Panther Creek Band Director's Blog

All-District Band

2012-01-26T18:21:00.002-05:00

Congratulations to the following students for making All-District Band:

Regina W., Oboe 1st chair 11/12 Wind Ensemble - All-State eligible!
Isabelle H., Bassoon 2nd chair 9/10 Wind Ensemble
Ben S., Horn 6th Chair 9/10 Wind Ensemble
Drew L., Trombone 1st chair Symphonic Band
Jonathan M., Trombone 4th Chair Symphonic Band,

Callum R.,Trombone 6th chair Symphonic Band
Chris S., Trumpet 1st chair 9/10 Wind Ensemble - All-State eligible!
Matt H. Trumpet 13th chair Symphonic Band
Meghna S., Clarinet 5th chair 9/10 Wind Ensemble - All-State eligible!
Michael C., Clarinet 8th chair 9/10 Wind Ensemble
#61, Clarinet 2nd chair Symphonic Band
Jim L., Clarinet 14th chair Symphonic Band
David S., Tuba 1st alternate

The students will be going to All-District this weekend. Those who would like to see the concert are welcome to attend. The concert is on Saturday at Sanderson high school.

Good luck to all those who made all district!

Band Camp!

2011-07-27T17:24:00.005-04:00

We had a great first day of camp. It was hot, but we managed to get a full work out on the field. Tomorrow we will continue to develop technique and muscle memory. Get lots of protein, water and sleep!

Squad/Section Leader meeting tomorrow

2011-07-24T19:50:00.003-04:00

Here we go! We have our leadership meeting tomorrow at 9:00am. We will go over many of the details of band camp as well as get the room/field and equipment ready. The meeting will last until 11:00am and then we will begin to get the music/drill/field and equipment ready.

Start Drinking Water!!!

2011-07-22T12:30:00.002-04:00

Hydration should be a 24 hour process for an
athlete.

Prevention:
• Drink 17-20 ounces of water 2-3 hours
before exercise
• Drink an additional 7-10 ounces of
water 10-20 minutes before exercise
Water should be consumed before and after
exercise. Sports drinks, like Gatorade, should
be consumed during exercise to replenish
electrolytes.

Fluid Replacement:
• Drink enough fluids to replace any
weight loss within two hours of
completion of activity
• Fluid replacement should be at a rate
of 24 ounces for every pound of body
weight lost after exercise.

Urine color is an easy method to determine
hydration status. Light yellow to clear urine
indicates a well-hydrated athlete. Yellow, dark,
or brownish urine indicates dehydration.

Back from the Beach

2011-06-28T10:37:00.007-04:00

Were are back from the beach. Had a great time. Now I am turning my attention to the show and planning on making this the best season we have had.

We have posted the music for the 3rd movement. This will be the most technically difficult music in our show. Begin practicing it slowly and work towards memorization. I hope to have the opener online sometime next week.

I would like to have a squad/section/captain leader meeting on Monday 7/25, 9:00am to set-up the band room and field.

If you have not reserved your DCI tickets please do so asap. I set this trip up first and foremost for the new students (rookies). The social interaction and connections are a big part of what we do.

Keep in touch with the website and weekly band booster updates. 30 days and counting!

Clean Storage room

2011-06-13T15:59:00.002-04:00

We all owe Jon M. a huge "thank you" for coming in today and cleaning this room. I havn't seen this floor since band camp.

Goodbye Seniors!

2011-06-11T19:02:00.009-04:00

Seniors, Thank you for the best four years any band director could ask for. Please come back and visit! You don't have to wait until your a billionaire, if fact September 24th would be a good day. Have a great summer. Be safe and Congratulations!

Graduation

2011-06-11T18:58:00.004-04:00

Thank you band for a great performance tonight at Graduation. You were all very professional. Have a great summer!

Flat Jon visits the Band Office

2011-06-11T18:53:00.003-04:00

Student Teacher Flat Jon visits the band office one more time before leaving on summer break.

Swing Dance!

2011-03-11T20:27:00.003-05:00

We have over 100 students here dress in their best 1940's atire learning to Swing Dance from one of Raleigh's Music and Dance Instruction, Inc. and to the music of the Panther Creek Jazz Ensemble and "Durham Jazz".

