How I'm not sick from conducting in the pouring ass rain for an hour I just don't know.
Yeah, great timing all around. The show wasn't canceled, but it was moved from the field to inside the gym, out of the rain. It wasn't bad for a while, but, of course, AS SOON as the band got their uniforms on and got in lines to head for our warm up zone, it started fucking pouring.
They had ponchos, the instruments were safe, the staff had umbrellas, they were safe, and I had thermals, a tee shirt, a fleece, and a wind breaker. WTF? A wind breaker? Why I brought a wind breaker to a rainstorm I just don't know. It did nil. It did have a hood, which I did have on, but when I finished the warm ups, I realized it was not on. I must have thrown it off as I conducted. I don't know.
Anyway, we went to hunt for a spot, which turned out to be underneath a bus stop. Almost 100 kids crowded under a high school bus overhang, struggling to see. And me, on the ladder, in the rain. No umbrella. No waterproof clothes. And of course, as goes with me, once I get involved in the music, especially the warm up (I'm a warm up freak) everything else disappears. All that matters is the music, and all of my attention and focus goes there. So, half an hour later, the band is warm and waiting for the drumline, and I realize it's still pouring and I'm now completely soaked to the bone.
They sounded great, and threw down inside when they performed. The crowd seemed to like them, and as I conducted the pseudo on-the-field-warm-up, I got the usual plethora of cheering (Go Erik! and the like) from friends on staff and teachers from other schools, even as I conducted through the tuning chorales, I could see water flying out from my water logged sleeves and spraying the pit as they set up.
When I got back to the school later that night, I went to change to put on a dry shirt and sweatshirt, only to realize that not only every stitch I was wearing was soaked through, but also everything in my backpack, meaning my spare clothes. I really need to think a bit more when conducting.
And how am I not sick now? Really? Oh well, works for me!
Yeah, great timing all around. The show wasn't canceled, but it was moved from the field to inside the gym, out of the rain. It wasn't bad for a while, but, of course, AS SOON as the band got their uniforms on and got in lines to head for our warm up zone, it started fucking pouring.
They had ponchos, the instruments were safe, the staff had umbrellas, they were safe, and I had thermals, a tee shirt, a fleece, and a wind breaker. WTF? A wind breaker? Why I brought a wind breaker to a rainstorm I just don't know. It did nil. It did have a hood, which I did have on, but when I finished the warm ups, I realized it was not on. I must have thrown it off as I conducted. I don't know.
Anyway, we went to hunt for a spot, which turned out to be underneath a bus stop. Almost 100 kids crowded under a high school bus overhang, struggling to see. And me, on the ladder, in the rain. No umbrella. No waterproof clothes. And of course, as goes with me, once I get involved in the music, especially the warm up (I'm a warm up freak) everything else disappears. All that matters is the music, and all of my attention and focus goes there. So, half an hour later, the band is warm and waiting for the drumline, and I realize it's still pouring and I'm now completely soaked to the bone.
They sounded great, and threw down inside when they performed. The crowd seemed to like them, and as I conducted the pseudo on-the-field-warm-up, I got the usual plethora of cheering (Go Erik! and the like) from friends on staff and teachers from other schools, even as I conducted through the tuning chorales, I could see water flying out from my water logged sleeves and spraying the pit as they set up.
When I got back to the school later that night, I went to change to put on a dry shirt and sweatshirt, only to realize that not only every stitch I was wearing was soaked through, but also everything in my backpack, meaning my spare clothes. I really need to think a bit more when conducting.
And how am I not sick now? Really? Oh well, works for me!