I’m in Athens, Georgia, having arrived last night. My friend and colleague, John Lynch, who is the Director of Bands here at the University of Georgia, invited me here this weekend as a guest conductor for JanFest. This program brings together 1500 local students for three days of rehearsals and concerts.
The Classic Center, Convention Center
There are 10 featured local high school bands playing on programs scheduled througout the weekend. In addition, there are 8 honor bands, consisting of students selected from around the area. I’m guest conducting one of these honor bands.
The first rehearsal this morning started out a bit chaotically, but with good reason. At the last minute, my rehearsal site was changed to a different room. Although I have an undergrad assigned to me to manage the group, plus a percussion coordinator, it was daunting to set up a rehearsal for a 160-piece band, get them into seats, distribute music, and start as close to “on time” at 10:00 am as possible. Somehow, I managed to do this by 10:05 am.
I pushed the group through all four works in 100 minutes (LaPlante – In the Forest of the King, Williams – Symphonic Dance #3, Cross – Tribute, Sousa – Gallant Seventh). It was a challenge because everyone was sight-reading — yikes! I have three more rehearsals (one today, two tomorrow), plus a warmup on Sunday before the concert.
Sobering, for sure!
I enjoy this kind of work. The kids are great, come from top-notch programs in the Atlanta area, and so far they are working very hard. It’s definitely a challenge, and very different from the county/region/area all-state groups I’ve done in the past.
When I came out of the first rehearsal, I saw the sign indicating “Ebersole Band” on the Ballroom door. To say this was sobering is an understatement. I’m looking forward to hearing some of these groups. I already met three of the other honor band conductors, all grads of the UT grad conducting program, and we had a very nice time at dinner last evening. I’m sure everyone will have their own “war stories” when we catch up later.
Thanks to Dr. Lynch for inviting me! We’ll see how the rehearsals progress to day leading up the concert.
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