10/19/18 The New And Improved Bari Sax Demi-God Gave Us A Performance?

    Tonight was the fall recital for the junior high bands at Bedichek Middle School and although Javalina considers himself a total jock, we are telling him to stay with the band just a little bit longer, just in case he changes his mind.  I don't really see that happening as even in the band hall he was taunting a 7th grader who plays football and trying to get him to "go", with his cheesy "come at me Bro!" line.  He says because he was much bigger than the 7th grader, he backed off.  I know this is borderline bully tactics, but he swears he only does it with the football players and it is all in playing.
    As far as the recital goes, I still don't see a need for the three bands.  The first band had maybe 10 kids which isn't much of an "orchestra".  The second band was decent and I can tell they are playing more challenging music than in their first year.  This year, we got to hear about 6-7 kids play alone just a little bit of their challenging district/regional music.  Instead of doing it like we used to do it in which everybody went and competed against other schools in the district, these guys have a choice if they want to compete.  Only a few kids want to take a shot at solo competition, which I think is a shame.  How do you know if you are any good if you don't put yourself out there once in a while?
    I think they should adjust and keep the three bands but make one a "jazz band".  I could even see the overabundance of clarinet players being helpful by playing old timey 1940's style jazz that focused on the clarinet before the soothing sound of the sax took its place.  I'm not even saying this for the benefit of my son, we just always had a jazz/stage band and you had to compete to get on it.  Being on it guaranteed you would get some solo time which I always thought was fun.
    Anyways, we ended the night by going to eat at Don Dario's, which we hadn't gone to in a long time because the live mariachi music is almost annoying.  They blast the trumpet full volume and the venue is not that big, it just tears through your soul.  Javalina was enjoying it though, to our surprise.  One lady a couple tables over even got up and danced with the guys, but I think she was just a little drunk.  It was a fun night overall.  Wife was in town, Boy arrived just as the bands were starting so we were all in attendance.  Boy did not join us, he went to study, he is in the middle of midterm exams, I think.  Javalina, Wife and I went to eat afterwards and got home by 8:40pm.  I took a pretty good nap and then went into work to make up the hours I have been at the football games, but now it is weekend time.