Pre-MPA

2011-03-11T20:22:00.002-05:00

We had a great night at our Pre-Music Performance Adjudication last night! We had 7 bands from Apex, Green Hope and Panther Creek perform for three judges. Arris Golden, Tony Granados and Russell Knight. Each band had a performance with comments and a 30 minute clinic with one of our judges. I was really proud of our performances! I want to give a big thank you to our parents for their support!

All-District Results

2011-01-17T10:31:00.002-05:00

Congratulations to all of the students that went to the auditions this past Saturday.

Panther Creek placed 14 students into this years band!

All-District Update

2011-01-07T14:44:00.003-05:00

Due to In climate weather the CDBA All-District Auditions has been postponed to January 15th. We will follow the same auditions times next Saturday. Unfortunately if you have a prior commitment for the 15th you will have to make a choice. On a positive note you have another week that you were probably hoping for.

All-District Auditions

2011-01-04T09:16:00.002-05:00

Good luck to all of our students auditioning for CDBA All-District Band this weekend. We have 46 students pre-registered. So much of what we do in band is We/Us. This is a great opportunity for students to test themselves on an individual basis. This is also a great risk by steping out and tesing yourself amoungst your peers. We wish you all the best and I know that regardles of the results you will have learned a great deal.

Far better is it to dare mighty things, to win glorious triumphs even though checkered by failure than to take rank with those poor spirits who neither enjoy much nor suffer much because they live in the grey twilight that knows neither victory nor defeat.
Theodore Roosevelt

You miss 100% of the shots you never take.
Wayne Gretzky

New Music Listening Assignment

2011-01-03T16:01:00.002-05:00

I am listening to a lot of new music for us to consider. I thought it might be good for you to join me. I have listed them by NC State Grade level. You can find Youtube recordings of most of these. Send me an email or a note with you thoughts. No extra credit I'll just like you more than the rest.

Grade VI
Year of the Dragon, Sparke
Dance Movements, Sparke
English Dances I, Arnold
Symphony for Band, Persichetti
Harrison's Dream, Graham
Trittico, Nelhybel
Symphonic Movement, Nelhybel
Toccata Marziale, Williams

Grade V
Ricochet, O'Laughlin
Undertow, Mackey
Yosemite Autumn, Camphouse
Dancing at Stonehenge, Suter
Be thou my vision, Gillingham

Grade IV
Among the Clouds, Balmages
Currents, Smith
Mountain Dance, Kiefer
Not Afraid to Dream, Balmages
Tell Tale Heart, Clark

Let me know if there are others that you find along the way that you would like for me to listen to.

Lockers

2011-01-03T15:53:00.003-05:00

Thank you to the seven band students that came in on Friday 12/31 and cleaned the band room! We need for everyone to do the following with their lockers.

Label your locker

purchase and use a lock

turn in your combination for to me.

Thanks

Fruit Sale

2010-12-13T07:20:00.010-05:00

The Fruit Sale went very well this past Thursday. The truck showed up an hour early and we had a great crew of five unload the first section of the truck. Thank you to everyone that had a hand in the organizing, selling buying and distributed.

Panther Creek Invitational 2010

2010-10-11T10:01:00.007-04:00

Thank you to all of the Parent Volunteers, Alumni, Students and Staff that PCI 2010 one of the best yet. Thank you for remembering that first and foremost this event is about creating a positive experience for the bands and their families.

It was a great day with hot, but dry weather. We hosted a record 18 bands on campus. The big thank you needs to go to the outstanding PCI board members and the PCI Chairman Don Fisher. I am again reminded what amazing, dedicated parents we have at Panther Creek.

Football Friday

2010-08-20T22:55:00.009-04:00

Great crowd, great weather. What more can you ask. The band sounded great or loud both were fine. Heres to the begining of another great season. Thank you to all of the fantastic Chaperones/pit crew for all you do to make us look great!

2010-08-20T22:55:00.002-04:00

We were treated to a fantastic leadership workshop with one of the best leadership teachers in the country. We had a great time as we learned some outstanding principles.
We will not forget why we take/teach band:
1. The more you do, the more you get, the more you give!
2. win/win
3. Never quit until its perfect.

