Category: Thoughts
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Things Students Say and Drizzical
After watching my colleague work herself silly conducting, planning and teaching the all-school musical, I came to a stark realization. The end of the school year can make us feel crazy like everything is closing up on all of us, students, teachers, and administrators. I’ve been especially loopy lately and so have my advisory students.…
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Identity and Representation
Little over a month ago I ran into a former student at a performance. As we caught up with one another, he mentioned conversations or topics we had explored a few times years ago. We discussed the idea of what it feels like when you feel like you don’t really, fully, belong where you are.…
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Interesting Week of Thoughts
When I share something that is linked somehow to popular culture, it’s often because “I am late to the party”, but still want to participate. In this case I may still be late to this party, however, I can’t shake how I felt after watching Black Panther. My insights won’t offer anything new to the…
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Appreciation, Hip Hop and Fatherhood
As a musician and a teacher, I have had the pleasure to be a part of many cool moments of discovery. This even happens with my daughter sometimes. I still remember with pride when I asked her “Can I Kick It” and she replied (appropriately) “Yes You Can”. Thank you, Q-Tip, Phife Dawg, Ali Shaheed and Jarobi for…
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Playing Games
I’m sitting here watching my kid play with her friend and I start to reflect on what winter breaks of the past. Winter break has always been tricky for me, like my kid I need a structured day. Work tends to give me the grounding I need, a task list or a deadline gives my day order.…
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Quotes and New Starts
Starting a new school year at a new school. I find myself thinking about all the lesson plans and units of study I put together over the past decade. Eventually, I get to a place in my thoughts where I think about “change” being the only thing that is constant in life. I think that is a…
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Podcasts and Eddie Huang
There are times when I feel I’m getting too much of something. Lately, it’s been, a lot of Eddie Huang. Everywhere I turn I see or hear him. He’s everywhere and I kinda like it. Recently I listened to an NPR podcast called What’s Good with Stretch and Bobbito. The topics have been broader than I…
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Finals week approching
DCI finals are approaching and I am catching up with videos on Youtube and Facebook. Of course, this starts me down the rabbit hole of reminiscing. I start to think about all the years of drum and bugle corps I marched. In 1990 I started marching in a drum and bugle corps in the Bronx.…
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Last of my marching years
I spent time texting back and forth with a friend about some of my summers in drum and bugle corps. This got me to thinking about my time with the last corp I marched. It was a transformative summer in many ways for me. Summer of 1996 I marched The Cadets of Bergen County and…
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