#ace-trumpet-player

[dailynightlyart]

Happy marching band season lol

I was bored and made a marching band AU of Twst.

I couldn't figure out for the life of me where to put Leona though. Most of the woodwinds got moved around a couple times as well lol

I wanted to include color guard/drum majors but I ran out of characters to make it an even band 🥲

[fangirltothefullest]

"How can you forget sticky notes, they're right on your desk! Right in front of you! Are you a toddler with no concept of object permanence?"

No I'm just ADHD and the Brain Noises are at such a constant cacophony it's like there's a 500 player orchestra constantly playing and each instrument is playing a different songs at the same time in my head that I most importantly can't shut off.

Try remembering a sticky note exists when the trumpets are blasting star wars, the violins are playing never gonna give you up, the flutes are playing livin la vida loca and the drums think they're a christmas marching band.

"Surely it's not that much input!"

I am at my desk in my bedroom right now. I hear my parents talking in the other room, my cat snoring behind me, the water was turned on and off in the kitchen, the fan is running, the ac is on, there's shuffling of slippers, I can smell my candle, I heard a car go by, the computer is buzzing and it's fan is running, I can hear the fishtank in the other room because my bedroom door is open. The clicking of the keyboard is satisfying but loud. I look up and see everything on my desk. I taste the hot coco i just ate, I hear the fridge beeping, I heard my stomach make a Noise, my over the ear headphones make a soft shhhh sound wqhen they're not playing music, my tinnitus rings constantly, my neck crackled when I looked to the left.

That input DOESN'T SHUT OFF.

Y'all with executives that can function? They're in a nice quiet boardroom with pretty windows and a quiet meeting.

MY executives are forest critters in ties and glasses meeting in the Denny's parking lot at 4am to go over peanut butter recipes and that song we heard when we were 8 and can't EVER let go. What important stuff happened today? I dunno, the raccoon disguised as the board meeting leader ATE the file.

[read-write-thrive]

inspired by my last post on dead boy detectives high school AU: obligatory band kid AU (and it ended up v long so buckle up)

instrumentation/roles:

edwin: if we’re talking still in his shell edwin, he’s an oboe/bassoon player. if we’re talking out of his shell edwin, he’s a French horn player. either way he is 100% first chair but will only accept the section leader title if there’s no one else in his section, he is not about to deal with marching band any more than he has to. he aces competitions and the like when he’s on his own, but rarely has the patience for ensemble work. his parents started him on his instrument younger than his peers so it makes sense he’s so good, but his ego is mostly separate from that—he’s just like that. he’s in the main/symphonic band, marching band with some hesitation, orchestra, and chamber/honors band

charles: while you could say almost any brass/low woodwind instrument and I would say fair enough, I personally think he’s a trumpet player. he does sports so he is often running back and forth on practice/game days but wouldn’t trade it for anything. he’s probably not first chair, or at least isn’t until his later years since he/his parents prioritise sports, he 100% would love being a section leader!! he fits the loud trumpet stereotype but is one of the few that’re complete sweethearts (as long as you keep him away from some of the more toxic dudes, he can get a little swept up in it from time to time, but luckily he figures it all out by the time he graduates). he doesn’t do competitions or any of the fancy stuff since he has obligations with sports, but it sometimes makes him sad that his friends are so good at his instruments while he’s juggling this other stuff and can’t match their level. he’s in the main band, marching, and jazz band in the spring semester

crystal: she’s a saxophone girlie 100%. she can play any of them if pushed, but she tends towards alto sax during marching season and tenor/baritone during the off season depending on the piece’s/concert’s needs. she kept up with some of the more toxic upper woodwind/percussion players in her mean girl era but she’s since come to her senses and avoids them whenever possible. she could be first chair and section leader if she wanted, she’s good enough (parents definitely put her in lessons) and charismatic enough, but she’s not enthusiastic about either position and often purposefully dodges the extra responsibilities. likewise, she’s not interested in separate awards or competitions or anything like that (though I think she also tried it her first semester, like orchestra, to try to get her parents’ attention—when it didn’t work, she dropped it). I can see freshman being simultaneously terrified of and crushing on her. she’s in the main band, marching, and jazz band, though she tried orchestrating for a semester before deciding it was not her vibe

