 As a classroom teacher and a marching band instructor I have the opportunity to get to know over 300 high school students each year. It is no wonder that every time I go to get coffee, I run into a parent who knows me by name and who thinks that I know which student(s) they belong to! The average adult does not get to work with the future leaders of our businesses and government on a day to day basis like I do, but I know first-hand that the future is bright. Many adults might criticize "Generation Y" for being lazy, acting entitled, or twittering/facebooking too much, but there are some great kids out there with caring hearts and stellar work ethics.
I attend church at Northview Church, a very contemporary church in Carmel, Indiana. (Northview's Website) We have recently opened up a new worship space and had the Grand Opening services this past weekend. Our new auditorium is the closest thing to the American Idol stage here in the Midwest. About a month ago Scott McCormick (President/CEO of Music For All - and fellow Northview member) received an email asking if he thought he could find a marching band to help create a festive mood for the opening weekend. Mr. McCormick talked to me and I said, "I think I can make it happen." What I didn't realize at the time is that making it happen was far less me and far more the efforts of some amazing kids and parents. All I had to say was "this is a really neat opportunity for the band program" and "your community needs your help" and immediately a bunch of kids signed up. Next: A series of fortunate events... I was looking through our pep band folder and realized we had the perfect song - a great Hal Leonard arrangement of "Livin' on a Prayer" (By Bon Jovi), our uniform mom goes to Northview and volunteered to re-fit all the students in uniforms they had not worn in 5 months, the drumline was "all in", and Chris Kreke (Carmel director and Dynamic Marching Professional Consultant) helped out by rehearsing the volunteers from the band on the chart. We had a rehearsal at church Thursday night, and 5 band moms showed up to help and already had the uniforms at church ready to go!  The service went down like this: Matt Bays, our worship pastor, welcomed the people and during his welcome he was interrupted by our Drum Major, Kristin Pileri. At that point he asked the crowd if it was "OK if the Carmel Marching Band played with the worship band?" The crowd was surprised when she blew her whistle (a nod to people's traditional preconceptions of drum major-ing), and the drum line came out on stage rocking to Michael McIntosh's "Street Beat". Then, the band came up from the basement in full uniform and marched down the aisles and up onto the stage playing Bon Jovi (shattering people's preconceptions of what church music is!). Paul Murtha's arrangement even has a great traditional marching band ending. "Off and down!" The lead pastor, Steve Poe, remarked to the audience, “Every Grand Opening should have a marching band!” Wouldnt we all agree? (I do. As long as I don’t have to coordinate ALL of them!)
The kids gave four performances over Saturday and Sunday. In between services, the kids were hidden in the "green room" so that when they came out it would be a surprise. In the green room they had some rest, card games, and lots of food. It was definitely a “God Thing”, like my wife always says. I was blown away by the sacrifice of time that the kids and parents made. It really makes me optimistic about the future when I see kids give so selflessly and act so professionally. Big thank you's go out to all the student performers (especially Kristen), Mrs. Breeden, Mr. and Mrs. Pfister, Mrs. Ravenna, Mrs. Vazquez, Mr. Pileri, Mrs. Meyer, Mrs. Smith, Matt Bays, Greg Wallace, Scott McCormick, Steve Butler, Jason Chapman, Lauren Welty, Steve Poe, KPaul Maurer, Diane Sebastian, Chris Kreke, Andy Cook, Justin Long, Jared Long, Michael McIntosh, Mike Pote, Richard Saucedo, and on and on! |