Band Camp is over

2010-08-13T14:33:00.017-04:00

Thank you to all of the great Parents, Staff and students on another great start to a great season! This is the largest Panther Creek Band at 161 and certainly my largest band. It will take a great effort from all of us to maintain high standards and a tight knit band family. I am excitted about our potential!

Pit Crew Hard at work

2010-08-13T14:18:00.011-04:00

Marching Band has not officially begun until props are being built.

Thank You to the Smith family and all of the parents, students and company employees that helped in building our props.

I especially love the attention to detail and artistic approach! And the red eyes...more red eyes.

Message for all from Jon

2010-07-19T12:24:00.006-04:00

You should be drinking a 1/2 to 1 gallon of water a day. You should try to eliminate caffeinated drinks and soda for the next week and a half.

You should also start stretching their muscles every morning. Vets should know our routine. Rookies need to do arm and leg stretches (Common ones from gym class). If they don't bother hydrating or stretching now, then they will be HURTING come that first day. We are hitting the ground running with technique...-Jon

Band Camp is coming 13 days and counting!

2010-07-15T19:22:00.007-04:00

I hope everyone is rested and ready to get going. It's not to soon to start walking and drinking water.

We are having a PCI meeting tonight making plans for another great competition.

Please pass the word that we will be updating the directors blog and website changes more frequently to get the ball rolling. We are in need of parent chaperones for band camp. Please let us know if you can take a day off and help us during camp. You can send me an email if you are interested.

Let the summer vacation begin!

2010-06-11T16:28:00.004-04:00

We had a great day of cleaning and inventory. I want to thank the excellent crew that came in today and worked very hard. We got everything done on my list! I really appreciate the time.

Sarah, Nick, Olivia, Evyn, Katie, Nick, Sarah...not pictured: Layton, Nick S., Scott R., Christian, Harris, Greg, and Eric! sorry if I left anyone out so many had to come and go. I hope everyone has a great summer and comes back with tons of energy. Remember it's not too late to start drinking your water!

Music Performance Assessment 2010

2010-03-26T09:09:00.006-04:00

MPA (formerly known as State Festival, previously known as State Contest) was this week. Both Panther Creek Bands performed well.

The Symphonic Band (97 members) played literature from the Grade V list: Allied Honor, King; The Witch and the Saint, Reineke; and Sun Dance, Ticheli. They received an overall superior rating (I, I, II). They also received a superior in sight-reading.

The Wind Symphony (64 memebrs) played from the Grade VI list: Mercury, Van Der Roost; Symphony #2, Chance; and Mannin Veen, Wood. They received straight superior ratings (I, I, I). They also received a superior in sight-reading.

I am very proud of the work the kids put into the preparations for these performances. Thank you to all of the parent chaperones that took off work and helped us out.

Indoor

2010-03-25T10:27:00.002-04:00

We have had an outstanding indoor season with both our indoor color guard and percussion. Both groups will be attend AIA championships this weekend. They have put in countless hours preparing these top level shows. We are very proud of them and our Staff. We'll get some pictures up soon.

Clinicians

2010-03-25T10:22:00.002-04:00

We have had a very busy season getting ready for State Festival (MPA). Both our Symphonic Band and Wind Symphony performed at a Pre-Festival Concert at Green Hope High School. We received expert clinics from Tom Jenner and Tony Granados. The Wind Symphony has also benefitted from clinics from Dr. Evan Feldman - UNC Chapel Hill and Dr. Paul Garcia - NC State University.

Swing Dance

2010-03-25T10:11:00.009-04:00

Yes, Band students can dance (or at least most of them). Regardles of the talent level we had a great time! We were lucky to get Debbie Ramsey from the Music and Dance Studios (http://www.musicanddance.com/) come and teach us the basics of swing dance )(rock step, step step...). Then we enjoyed practicing our new moves to the Panther Creek Jazz Band and the Durham Jazz Orchestra! We gave away prises for Best Dancing and Best Costumes. Too much fun.

Jazz Ensemble

2010-03-25T10:05:00.003-04:00

Congratulations to our Jazz Ensemble and our Jazz Combo for their outstanding performances at the UNC Jazz Festival. Our Groups performed for several clinicians including: Jason Foureman, Jason Marsalis and Ivan Renta. We had several students selected as Outstanding performers of the day: Xavier Daughtry - tenor sax; Nic Servideo - bass; Nick Murphy - guitar; Josh Studdard - trumpet. Next up for the Jazz Band will be State Festival in May.