niko: I see her as a violin/strings player who then switches to flute for symphonic/marching band, especially since she’s an international student. I don’t think she gets along super well with the other flute/violin players, so she’s glad to make friends with the group. she’s taken lessons for both violin and flute, but violin was mainly when she was a kid and flute was to help her catch up to everyone else. she does competitions and such mainly so she can get out of classes and hang out with her friends, but tries her best to do well without taking away from her other activities/free time. her instrument cases are COVERED in stickers. she’s super nice to the younger years but they stop talking with her much once they find their friend groups, which always makes her sad. she’s the type to be a “band mom” to an underclassman once one sticks around, but it takes until her senior year for that to happen. she’s in the main band, marching band (again, more to hang out with her friends than for any enthusiasm in the competition), and orchestra to get a chance to play the violin

monty: that boy plays the clarinet argue with the wall. he has his shy moments but also his outspoken moments, just depends on the people involved. he was never in lessons but definitely practices more than your average person. he’s the one to always be in a practice room, either actually practicing or giving people readings, to the extent that there’s a practice room that’s unofficially his (including him scratching/writing his name somewhere before he graduates). he’s perpetually second chair, and secretly would like to be section leader but is just enough of a people pleaser that it never happens (either by him giving it to someone else or the director doesn’t give him the position). he’s in symphonic, marching, orchestra and chamber

thomas/the cat king: so I think he’s a percussionist as his mood can be a little all over the place and hard to read, so I think the variety of percussion suits him. plus the putting on a persona thing just screams percussionist to me. if he isn’t the one dealing himself he 100% has an in with the local dealer (which ig isn’t band related but the percussionists were the dealers/stoners in my band so). he isn’t first chair by any means but he is 100% the section leader of the pit (I cannot see him marching). I think he’s also one of those guys who tends to date underclassmen which concerns literally everyone and breaks a few hearts but is ultimately harmless if a bit of a dick (said with love). he’s in the main, marching, and jazz bands

jenny: was a stellar saxophonist in her time, graduated a few years ago but comes back to help with marching band over the summers/eventually decides to become a band director herself and student teaches during the gang’s senior year. when she was in school she did every ensemble available, which honestly intimidated most of her peers (barring the sapphics bc she 100% had everyone crushing on her, dated quite a few of them too). she’s a great band director once she learns more on how to deal with the inevitable students breaking down in your office on random lunch periods

esther: monty’s mom but refuses to be part of any band parent organization. will occasionally show up to concerts, but if you talk to her she somehow makes it all about her. at some point she gets in trouble with her concerning relationships with minor girls and as a result can’t go to school functions, which monty doesn’t talk about to really anyone but secretly is glad about. she never played any instruments and openly calls monty a nerd for enjoying band

the night nurse: I’m sticking with her as an assistant principal/in charge of attendance/some cog in the bureaucratic system. the band kids are all too familiar with her as they’re often incorrectly marked absent when they go to band practice during lunch/free periods, so getting called down to her office happens to everyone sooner or later. during the gang’s senior year she’s assigned to be directly in charge of the band (for whatever reason idk) which has her suddenly showing up to games and concerts. no one really likes this but they eventually warm to her. she tried the flute once when she was in school but wasn’t good right away so she decided it wasn’t for her

tragic mick: I’m again sticking to custodian but specifically the custodian that’s in charge of the practice field/band rooms/etc and is as such a beloved if cryptic figure in the greater band family. he played the tuba when he was in school but when asked says it’s been far too long to remember anything about it

kashi: hear me out, Kashi as the band director goes hard. like he’s eccentric, always has a grand story to tell, and is simultaneously good at making you laugh and at giving advice. his main instrument is something weird like the soprano saxophone or the euphonium or flugelhorn or harp, but as band director he’s learned most of not all of the instruments in the band over the course of his career

david the demon: percussionist. I take back what I said about the cat king dealing, david is 100% the sketchy dealer of the band. Is also older than the gang. was in the main and marching band but that’s it.

