Hey, Gang!
What a day!!!! A completely overwhelming, exhausing, invigorating, AMAZING day!! It started out with some breakfast and a LARGE coffee!! Then it was onto the shuttle bus and over to the conference. The building where the conference is located is immense. I've never been in a building this big before-- and it's crowded! Over 17,000 music teachers from all over the world are here! Once I was registered and got my official badge, I wandered into the vendor area. This is where music stores, publishers and entrepeneurs set up shop and want to share their ideas and products with you. I wandered around and looked at about a third of them and before I knew it two hours had flown by! But, I did get to meet Larry Clark (he wrote Pieces of Eight!) Here's the proof:
What a day!!!! A completely overwhelming, exhausing, invigorating, AMAZING day!! It started out with some breakfast and a LARGE coffee!! Then it was onto the shuttle bus and over to the conference. The building where the conference is located is immense. I've never been in a building this big before-- and it's crowded! Over 17,000 music teachers from all over the world are here! Once I was registered and got my official badge, I wandered into the vendor area. This is where music stores, publishers and entrepeneurs set up shop and want to share their ideas and products with you. I wandered around and looked at about a third of them and before I knew it two hours had flown by! But, I did get to meet Larry Clark (he wrote Pieces of Eight!) Here's the proof:
Then I went to a session to hear Michael Sweeney talk about how he writes music for middle school bands and what he things are his best pieces, as well as the best pieces from other composers. I was excited as he was listing them that we had played quite a few of them at SMS. Not a great photo, but here he is talking.
When I came out of that session, I stumbled across the INCREDIBLE Harry Waters playing in a jazz quartet. He is SO incredible... I took a few short videos that I'll share when I get back. Then it was off to hear an amazing High School band from Florida. Then after a few more sessions (one about teaching middle school band and one about teaching improvisation), a turkey panini and some wonderful conversations with some colleagues from Maine, it was time for the President's Own Marine Band. What a humbling experience....WOW! Just WOW!
After a shuttle ride back to the hotel, it was time for dinner. We made a long, COLD trek for pizza that was so good it was almost worth freezing half to death! We saw a gorgeous skyline when we crossed the water. Even though it was about two degrees and windy, it was too pretty to pass up a photo.
I am finally back to the hotel and ready to call it a day. I learned a ton today and, although it's incredibly overwhelming at times because there's so much to take in, I am so very grateful to be here and so grateful that I can share all of this with you when I get back next week.
I hope you are all having a great week and that you don't miss me TOO much! Have a great day!! Work hard and be good to each other.
--Mrs. Wise
I hope you are all having a great week and that you don't miss me TOO much! Have a great day!! Work hard and be good to each other.
--Mrs. Wise