All-State Band

2010-03-07T20:07:00.004-05:00

Congratulations to Cameron Cobb (Tuba, 4th chair 11/12), Jack Hu (Clarinet, 18th chair 11/12) and Julia Shen (Clarinet, 17th chair 9/10) for making the 2010 North Carolina Honors Band!

Drum Circle with Matt Savage

2010-01-29T15:40:00.004-05:00

We had a great day with djembes and Matt Savage. Drum Circle!!! It's always rewarding for me to see the band students from a different perspective. Assessing skills of communication, leadership and community. Matt does a great job of making it fun. It's like blending carrots into the spaghetti sauce, they don't even know they're getting the good stuff.

All-District Band

2010-01-29T15:29:00.004-05:00

We are very proud of the 13 students from Panther Creek that made the 2010 All-District Band. Five are eligible for All-State Honors Band auditions in March.

Danny - Flute
Bethany - Bassoon
Jack - Clarinet
Christopher - Clarinet
Julia - Clarinet
Jim - Clarinet
Jae - Clarinet
Sarah - Clarinet
Joseph - Bass Clarinet
Nicole - Horn
Nick - Trombone
Drew - Trombone
Cameron - Tuba

12/12/09 Cary Parade

2009-12-22T17:10:00.004-05:00

Cary Parade was great! Wall to wall people and beautiful weather. I really enjoy the warm up area where all the bands get to see each other up close.

12/5/09 Apex Parade

2009-12-22T16:32:00.006-05:00

Great Parade! We always enjoy this parade... tons of friends and parents. It is so important for us to give back to the communities that support us. Great turnout considering the weather. We were just a few degrees from some snow.

11/7/09 USSBA

2009-12-22T16:21:00.006-05:00

This was a great trip and one of my favorite memories fro 24 years of teaching band!

We had no idea that we would finish 3rd place. I am so proud of this band, our students, parents and staff! We're having way too much fun.

Last Home Game Post Game Performance

2009-12-22T16:03:00.004-05:00

I love our stand still performances of our show...especially with a little edge to the sound. Not this much edge...my ears are still ringing.

11/6/09 Senior Night

2009-12-22T15:31:00.005-05:00

Our seniors were treated to a great dinner at Daniels and a night of celebration. We are going to miss their talent and leadership.

Evening Practices

2009-12-22T14:56:00.006-05:00

Some of my best memories from marching band would have to come from the evening rehearsals.

My favorite was the evening rehearsal in our stadium!

10/17/09 Sanderson Competition

2009-12-22T14:27:00.008-05:00

It wet with a forcast of getting wetter. We were very glad that we were able to perform both PreLims and Finals.

Drying feathers by the warm-up field lights... It worked!

We could have never predicted that we would make finals more or less win Grand Champions at the Capitol City Band Expo!

We were very happy...

Cowboy Coffee!!

2009-12-22T14:18:00.005-05:00

We have great pit crew parents who have taken the craft of moving equipment and married it to the art of tailgating.

From designing to building to moving sets... First Class All the Way!

10/17/09 Fuquay Varina Competition

2009-12-22T14:03:00.006-05:00

Panther Creek's 1st Grand Champion Trophy.

This Trophy now becomes the standard by which we measure all future drum majors.

Even though we finished the entoire show we still have not had the time to clean the jazz run!

It was a great night for PC.

Home Game vs Green Hope

2009-12-22T13:52:00.004-05:00

Homecoming Game! 1st time we performed the entire show at home. I enjoy the home games. We need to work on playing more in the stands. Still I enjoy watching the band have fun, especially when Taffrey does his dance.

Wakefield Competition

2009-12-22T12:56:00.003-05:00

This was our first competition of the season. We were very confident that we would have a great show, but not yet sure how it would read. We were very pleased with making finals and finishing 3rd to Sanderson and Cary High Schools.

Congratulations to Paul Broderick

2009-12-22T12:51:00.003-05:00

For doing an incredible job Chairing the Panther Creek Invitational.

This is Paul's Trophy. I'm sure it's on his mantel with a special spotlight on it.