Lilith: superintendent. cryptid type figure. is the one responsible for the shit that goes down with Esther. showed up to exactly one concert and everyone is still losing their mind over seeing her in the flesh

I cannot remember her name but the lady who ran the gift shop: the choir director/theater teacher/eccentric English teacher. well known by the band kid population but not directly involved

the finality or whatever that character is called: prinicpal. directly in charge of the night nurse. surprisingly agreeable for how much bs/cruelty she oversees. her coming in right at the end of the series echoes her showing up to graduation and that’s it for out side of school hours

the ghost mail carrier: he mans the front office desk. will deliver messages over the intercom that always make people jump

extra info/plot points in a fic i doubt I’ll actually write:

monty and edwin get close after being sat near each other in orchestra and then working together during a chamber piece

thomas/the cat king is also older than the main gang. edwin is one of the underclassmen he cozies up to, but edwin never actually dates him

the charles and edwin dream duo imo is charles on trumpet say behind edwin on French horn, with both of them constantly making little comments just to make the other laugh/roll their eyes/react during practice/rehearsal. their senior year they end up being co-section leaders of upper brass but only after some serious begging on charles’s part

crystal has a major crush on jenny at one point

not a single person can stand esther finch, to the point that Kashi slips monty some flyers on different help resources and the other kids all let monty crash at different points when she’s angry

it’s at one point revealed that thomas/the cat king’s parents aren’t in the picture for some traumatic reason and he’s being raised by his grandparent(s), which most people accept as justification for his iffy behavior (it isn’t, for the record, but ive seen this situation happen exactly twice over in my band career and it lines up with him too well not to include)

crystal and charles date for a time and are the band’s it couple when they do. a handful of people don’t like it, but it’s mainly bc they’re jealous they missed their chance with one of the other ( cough edwin cough ) but it doesn’t end up lasting

david and crystal date when he’s a senior and she’s a freshman and it’s BAD. like she’s partaking in drugs she doesn’t fully understand and he’s enabling it/actively supplying it. it’s ultimately jenny who notices the spiral and talks some sense into crystal/gives her a semi-relatable authority figure to lean on. aforementioned crush happens during the chaotic period during/immediately following this. david stays in town and still deals post-graduation, so he shows up to high school parties and without fail creeps on crystal if she’s around. as such she starts avoiding parties, which is the final mail in the coffin of her mean girl era, leading to her befriending charles and niko (and eventually edwin) and made part of the gang

there’s a running joke/conspiracy theory that Kashi and the night nurse are in love with each other. it has been used to embarrass freshmen several times over the years. the night nurse actively denies it but kashi keeps it vague just for the fun of it

at one point when charles and crystal are dating and the four of them are already friends, someone starts a rumour/starts suggesting that niko and edwin should pair up. edwin isn’t openly out but his friends all know so they laugh about it (I also hc niko as aroace for a multitude of reasons i won’t get into here but I think that adds to the humor of it all)

when the band plays for a sport that Charles is on the team for they all go WILD when he’s mentioned by the announcer/scores/what have you. to the extent that there a specific chant/riff/cadence/whatever they start playing specifically for him. this eventually gets them in trouble on some big championship game and the band only stops/does it quieter so that charles doesn’t get in trouble over it

charles had a letterman’s jacket that he adds his band letter to (as well as some diying with pins and patches and such to make it more his style). he uses offering it as a way to flirt/show off his partner(s). it is very effective (to the chagrin of some of those partners who wouldn’t otherwise be caught dead in a letterman’s jacket, incl crystal and edwin)

monty initially charges the rich-asshole kids for readings until he’s caught and forced to stop. he then stops giving readings to anyone he doesn’t already know/like. he uses readings as a way to flirt with edwin, who literally doesn’t realise it for an extended period of time. monty keeps trying to flirt/ask edwin our, but by the time he hyped himself up for it the bell rings and the lunch period ends. they eventually go on one date, which edwin doesn’t realise is even a date (despite his friends insisting otherwise) until monty kisses him at the end of it. it’s awkward for a while afterwards but they eventually settle into a friendship

several other band kids place bets on when edwin and charles will finally get together. niko wins the bet, despite actively encouraging monty x edwin along the way. some say she’s biased being so close to them, but she openly admits that she wasn’t sure it would ever happen

may add to this post later but ive written wayyy too much for rn so we’ll leave it here

