Sunday, May 31, 2009

Friday Festivities

Well it's the biggest thing in my life I guess
Look at us all, we're nervous wrecks
Hey, we go on next
--The Replacements, "Talent Show"

Our school's speech and debate team is underfunded. Way underfunded. Eight of our students are going to Nationals this summer, and travel expenses, etc. are quite steep. What is a poor little speech and debate squad to do? Well, I suggested they go find Mickey Rooney and a barn and "put on a show," but that didn't fly. However, they decided to organize and host the First Annual Capitol City Showdown, an all-high school battle of the bands!

I have been witness to a few of these type competitions, and I have to say, after watching two teachers plan the whole thing from scratch (with lots of help from parents and kids and other teachers and the community--no one exists in a vacuum (unless you're a dust mite)), I have to say that this particular event was pretty well done.

A host of teachers (myself included), worked the ticket table from 5:30-11 on Friday night. This particular event was well-attended. I'd say we had near or over five hundred paying customers. The competition included twelve bands (originally 13, but one no-showed--you gotta play to win!), and all were pretty talented bands.

At 11pm, as the last band played its last note, I quietly slipped out the door. So, I don't know who won (although I had a peculiar favorite--I don't usually like speed core-type stuff), but it had been a long day. It was a fun event to supervise, but I am glad it came at the end of the year.

I do hope they keep it going next year.

2 comments:

AMVB said...

They wouldn't even know who Mickey Rooney is. You know how I know that? Because my 20s-something friends don't get my references to what had been a moderately popular song from the 80s. I mean, how can someone truly live without knowing Kylmaxx's "I Miss You"?

Maybe it's for the best that they don't know of such things. Perhaps this lack propels them to create something of their own. A well-organized and successful battle of bands competition to fund speech and debate sounds like a good thing indeed. Better, say, than taking up valuable class time for a feats of strength type activity.

What's your countdown until you're done for the year? Or, another way, what's the big date when things will slow down for you?

Anon AMVB

comoprozac said...

Should have held a weight-lifting competition.