I Can't... I Have Rehearsal...... Again

I am taking what I consider to be a very big leap today - I am jumping back into the world of band! Have I had a change of heart and become a band director again? No, but I do think I am ready to step back into an activity that I haven't done in about 8 years - sitting and playing my clarinet in a band.  I have re-joined the Lee College Community Band, which I was a member of in the very early 2000's while I was in my last couple of years of high school. I am sure a lot has changed in it since then, and I probably won't know or recognize anyone, but performing in an ensemble is something I have always enjoyed and it is something that easily gets pushed to the side once you become a band director and all of your focus is on your own students. 

The Community Band, at least last time I was there, was technically a college course for the band students at Lee College, but it had the bonus of being open to the surrounding community, meaning that anyone who could play a band instrument and had a desire to perform could join. It was made up of college and high school students, local band directors, and area residents who may have once been any of the above. We performed several concerts each school year that were a mixture of traditional band literature and more of the "crowd favorite" type pieces so that there was something for everyone in the audience.

I haven't played my clarinet at all in the three years since I stopped teaching, so I dusted it off during the last couple of weeks and played a few times to try and get my chops back. How will tonight go? I have no idea. I hope I enjoy it as much as I am wanting to and that it is something I can do to maintain peace with my musical side. Rehearsals are 7-9 pm on Mondays and our first concert is November 20th at 2:30 pm. Hope to see you there!

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