[viperrot]

⇁high school sweethearts | leon kennedy | pt. 5

resident evil 4 remake leon s. kennedy x fem!band-student!reader high school au

the kennedy girls are much sweeter than their older brother, who seems to have completely forgotten the midnight serenade he gave you the night before.

pt.1 pt.2 pt.3 pt.4

content contains: mild angst, is this even enemies to lovers? i dont know anymore., mean? leon, cliches, story is told in first person, reader is a bit shy and is an oboe and trumpet player!, leon and reader are in their juniour year, fictional town set around 1980!

not proofread i am sleepy

2689 words

song rec: "sketching on the boat" from when marnie was there

The school day was horrifically long, so much so that I found myself dozing off in my English class. The lectures given by the stocky old teachers made my head hurt as the events of last night replayed over and over in my mind, the image of Leon's crooked smile forever etched in my memory.

Despite what he did to me, I couldn't find the want to be angry at him in that moment.

The dreaded hour of chemistry rolled around, and I found myself sitting awkwardly in my not-assigned-assigned seat. Leon's presence to my right made the hairs on the back of neck raise. My fingers grip the wooden pencil tight, anxiously scribbling down notes about calorimetry in my composition book. As Mrs. Bradshaw droned on about our lab for next class and being safe, I took a peek to my right, stealing a glance at the blonde boy next to me.

His head is tilted down as he jots down notes, and I smile to myself when I remember how disgusting his handwriting was last night. His eyebrows knitted together as he quickly wrote, his ballpoint pen dragging against the college-ruled paper. Leon's hair jostled slightly as his wrist flicked quickly, and I grew to admire his attention to the lecture, but the thought leaves my mind quickly when I remember what had happened between us.

The memory of my oboe slamming into the ground made my gut turn, and I recall the smug smile Leon had when he saw the look of despair on my face.

How could he be so sweet to me despite all that happened?

I don't realize how intently I stared at him until his eyes lock onto my own, and I immediately feel my throat go dry. If my stomach wasn't hurting ten minutes ago, it's definitely hurting now. The pen in Leon's fingers spun between each digits, hypnotically looping. We exchange awkward looks, and his lips twitch and pucker slightly, as if searching for words to say to me, but he couldn't whisper anything due to Mrs. Bradshaw calling for him.

"Mr. Kennedy, you have time to ogle girls after class," she scowls from the front of the room, the think chalk in her hands still on the blackboard. The ace's attention snaps to the teacher, his mouth slightly agape as his eyes dart around in search of an excuse.

"Can't help it, ma'am," Leon says coolly, leaning back into his desk chair with a soft smirk.

"Right... Please don't let me catch you staring at Mrs. (L/n) again, Mr. Kennedy," the woman sighs, resuming her lesson. Leon throws another look my way, and I notice how his leg shakes as he continues to play with the pen in his hand. I flash him an awkward grin before turning my attention back to the notebook on my desk, wanting to focus on my notes again. The last stretch of class begins, and I find myself sneaking glances at Leon more than once.

I don't notice him returning the favour.

"Leon!" I grab the sleeve of his Carhartt jacket as we walk out of the lab, the thick fabric between my fingers as I pull him to the side. He shoots me a glare, eyebrows furrowed as he stares at me with his nose slightly turned up.

"Do you need something?" He sneers at me, eyes piercing and harsh. I swallow dryly as I recognize the hostility in his body language.

"Can we like... talk?" I press, my lips forming a tight frown.

"About what? Your stupid clarinet?" The blonde's eyebrow raises, and I cringe slightly at the sound of him calling my oboe a clarinet.

"Last night... Y'know, how you played the-"

"I have no clue what you're talking about," Leon's nose crinkles as he tugs his wrist out of my grip. I look at him confused, not understanding how he could forget such a moment between us.

