The First Last

On past tours, I was sometimes frustrated by two or three night stays in one location; too many and they made me feel as though we weren’t making progress toward home. Our three night stay in Ann Arbor was quite welcome, though (even with less than stellar internet access). Tour is tour while you’re on it, regardless of length…the day-to-day aspects are tiring, and I suspect it won’t really feel shorter until we’re home.

Thursday was a run-out day – no boarding the bus until mid-afternoon. Our 60+ mile “run-out” was in Clinton Township, somewhere near Detroit. Chris and I prepared for the long drive by using our morning walk to go to a Trader Joe’s nearly three and a half miles from the hotel. The return drives from long run-outs usually involve food; the long trip and the calories expended during the concert make everyone noshy; Trader Joe’s carries a wide variety of somewhat healthy, out of the ordinary snacks. Everyone brings something to share.

With a day off in sight, the Band cheerfully suited up to give the audience a great show. Even when we’re tired, the merry anticipation of the audience will keep us going. Clinton Township was no different.

Friday stretched before me, free hours to fill as I wished. Michelle, Leslye, and Chris rented a car to drive to Interlochen for the day; we wouldn’t see them until the next hotel in Gaylord. (If Michelle or Leslye sends me an account of her time in Interlochen, I’ll post it – my first Guest Blogger!) My plan for the day was to find a way into downtown Ann Arbor to putter around, my ultimate goal being a specialty yarn store on Main Street.

As luck would have it, I found a ride from Matt, who was taking Kristin to the north campus. He dropped me off near Hill Auditorium, giving me brief instructions on how to make my way back by bus. It was too early for most stores to be open, but I found the Borders and wandered through the books happily for a little while before deciding to walk to Main Street.

Ann Arbor is full of eclectic shops and a multitude of galleries. I browsed through several glass galleries, thinking of Jamey and his love of art glass. I fell in love with an Arts and Crafts mantel clock that I had absolutely no place to put and therefore no reason to buy, thus saving myself a hefty hunk of change. I found another woman peering in the window at the yarn store – we were both disappointed to find it wouldn’t open until noon. I strolled up and down Main Street, wandering in and out of shops before parking myself in Starbucks (sorry Jenna!) to read and have a skinny chai latte.

I spent a very pleasant 90 minutes or so in the yarn store, exploring the sock yarns and needlework kits. I chatted with the woman at the counter as she unpacked a shipment of books, explaining some of the finer points of certain crochet books (she was a non-crocheting knitter). A couple pattern books and several skeins of yarn later, I left to find a late lunch. It was starting to drizzle, so I ate quickly and headed for the bus stop.

Matt’s instructions were somewhat incomplete, so after some trial and error I found myself on the right bus going back to the hotel. The walk back from the bus stop was cold and wet – the drizzle had become a steady rain. My pants and socks were thoroughly soaked; I would need to warm up and dry out before venturing out again.

The weather turned steadily worse, and the darkening gloom kept me indoors the rest of the day. The internet had ceased to function after the Clinton Township Concert, so little (okay, nothing) could be done on line. I finished one book and moved on to the next, making dinner in the room. I spent some time consolidating and repacking – replacing warm weather clothing with sweaters from the bus.

We said goodbye to Ann Arbor as we drove “up north” to Gaylord. The skies remained a persistent gray as the wind picked up and the temperatures dropped. Gaylord is one of the new opportunities with the shorter tour – we have fewer states to cover, so we have the time to travel into parts of the state never before reached by the Band.

The concert was a gym job in an unusual configuration. The eager sponsor welcomed us with fresh fruit and nibbles for intermission, and plenty of water to go around. I think the Band was as curious about the audience as the audience was about the band.

One of the biggest differences for me this tour is my music reading glasses – I don’t need regular reading glasses, but my glasses are for distance vision and don’t work for the short distance to the music stand. While I no longer have to worry about misreading accidentals, I can no longer clearly see the faces of the audience. I miss being able to see the smiles and nudges in the audience, or the pride on the faces of the veterans when their song is played.

