Band Camp

We’ve lived across from Aloha High School for almost 36 years. I love it. I love the activity. I love the way I can tell what season it is by what’s going on. In the winter – it’s quiet. The parking lot fills up because of basketball games.

In the spring – the boys are trying to impress the girls and each other with squealing tires and rev-ing engines. Also, it rains every Wednesday because it’s Track meet day.

But the summer – August actually – the activity starts with practices. Football. Soccer. Cheerleading. And the band. Band camp. I like the marching band. I admit, I wish they’d learn more than one or two songs a year but I understand their purpose for playing is not to entertain the people in the stands at football game half-time. It’s to practice for competitions. And so – band camp.

We knew when we moved here that there was a High School across the street. We love the noise from the games – football, baseball, softball. Soccer is kind of quiet – we barely know it’s happening.  And now that Aloha actually wins football games – it’s even more fun!

For about 30 of those 36 years it was fun listening and watching the band practice. They’d march up and down the parking lot. The band director would quietly instruct through a megaphone – I mean quiet – I could barely hear him whisper when they would pass in front of the house and I was outside. Scott and Adam (when they were very little) would sit in the driveway and enjoy their own private parade. The band played music you could enjoy and march to. Go figure.

But then – something happened. The cheerleaders and band discovered the P.A. system and started using it for instruction. I recall a few years ago hearing the poor tuba player being chewed out by the band director – almost a mile away!

But worse than hearing the latest rock music being broadcast into the neighborhood while teams practice. And worse than hearing the cheerleading coach count 1 and 2 and 3 and 4 5,6,7,8 over and over again until I wanted to scream. And worse than having guests over only to hear the previously mentioned instructions and counting go on until dark – the electronic metronome.

What an invention. It’s the sound of two pipes banging together over a portable loud speaker. This goes on all day on weekends and for hours on the weekdays. It is a nois that would be banned from Guantanamo. The ACLU would call it cruel and unusual punishment. It would be used to drive prisoners insane.

I’ve offered to come to the band director’s neighborhood and blast the same sort of noise into his neighborhood for hours on end. He never took me up on it.

The very sad part is – when teaching took place without the benefit of the P.A. system and  a metronome that could shatter glass – Aloha High School had an award winning Marching Band. I think because the kids had to stop talking and listen to instructions. But now, we all hear the instruction and can count the beat.

So, I work in the yard with my iPod shuffle turned up just a little higher. I keep my windows closed (although it doesn’t stop the metronome sound).

This year Pat is here. Last night we were in the family room visiting and she said – “What IS that awful noise?”

Band camp. Happening now at Aloha High School. Feel free to honk when you drive by and see them on the field – maybe with an off beat….

Sorry – did I say that out loud?

I am blessed with good hearing. Thank you, Lord. 🙂