Recently I travelled to UNK for a drumline camp. It was for high school kids but Schnoor (UNK band director) said he’d like it if some incoming freshman came. Along with me there were 3 incoming and all were good. However the camp was boring. Tap and accents was all it really seemed to be, on top of that most of the kids weren’t very good. I’m sorry but they just couldn’t play, which was good that they were at the camp, but for how easy everything was I thought it should be very clean. There were 18 snares and of course nothing can be THAT clean but for the stuff we were playing it seemed like it should be.

I was so thankful that the other incoming freshman were good, and certainly capable of much more than the music at the camp. They had UNK drumline guys there and when one of them gave us a break to work on some music 2 of the freshman and I played through it and it was very refreshing to play something clean. I was thankful that out of the 18 person snare line that 2 were capable of playing well with each other and someone else.

It also made me thankful of the instructors I’ve had. Heath and Dan have been great. They gave me the tools to become good and now confindently trying out for drum and bugle corps. Most of the kids hadn’t had an instructor, ever. They just had there band director and unless he or she has been on a drumline, he or she doesn’t know much. The “clinician” there was Chad Scharf, he is the band director out at Lexington and is also a drummer. I had someone tell me once that, “No offense, but I don’t think that a drummer would be a very good band director because all he knows is percussion.” Not true, even at the drumline camp Chad would talk of some very musical ideas. Besides no matter what kind of music educator you want to be you take all the classes a woodwind or brass player would. I nearly tested out of Theory 1 at UNK, and I drum and sing.

And in case you haven’t seen Lexington’s band, they’re good. I saw them at Harvest of Harmony last year and they were among the best, not bad for a drummer, and its not just the drumline, of course I’m biased but the brass and woodwinds were quite exceptional. Hopefully I can become as talented as Chad Scharf has in instructing a high school drumline AND band.

Esprit de Corps! Kickin' it!

This Friday I am leaving on tour with Esprit, an absolutely amazing singing/drama team based out of Berean Church in Lincoln, and I am sooooooooo excited.

We will be traveling around the middle part of Nebraska and then we drive down and perform in St. Louis for a couple days. I'm so eager to just spend time with all the AWESOME kids involved in this ministry and the time in devotions with God. I plan on growing in many, many ways.

All of the kids in Esprit are in high school or recently just graduated (like me), and you're normal high school kids may be stereotypical and judgemental. These kids are not, it's so nice to be with a group of people that are so accepting and understanding of you. The only thing wrong with it is I haven't done in the past few years. My aunt does all the music stuff, so it's not like I just didn't know. If I would have known that it would be a part of such a dedicated, motivated, and talented group I would have done it the past couple years.

I would have to say that singing wise, this is the best group I've ever been a part of. Sure, I've been in high school choir and we did have some pretty talented groups, but this is insane! Usually in your normal high school choirs you have certain kids who just cannot sing. That's not an issue in Esprit. EVERYONE can sing and are able to at a high level.

Now during the school year I sang bass in choir. When I came to try out for Esprit my aunt Carey agreed with me that I was more of a baritone. She said she did not care what I sang. First rehearsal came along and I tried my luck at tenor, I had sang tenor my first 2.5 years in high school and I forgot how cool it was. But there was something else I found interesting...

If anything I'm a low tenor, I've never been known for a high range and being able to wail way up there and tear it up as some tenors do, but as I've been singing tenor with Esprit I've learned that when I don't think about the notes and just worship, I can hit any note I want. It's not an issue at all. In our closer, Make Some Noyz, the opening statement starts high immediately. It's unison with the girls and is in the range of high C to high G and I have absolutely no problem if I just let it rip and worship the Lord. It feels so good!

So, that's it for a while. I'll be on tour, hanging out and praising for a whole week. I am so pumped! See you on the 12th!