PCI 2009

2009-12-22T12:32:00.007-05:00

We had another great event, wet but great. We can still see the potential of a great event in beautiful sunset in our stadium. None the less I am so proud of the parents and students of the Panther Creek Band for putting on a first rate event.

Believe it or not we will begin having meetings for PCI 2010 in a couple of months. Set your calendars for 9/25/2010!

One week from now...

2009-09-18T14:09:00.000-04:00

One week from now we wear the uniform and begin our competition season. We did a great job working through the rain. Thank you. We will try to finish the show next week. This means that you will need to work this weekend on memorizing your dots and music. Which means that if you are looking at this blog you probably have some time to review your music. Possible line your backyard and run through some hip/switches.

This picture is a sample from the photo shoot for our program. We only have 6 weeks of Marching Band left.

Goodbye Victoria

2009-09-18T13:53:00.009-04:00

We are very proud of you a will miss you. You were dedicated to every ensemble and were a great friend to so many. We wish you the best and hope that you come back and see us soon. Keep in touch.

A good week

2009-09-11T15:54:00.005-04:00

Believe it or not I am actually very pleased with the progress we made this week. I can feel my blood pressure rising as we get closer to PCI. We can now play 7 minutes of the show and it sounds great! So... thank you for your hard work this week. Work on your music this week and get ready to finish by next Friday... "Judgment Week". Don't forget to twist your parents arm into volunteering or sponsering a trophy for PCI. With West Carteret added in we are at full capacity and will need all they help we can get.

8-28-09 halftime

2009-09-02T12:18:00.001-04:00

Making a bet with the rifle line. I believe they won.

8/28 1st Home Game - Pre Game

2009-09-02T12:17:00.003-04:00

Me, warning Jack about the possible dangers of the pre-game celebrations.

2009-09-02T12:14:00.002-04:00

Bethany doing her best DiCaprio impression.

8/28 Home Game

2009-09-02T12:10:00.004-04:00

I love to play in the rain! We had to make the decision (against the opinion of the members) to not use our uniforms. I'm glad we did as we had a steady rain throughout the game. I love that our band has such great pride in our uniform. I did not know that there are at least 20 different variations of the color Khaki.

Woodwind Sectional

2009-08-27T15:57:00.002-04:00

Great sectional today!!! thanks

Concert Band Question

2009-08-25T15:56:00.001-04:00

I'm glad you could find the website. Look around and become familiar with some of the features. Question: What instrument does Mr. Robinson play?

2009-08-20T21:48:00.005-04:00

Now that band camp is official over, I would like to take a moment to thank some of the people that made this one of the best camps I can remember. Lori Figueroa and Michelle Lombana did a great job of managing the kids, freezie pops and feeding the staff. We were well fed! Beth Fessler and her crew for fitting the entire band in just one week. I would like to thank our very talented and dedicated staff for their committement to making this a band that we can be proud of. Jonathan Swofford, Grace Duque, Kimbal Seebek, Nate Ouellette, Alisha Gard, Evan Atherton, Andrea McKerlie, Mary Kait Fisher and of course Lance (not pictured, as this was taken after dinner).

I want to thank Vicky Athereton for organizing the DCI trip, we had a great time and great seats. Of course we all need to continue to remember to thank Rebecca Dekker and out tireless booster board.

Finally, I am so proud of the outstanding group of band officers that we have this year: Bethany Wilkes, Josh Studdard, Nick Cuilla, Beaky Reap and Katie Magee. They have and continue to demonstrate great dedication to all of us. We already have so much to be proud of. I think is going to be a great season.

8-13-09 Superlatives

2009-08-19T09:49:00.003-04:00

Drummer of the Week - Eric Dekker

Guard of the Week - Janelle DeRobertis

Rookie of the Week - Stephanie Reeves

Marcher of the Week - Anne Mazza

Section of the Week - Flutes

Freshmen Orientation Pep Band

2009-08-12T11:13:00.003-04:00

Thank you to all of those that participated in the Pep Band Wednesday Morning. We had fun playing the ussual music: Fight Song, Rock and Roll, Hey Baby and Brooklyn. Special thanks to Mr. Atherton for coming in to cover the pic parts. This picture was taken after the performance, several members had already left.