In Gaylord, though, the audience was set up quiet close to the Band, with the patrons in wheel chairs in the first row. There was no mistaking the pride in the face and body language of the wheel chair bound Coast Guard Veteran who struggled to his feet with the help of his wife during the Coast Guard song – he barely made it upright before having to lower himself once again, while I blinked tears from my eyes. An elderly gentleman helped his wife from her wheel chair, untangling her oxygen lines, as they stood for the Marines’ Hymn. During God Bless America, I all but lost it as the audience rose to their feet to sing along; strangely, on this tour, the audience has stayed seated, with maybe one or two patrons singing softly. Most seemed content to sit back and enjoy the encore, listening to Sara. Ann Arbor was the only other audience to fully stand for God Bless America, singing loud enough for us to hear. Somehow, though, out here in Gaylord, a place we’d never yet performed, it meant more to see the audience come to their feet and sing with all their heart. It made every mile of the long, cold, drive worth it.

Our concert in Gaylord was our first “last” – last Saturday night concert. Today was our last Sunday matinee, in Muskegon. The hall was a beautiful old theater, home of the West Shore Symphony Orchestra, where Dave once played in his youth. Looking around the hall from the stage, I saw beautiful medallions and wonderful gilded paint work. Michelle pointed up to the blue-lit dome painted like the night sky and said, “It’s like Hogwarts!” The audience filled the hall to the top balcony, smiling and eager in their anticipation of the concert. With God Bless America ringing in our ears, we packed the trunks and loaded the buses for some rest and rejuvenation before facing the last five (and a half) days of Tour.

For more Band news, read here, here, and here.

Pride of the Wolverines

Played to yet another packed house, Tuesday’s concert in Kalamazoo was Program C, the seventh shot at “the note” for Michelle and I. We were rejoicing in the venue – it is so much easier to tune “the note” in a real hall. I love Gym Jobs, but when the piccolo and Eb are left hanging out to dry for nine high, slow, pianissimo measures, give me a real hall every time.

Special guests awaited us backstage. 14 year old Taylor Bratton, a young girl with many health conditions, was waiting anxiously to meet members of the Band. She spends many hours volunteering with wounded soldiers and is often in Washington, D.C. for her own medical treatment. An honorary Gunnery Sergeant, she has always wanted to hear the Band, but her treatment schedule has, until now, made it impossible.

In addition to her mother and brother, Taylor was accompanied by Corporal Dean Cugliotta, a Marine wounded in Iraq. Having separated from the Marine Corps, Cpl. Cugliotta is studying to become a nurse; unable to continue on active duty, he is choosing to serve in another capacity, caring for others like himself.

With the cold here to stay, not many were up and about when I left later than usual for my walk. The front desk provided a walking map with four choices of routes of different lengths. I chose the three mile route, knowing my late start would make time an issue in I wanted to stop at the interesting little food market we found the day before.

Showered and packed, I dodged my way through some sort of librarian (Music? No? I guess Jane won’t be here…) convention, I loaded the bus and walked briskly to the Kalamazoo Building. At the base stood a bank of mailboxes – I chose one and dropped in my absentee ballot.

Not much pomp and circumstance in voting absentee, I smiled as I remembered taking Jenna and Jamey with me to vote in 1992. Jenna was five and Jamey was one. All summer, Jenna (who, at age four, had carried a petition door to door with a friend) was surprisingly interested in politics and the workings of government. She watched the conventions on TV; masses of people, flags waving, bright lights and confetti.

Our polling place was down the street in a church at the edge of our neighborhood. On Election Day, I strapped Jamey in the stroller and took Jenna by the hand for the walk down the hill. Jenna chattered with excitement at being allowed to come along for my vote. We entered the lobby, signed in and entered the small curtained booth, where I made my selections a minute or less. As we walked back up the hill, Jenna had grown very quiet, her face serious as though pondering something of great importance. At the top of the hill she turned to me and said, “But Momma, where were all the people with the flags?” I always think of that whenever I vote, and I mentally wave a flag for Jenna.

