Holy shit.

Just found the best thing ever.


I've tried to start multiple bands in the last five or so years, and none have ever taken off or written more than a few songs. A few bands I've been in include: "2 Girls 1 Tuna, Phone Calls from Dale, Boxcar and a Jug of Wine/Me and You vs Everyone, and Synapse."
This has lead me to conclude that Neil's dad is a lot better at the logistics involved in music than I am. In the last year, I've played with Polka Dan's Beetbox Band and the Saturday Night Blues at the Claddah; both have been great experiences.
Today the pit got a new chart to go along with this year's theme, Pirates of the Caribbean. The song is called "The Closer", although this song is not the last in our set-list. We also have "Davey Jones", "Kracken", and the percussion feature "Bill Bailey".

Good times at UMass.

Dan Rubington, make your blogs shorter, fewer, and funnier.

Like the book "Night Mother", the pages of the calender seem to be turning quicker and quicker as I move foreward.
It seems like just yesterday, I was packing all of Julie, Neil, and my belongings into the back of my Mom's 98 Expidetion to make the long trek from UMass Amherst to Cape Cod. In contrast, it seems like its been years since I crashed my Ford Focus into a rental car stopped at the yield sign where 28 meets 151 in North Falmouth. Strangely, these two events happened either a day apart or within hours of eachother; this is not important.
Well, here it is, UMass in all its glory. As Steph Band would say enthusiastically: "Welcome to Band Camp!" I don't know exactly when I got here, but it was either Friday or Thursday morning. I drove to Bryant's house in South Hadley the night before to prevent a 3 hour, 6am drive. We had a good time watching the food network and playing bass. When I woke up at 430AM to drive him to work, I actually felt well rested for once in my life. I will be bringing my air matress up to school because I honestly think that did the trick for me. BAND BAND BAND. I can never get enough. harharhar
Somehow, I've made it three years in the UMass Drumline. Who would have thought when I showed up on day 1, three years ago, with a pair of 5A's in hand ready to play snare that I would still be allowed to play with these guys. Since then, I have learnd SOO much. I started out on Cymbals and when Bryant moved on, Thom invited me to play bass for Marimba Band II, Hoop Band, and the Drumline. What the fuck was he thinking?
This has been a really hard, and constant struggle. I usually feel like I'm hanging on tight with one hand while I go through a crazy roller coaster. Finally, experience is starting to back me up. After playing all of last year in three ensambles and starting to practice more frequently, I am sight-reading and my ear is improveing even more. I hope that within the next year, if not this year, I will be half the musician that any of my predicessors turned out to be.

If you are in high school, and you love music do yourself a favor and go to UMass.