Band Camp Senior Day

2009-08-06T14:07:00.005-04:00

The seniors had a special 2hr lunch at the loop. They were the first to recieve the band show T-Shirts. This is a special group of kids for the Panther Creek Band. They were the first: freshman class, 4 year class, and very talented.

Band Camp Day III

2009-08-05T20:54:00.006-04:00

The kids have been outstanding! We have learned 32 sets in three days which covers the first 2 minutes of our nine minute show. The staff is enjoying the work and the meals even more. The parents have taken very good care of the students and staff. It is amazing to watch the dedication all around this program. Students in the heat running technique block for two hours while parents are fitting uniforms, building/fixing equipment, sewing flags, and cutting freezy pops. We are very excited about another great year for Panther Creek.

Day 2

2009-07-31T13:29:00.009-04:00

Much Hotter today. Students got tested on endurance. We talked about how the work we put in today will pay off in October. Everybody is looking forward to a un time tomorrow at the Car Wash 9 - 1 at the Rite Aid on hwy55.

Here we go!

2009-07-30T10:47:00.010-04:00

Camp is going great! Not too Hot, yet. Staff and students are highly motivated. Here are a few pictures.

DCI Trip

2009-07-27T17:34:00.003-04:00

The 2009 year has officially began. The Panther Creek Band has taken it's first trip. We took 2 charter buses to South Carolina and watched 8 Corps perform. It was a great trip. Weather was a bit hot at first but the stadium breeze was nice. We all need to thank Vicky Atherton (PC booster alumni) for setting this up for us and getting us great seats. Also thanks to the Paul Broderick and the ten chaperones that we had.

The Cadets won (93.5), and Jon is not happy about it. It was great to see Mark Whitfield (drum major for Carolina Crown (93.0)).

DCI Sunday

2009-07-23T22:21:00.005-04:00

We will be sending the full itinerary for the DCI trip by email as well as posting it on the website. The basic schedule is:

11:30am arrive at PC. Depart between 12 and 12:30. We should arrive at Rock Hill by 4:30pm. We will watch the remainder of Crown's Clinic. Eat dinner in the stadium. Show starts at 7:00pm. Leave the stadium by 10:30pm. Arrive back at PC 1 to 1:30am.

Work Day

2009-07-16T16:33:00.002-04:00

Working on the show today with Jon Swofford. Xavier, Mary and Jonathan dropped by during a break from drivers ed. They got to see the opening drill and hear the music from the 2nd movement. I am ready to stop thinking about this show and ready to start teaching it. Advanced warning!!! Get outside the 2nd Movement will run at mm186 for 2:45. No stopping!

2009-07-12T10:13:00.005-04:00

Katie, Kylie, Supriya "Sunshine", Matthew and Andrew had a great time at JMU.

Sunshine said, "I ended up going to JMU Camp with Katie, and rooming with her. Everyone was so motivated that there was a day when we ended up setting 12 drill sets in only an hour and twenty minutes! It ended up making me a far better player with much more endurance, as we were out 8 and a half/9 hours a day. We worked with the best section leaders of the Marching Royal Dukes, and though they set high standards for us, we ended up fulfilling them. We did a 30 set show with about 5 minutes of music to Russian Christmas Music, and it turned out pretty great. We had a really excellent motivational speaker named Scott Lang, and he was absolutely inspirational. He just made you take a step back and thing again about what band's all about. JMU was absolutely a fantastic camp!"

Governor's School West

2009-07-11T11:52:00.003-04:00

Bethany and Jae are having a good time. They are playing with the Orchestra. Quote from Bethany "It's very different playing in an orchestra than a wind ensemble. Especially having a tiny little woodwind section (3 flutes, 3 clarinets, 2 oboes, 1 bassoon...attached is a picture, without instruments though). Everything's a solo... which I guess is a good thing to help w/ playing."

Finally Clean

2009-07-07T20:15:00.002-04:00

It took almost a month after school, however my office is finally sorted out!

JMU Camp

2009-07-07T12:49:00.005-04:00

Today is the first day of Leadership Camp at James Madison University. We have five going to the camp. Kylie B., Andrew F., Matthew P., Supriya S. and Katie M.

Best of Luck.