There was a sense of anticipation during the drive to Ann Arbor. We’ll be here for three nights. Wednesday’s concert was in Hill Auditorium, a familiar spot for many Band Members. One of the best audiences yet, Sara had the audience in the palm of her hand. Early on I knew we would be playing an encore for this group. The energy level rose even higher when Sara introduced nine members of the Band as former Wolverines.

We’re in single digits now…only nine concerts left!

Many Miles

Rain tapped the windows of the bus, like tears falling from the sky, as though sensing my sadness at leaving Jenna and Evanston behind. It was wonderful to have some “found” time with my daughter, but time flew by so quickly – too quickly. Since our time together was short and minutes precious, I left my computer (and the Blog) at the hotel.

Many miles have passed since Wausau; I’ll do my best to catch up to the present.

17 October

Somewhere, USA

My favorite kind of Tour Stop is when we stay in the town instead of out on the strip. While stays on the strip have their high points, they often blend into one another, feeling a little like Anywhere, USA. Staying in town, however, feels like Somewhere, USA.

Fond du Lac is Somewhere; a Main Street with character, Mom and Pop eateries, unusual shops, and a personality.

It was trying hard to rain as we entered Fond du Lac. Ominous clouds hovered overhead, threatening to burst forth with a torrential downpour. My spirits picked up as I spotted coffee shops, antiques stores, a gloriously landscaped park, and a fiber store.

After a woodwind quintet rehearsal in the lounge (appropriately decorated with musical instruments and kindly offered by the front desk as rehearsal space), I went out to explore. I remembered Fond du Lac from the 2003 Tour and was happy to see it still seemed to be a thriving downtown; very few of the empty storefronts we’ve seen in other downtown areas.

I puttered in the gentle misting rain, wandering up and down the main street, eventually wandering into the fiber store. I enjoy the colors and textures in places like this. The owner was sitting at her loom, weaving damask dinner napkins.

After dinner (Room Food – tortellini, organic chicken breast, sun dried tomato in parmesan sauce…mmm); Michelle and decided to stay out of the drizzle and early dark. On the eighth floor, the room was quiet with little street noise. Out of the quiet I heard drums and then the sounds of a marching band. Looking out the window, I saw a street parade passing in front of the hotel.

Grabbing cameras, we raced for the stairs. Fortunately, the elevator was waiting. We missed the band, but caught the end of the Homecoming Parade. (My pictures didn’t come out well, but other Band Members promised to send me photos.) The poor students looked miserable, riding in the chilly drizzle. Chris, Pat, and Harry cheered them on, calling out the names written on each car; the students smiled and waved, perking up at the sound of their names.

The concert was held in a basketball arena, pretty much filled to the rafters and across the floor. One of our larger groups of Marine Corps League members sat in the front row, snapping to attention for the Colonel and Major, crisply saluting during the anthem. This crowd was working hard to earn their encore that night.

18 October

On to Illinois

Departure from Fond du Lac was early – we had a lot of miles to cover and a chance to check in before a very early run-out departure. I spent a good deal of my ride fielding phone calls from home as unexpected events unfolded in Annapolis. Arriving in Evanston early (and only a few minutes behind Jenna’s return from Great Lakes Naval Station), I time to kill before Jenna would be able to come to the hotel after her lesson. I picked up dinner for the ride to Frankfort, and she made it in plenty of time for the long drive down.

Long lines awaited us in Frankfort; the sponsors added an overflow room to hold as many as three or four hundred people to watch the concert on a video feed. With the number of Band Members from this part of the country, family members are starting to appear in the audience. Jay’s Mom, Mark’s Mom, Roger’s niece – it’s as close to the family visits of stand down most people will get.

Returning to Evanston, Jenna and I made a brief stop in my room to pick up my overnight tote and some laundry before heading to her house/apartment for the night. Taking our time Sunday morning, we wandered out for breakfast and shopping. A quick lunch before the concert and then off to Pick-Staiger.

