigilantly protected. Irritating those on one's own campus is a bad idea.
And yes, you can cut and paste my comment and email it to 'em, Prof. A, if you're so inclined. Or heck, send them the entire set of comments along with this post.
What's the dictionary version of "optimist?" A triple-scale trombone player with a beeper.
How do you piss off a trombonist? Tell him to tune to the steel guitar.
The chief objection to a consistent, or "cross-country" use of "one" is that it tends to make a sentence sound like a trombone solo - such as: "One knows one's friends will help one if one is in trouble, or at least one trusts one's friends will help one."
Thurber
>>Meade said...
Of course, everyone knows that THIS is, objectively, the quintessential fight song.<<
Feh.
We can revoke your Wisconsin visa, you know.
"Am I allowed to hate the UW Marching Band?"
Are you kidding, or are you secretly rooting for Michigan? Get with the program.
I'll tell you whom to hate. It's the #!$$*#% athletic department and sports channels who schedule games at 11 effing AM in the morning.
I mean, how's a guy to get a good pre-game buzz on when the games start at 11 effing AM?
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