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July 25, 2024, 9:00 a.m. – Burlington International Airport (BTV), Vermont
This has been a musical morning. Rising at a reasonable hour to catch a 10:10 a.m. flight to Nashville, I set my streaming service to a tribute to Chick Corea by Hubert Laws and other great jazz musicians. On the one-hour trip to BTV, I heeded the music that came into my head, singing to myself songs such as Leaving on a Jet Plane, etc. As I reminisced in my mind about the flood of 2024 on the Mill Brook two weeks ago, I sang, I Feel the Earth Move Under My Feet, thinking of the feeling of the boulders crashing underneath and the vibration of the black and fast current descending to the low ground. Observing the continuous trucks coming into the Valley with rocks for the repair of the roads, I realized that we have quite a good ability to respond to the peculiarities of Mother Nature as the climate continues to change. We don’t just feel the earth move; we move it with a very robust Doozer community.
I decided to start my journey stress-free by staying in the slow lane on Eisenhower 89 and setting the Silver Bullet’s cruise control at the 65mph speed limit. Others whizzed by on their way to their ordinary regular lives at work. I was on another extraordinary journey in the quest for music, merriment, and more memories to add to my hippocampus. I am headed to Nashville for the DCI Summer Music Games in nearby Murfreesboro, Tennesee, tomorrow night. This musical day is just beginning. Tonight, I will meet up with a drum corps family for dinner and attend a jazz combo rehearsal in the Music City area. As I sit here at Gate 3 in our quiet little international airport (we fly to Canada), I am enjoying the soft and gentle solo piano music over the PA. Thankfully, there have been no interruptions announcing a flight until just now. I’ll keep you posted.
4:20 p.m. – Cedar City Brewing Company Lebanon, Tennessee
I am in the city of Lebanon, Tennessee. Once again, by the wings of man and a value rental car, I have transported myself to a new destination for drum corps, the Nashville area. I am in the Cedar City because The Cavaliers are to be at the high school at some point, and it is near the hotel I am staying at. I am a rehearsal junkie. No sign of the Cavies, I decided to do the next best thing, “Hey Siri, search breweries nearby.” Lo and behold, less than two miles – Cedar City Brewing Company.
I am officially back on my DCI lark, seeing parts of America that I have never been to, feeling the friendly vibe of the locals, and enjoying an IPA – Juiced on the River. Yummy. The long lines, twice-stretched blatter, loud engine noise, jet fumes, and highway traffic are now in the rearview mirror and melting away as I write and sip. Upon arrival at the brewery, I noticed a piano store next door. Matt said that I could come in and play after my beer. I will try recording a 20-minute session before heading to Mt. Juliet to meet up with my friends later. I am always on the lookout for a nice piano on my travels, and this opportunity was provided to me by the Universe. My anticipation is building for the show tomorrow night when the top four corps will battle it out on the 1.32-acre field in the out-of-doors in Murfreesboro, a short drive from here. I’ll keep you posted.
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8:30 p.m Mt. Juliet, Tennessee
I’m sitting in on a rehearsal of the Jazz Alliance, a big band combo, preparing for an upcoming festival. Joe, the director, is a drum corps dad. Wife Helga is everyone’s drum corps mom. We met during Boston Crusaders spring training in Castleton, Vermont, in early June. While I am in town for the drum corps show tomorrow, I made plans to visit with them, and they invited me to sit in to listen. Of course, I sang along. This band is hot! The thirty or so seasoned musicians are belting out such standards as Rock the Town, My Foolish Heart, Tuxedo Junction, The Lady is a Tramp, and A String of Pearls. What a nice fitting end for my musical day. Early in the day, I had the pleasure of playing a nice grand piano at the piano store next to the Cedar City Brewing Company. Within twenty minutes, the miles of travel were washed away.
My ears now are basking in the melodic sounds of jazz, reminding me of my father’s band Russell’s Tom Cats. Multiple saxophones, trumpets, trombones, electric guitar, bass, vocals, and drums all combine to bring that classic big band sound that overwhelms the small rehearsal space in the church. Homegrown music at its best. As I sit here, I think about all of the drum corps moms and dads who have supported their kids (and others) in their musical journeys. Helga, a music therapy teacher. With Joe, the band leader, they raised two talented musicians and citizens, Chris and Patrick. Patrick plays keys in one of the world’s best percussion ensembles, the Boston Crusaders. Chris, a trumpet player in Dad’s band, is BAC’s most ardent fan. Patrick (Thing One) has a counterpart, David (Thing Two), a snare in the Phantom Regiment. They grew up in the area and were both high achievers in the area music competitions. In one of the myriad stories told, Joe helped them both record their audition tapes, micing the snare and marimba uniquely for their sounds. There must be hundreds of cross-corps relationships like this. I hope to catch up with both Things along the way.
I will clam up this laptop for now as the combo is on its last piece. This day has been a great harbinger of the musical delights to come this week and the next few as I continue my on DCI lark. It looks like Mother Nature will cooperate for a fine evening of drum corps tomorrow in the land of music. I’ll keep you posted.