Pick-Staiger is familiar to most band members – on previous tours it has been our home-away-from-home for stand down (the first ever band stand down was here). The Band has a pretty strong connection with Northwestern; the trumpet section is sprinkled with alumni as well as other sections. The audience held some familiar faces beyond family. Both John Hagstrom and Tage Larsen (former members of the band now in the Chicago Symphony) came to the edge of the stage at intermission.

20 October

Time to Say Goodbye

Monday morning found us at Regenstein for another TAD. A little miscommunication regarding room assignments for the multiple performances and master classes was eventually sorted out. Our woodwind quintet played in the instrument storage room directly off the band offices. Our audience was small, but the esteemed Walfrid Kujala, piccolo extraordinaire formerly of the Chicago Symphony attended. He remembered the flute section taking him to lunch during a previous Tour; it was delightful to see him again. I only wish time and circumstances had allowed us to have lunch once more, or maybe even a lesson.

Back at the hotel I packed quickly and loaded the bus to be able to spend the last precious minutes with Jenna once she was out of class and had to be at the next one. Our time together was all too short, but I remind myself I am lucky – if I was on Home Guard, I wouldn’t see her until Thanksgiving, maybe even Christmas.

The weather and my mood didn’t improve on the drive to Warsaw. The dreariness of the drive didn’t sit well with my stomach, so I curled up in my seat and huddled under the blanket. We were warmly welcomed, though, with wonderful Midwestern hospitality. We played the B Program for the packed Warsaw audience. The generosity of the sponsor and the enthusiasm of the audience was what we needed after the moodiness of the departure from Evanston.

21 October

Onwards and Upwards

Fall arrived with a vengeance; we woke to frosty, crisp temperatures. Michelle and I followed the directions given by the front desk through a less than pedestrian friendly area to find the Lake Winona Greenway, a wonderful trail along the lake and through the forest. Sculptures and benches appeared at intervals along the trail, winding through the woods and crossing marked hiking trails. We have been lucky to find so many well kept trails on this tour.

The itinerary told us we had a mere 85 or so miles to drive to get to Kalamazoo. I picked up my crochet project (or should I say Kira’s crochet project – hi, Kira!), but soon had to put it down when we seemed to make a turn every mile or so. I finally asked Mark if we were driving in circles. Apparently there isn’t a direct route to Kalamazoo from Warsaw; we were working our way around a large lake.

I took down the coats hanging in my window to watch the scenery roll by. We were in Amish Country, and the farms were plentiful. Growing up, fields of corn or wheat would stretch endlessly, as far as the eye could see. Few trees were found on the farms, mostly sheltering the houses or lining a creek bed. Here the farms were broken into smaller, rolling fields, edged with windbreaks of trees. The foliage is peaking here, with brilliant scarlet and flame orange crowding the last of the green trees. The crisp blue sky was the perfect backdrop, the cold sun casting shadows across lush green fields. Traffic slowed for the occasional horse and buggy on the narrow roads; life is a slower tempo here.

Fireworks!

Educational Outreach has become an important part of our concert tours, more so with the absence of Stand Down. Most mornings a few members of the Band are found waiting in the lobby for transportation to a local school or university to conduct a master class or perform in a chamber ensemble. Given the Super Sponsor we had in the Wausau area, multiple groups gathered in the lobby only to disperse to a variety of locations. Jay parked in the lobby early to coordinate groups with hosts, making sure everyone departed safely.

Michelle and I were part of a small group headed to Rothschild Elementary School. Our PTAD was unique in that we would be performing in uniform for an audience of school children, newspaper reporters, and television cameras. More of a mini-MITS program, we were using Monday’s State Dinner to illustrate our relationship with the President and the White House.

Teachers chose three students for us, to play the part of President Bush, Mrs. Laura Bush, and the Prime Minister of Italy, the guest of honor for the State Dinner. Andy led our quirky little group (piccolo, oboe, clarinet, trumpet, and bass trombone) in 4 Ruffles and Flourishes. Mr. Foreman, the principal, read the official announcement; on cue, we played Hail to the Chief as our guest participants entered from a side door, walking across the front of the gym, waving to their classmates.