Governor's School East

2009-07-05T20:50:00.003-04:00

Jack says Hi from Governor's School. He has three more weeks of School and then directly into band camp. I haven't heard from Bethany and Jae from Governor's School West.

2009-07-02T21:26:00.004-04:00

Pictures that I took tonight at the Beach. Eat your heart out Don.

Thinking about the PCI

2009-07-01T23:03:00.002-04:00

Even at the Beach I'm thinking about the Invitational. I think I would look good in this cart. I could also use it every day to check my mail in the front office.

Beach

2009-06-29T17:13:00.007-04:00

So we go to the beach...settle in at our house...go to the grocery store and run into... Brian McCune (If you don't know who Brian is you can ask an upper classman). We got together and talked for about three hours. He has finished his masters degree in composition at Mannes College, The New School for Music in NY, and is now moving to LA (North Hollywood) to begin a career in film score. We also talked about his freshman year ('98) and how important that year was to him. He still keeps in touch with many of his friends from that year. He reminded me that they will all turn 30 this year. I have been lucky to work with many talented students (so many, that I can't even go to the beach without running into one).

Brian at the Rockies

Carolina Crown beats Cavies

2009-06-26T22:44:00.004-04:00

Historic Event Crown beats Cavies! This is going to be a great season I'm already looking forward to going to SC on the 26th. Time is running out on the DCI trip tickets!

Friday, June 26, 2009Normal, IL
DCI Central Illinois
Place Corps Score
1 Carolina Crown 77.500
2 The Cavaliers 77.100
3 Phantom Regiment 76.300
4 Blue Stars 70.400
5 Boston Crusaders 70.100
6 Glassmen 67.500
7 Colts 65.600
8 Spirit 64.500

Working on the Show

2009-06-24T13:03:00.005-04:00

Jon and I came into school today and worked on the show. We have finished the opener and have laid out the details of the show beginning to end. We are excited about the show. We will put the pdf parts online soon.

We had a chance to talk about the DCI season. It just finished its first week of tour and so far Crown has a championship caliber show in "The Grass is Always Greener..." The Cadets and Phantom Regiment are still slow to get off the ground, but as always, they will be great heading into finals. We ordered 83 tickets to the July show. We still have plenty of room on the bus, please contact me if you would still like to go.

Summer Update

2009-06-22T14:08:00.005-04:00

Had a great day at school today. The floors have been cleaned and waxed and are ready for Band Camp. Speaking of Band Camp (5 1/2 weeks away), I walked outside into the wall of humidity and was rudely reminded of how difficult it is for us to function in this NC heat. So... I suggest that everyone take a 30 minute (brisk) walk everyday (preferably at mm198 beats per minute) and start drinking a 1/2 gallon of water a day.

PCI is going well. We have a executive board meeting tonight at Tyler's in Beaver Creek. Come by and say hi if you're in the area. I'm very excited for us to be hosting this event again.

DCI - We ordered 83 tickets today. Contact me if you did not send in your ticket order and would still like to go.

I'd like to say one last goodbye to our Seniors. It will be difficult for me to see this band without your presence, and leadership. Please come by and see me/us before you leave in the fall. I wish you all the best in getting ready for your future.

Graduation 2009

2009-06-14T21:29:00.002-04:00

Thank you for a great performance at our 1st Panther Creek Graduation! Next year we will add a snare drum for flare!

Mike Gillespie Works with the PC Jazz Combo

2009-06-11T14:35:00.006-04:00

Thanks Mike for doing a great job with the Jazz Combo. The concert was outstanding!

Thank You, More Helpers today

2009-06-11T13:58:00.003-04:00

Thank you to Josh S, Becky R, Katie M, Bethany W, TaylorR, and Nick C for coming in and helping today. We got some great work done including working on the T-Shirt design.

Thank you

2009-06-10T16:59:00.006-04:00

I owe a big thank you to Nick C. and Evyn L. for coming in today and helping me with the stands and equipment.

I will be in tomorrow afternoon. I need to clean my office and to re-organize the equipment/storage room. Feel free to volunteer some time if you have it. Call first.

Welcome to the Panther Creek Band Director's Blog

2009-06-09T13:15:00.002-04:00

This is Vic Overton with a test post for the new blog. I hope you find this blog both informative and fun!