Michelle, Joe, and I played three short pieces, introducing our instruments in between pieces, demonstrating sound production. Andy and Daniel followed suit with a mini brass class, and we ended with a question and answer session. One of the first questions was a request to play the National Anthem; happy to oblige, our little flea band belted it out as the students stood tall.

The enthusiastic response we received was overwhelmed by the response to Mr. Foreman’s offer of an extra recess for their good behavior. We met the teachers and staff in the lounge for a brief reception before heading back to the hotel to change and load the buses.

After a few arena and gym jobs, we were delighted to find ourselves performing in Appleton’s Fox Cities Performing Arts Center. Tonight’s concert was the A Program; I was looking forward to being able to hear better. I had fun with La Fiesta in the hall; my top notes popped easily, the sound soaring up to the third balcony (which was full, by the way – the floor seating, the loge, and three balconies were easily filled). It was the perfect place for Sara’s vocal, the Bolero from Verdi’s Sicilian Vespers. Most fun, though was her encore, There Won’t Be Trumpets. Betsy calls it my Peepo Piece (as in Peepo the Piccolo from Tubby the Tuba); I get to play all the trumpets fanfares in the piccolo stratosphere. Tons of fun!

The humorous highlight of the concert came during Stravinsky’s Fireworks. Near the end of the work, Major Fettig’s baton caught his sleeve during a cue, breaking the shaft near the grip. The audience burst into laughter. Taking his bow, the Major smiled sheepishly at the audience and tossed the rest of the baton to the stage floor, bringing more laughter from the audience.

Turning Toward Home

It can be a little difficult getting back into the Tour Groove following a Maintenance Day; Tuesday morning, after all the text messages rolled in, it seemed I was walking alone.

The path along the lake shore was filled with students jogging, walking to class, or biking. I scuffed along, kicking up leaves, stopping here and there to take photos. I could almost envy the students living in the dorms along the lakeside – winter must be a different story, though.

All good things must come to an end, though, and soon we were back on the highway, heading north to colder temperatures. The sky was overcast and rain threatened; by the time we arrived in Eau Claire, jackets and fleeces were making an appearance. It was a night for soup in the room.

The second leg of Tour started with the C program, just like the beginning of Tour. The venue was an Arena; Michelle and I looked at each other, reading each other’s mind. The last note on The Perfect Fool would be what it would be – there’s only so much you can do in an Arena.

The audience more than made up for the venue – once again the level of enthusiasm gave the Band a burst of needed energy. I imagine the Colonel welcomed it – he spent his Maintenance Day back in Washington handling all the details involved in a State Dinner before stepping back into Tour.

Morning brought cloudy skies and wet pavement. By the time I headed to the lobby to see if anyone was up for our regular 0800 walk, the rain had stopped. We were fortunate in more ways than one; Eau Claire boasted a beautiful trail following the river.

Today we traveled in an easterly direction – we’ve made the Turn Around! The general direction of Tour now takes us a little closer to home each day.

The concert in Weston was a repeat sponsor and venue from our 2003 Tour. DC Everest Area School District is our Super Sponsor; the concert was “Sold Out”. Arriving at the concert site, the line to enter went from one end of the building to the other – the police officers on patrol had to clear a path so the Band could make their way to the stage door.

The 7:30 concert start time was delayed at least ten minutes; the line was now around the building. Every available seat filled, the applause was thunderous as we came out on stage. Fortunately for the crew, the high school band members were on hand to assist with security at the stage’s perimeter.

Intermission was extended to twenty minutes to accommodate the feast provided by the sponsor. We had received a similar treat five years ago; it is an amazing gesture on the part of our sponsors, and greatly appreciated.

Thursday’s concert marks the half-way point (intermission, to be exact!) of Tour. Normally, we would just be approaching Stand-Down, ready for a rest and anxious for a change of music. We’re moving into different territory now – the old “normal” no longer applies. It will be interesting to see what the next week brings.