"Wh- how could you forget? Remember how we-" Immediately, he grabs the strap of my bookbag and drags me to a less crowded part of the hallway, gently pushing me into a locker with his hands resting atop my shoulders.

"Listen, princess," he sighs. "I can't let people knowing I'm into shit like that, okay? I already get enough talk in this hellhole as it is," he explains to me, and I feel some form of guilt tug at my heart. Even then, I grew even more confused.

"I... but why?" I frown at the boy, feeling tense beneath his grip.

"Whaddya mean 'why'? I just... don't wanna come off as a nerd," Leon chuckles humorlessly. The look on my face deepens.

"Leon," I pull his hands away from my shoulders, holding his left with a gentle squeeze. "Music isn't something you should just... turn away from. Why not share it with your friends?" I see Leon scowl slightly as he tugs his hand out of my grip.

"It isn't that simple..." he sighs, shaking his head softly. Blonde hairs dance around his face, concealing his icy blue eyes from my gaze.

"But-"

"See you around, princess," Leon turns on his heel, readjusting his backpack as he walks away from me as if nothing happened. I feel a headache begin as I scold myself for not stopping him, for not forcing him to talk to me or even pay for the damage he did to my poor oboe. I huff, disappointed in myself as I begin to walk to the band room.

The journey isn't long, and I find myself slumped in my chair towards the back of the room as I set up my trumpet. As I checked the valves of the brass item, the mouthpiece was wedged underneath my thigh to get it warm--a habit I've had since sixth grade. The instrument was greased and oiled to my liking, the valves and slides moving without any problems.

I inserted the mouthpiece before playing a simple chorale, adjusting my lips against the instrument as I tune myself.

"Sweet pea," I hear someone call from my left, knowing immediately that it was just Samantha. I pull my trumpet away from my face, turning my body in the plastic chair to look over at my best friend.

"What's up?" I cock my head to the side, curious as to what she has to say. She's got this funny look on her face as she crouches down to my level.

"Someone told me that you're gunna be tutoring the Kennedy girls... Is it true?" The flutist whispers to me softly. I'm taken aback at this, my brows knitting together.

"Who told you that...?" I give her a concerned expression. She giggles softly.

"Sunday, after church, your mom told my mom about it. I didn't think it was true, so I wanted to confirm with you," Samantha explains, getting up from her hunched position. I roll my eyes.

"Of course she told them," I grumble, flipping the pages of my binder to find the list of pep-tunes being used for this football season. "Yeah, I am. Their dad wanted them to like... be prepared for high school or whatever," I explain, slightly embarrassed. Samantha laughs under her breath.

"I see! Well, if you ever need an extra hand, I'm a drive away," she pats my shoulder before heading to the front of the room, sitting in her chair just inches away from the podium before class began.

Trios.

Glasses of water, stands, and wooden chairs from the dining room sat in the center of my bedroom.

Anxiety filled my stomach as I sit in one of chairs, my leg bouncing up and down as I try to calm myself. The air felt extremely hot all of the sudden as I stare down the book in front of me, the inked staffs and eighth notes taunting me as I await the arrival of the Kennedy girls.

I learned that the youngest was named Sherry. She played the euphonium, and I heard she wasn't the best at it from her father the other day. The other girl, Christina, is a trumpet player. She's a year older than Sherry, and she will be enrolling into Everglade High School next year. Their father speaks pridefully about them, and I can't help but find it a bit cute.

Even so, my nerves never faltered. Especially not when the doorbell rang.

I hear my mother greet the two girls, giving them a warm welcome before stomping up the stairs and towards my room. My heart pounded as I hear a gentle knock on my bedroom door.

"(Y/n)? The girls are here," she states. I stumble out of the wooden chair over to the door, opening it wide to let them in with a sheepish smile.

"Hey! It's good to see you," I awkwardly greet them. They nod at me in a similar manner as they enter my room, their footsteps pit-patting against the floorboards as they carefully walk over to the circle of chairs in the center of my bedroom. I take a seat, which is closest to my bed with my trumpet resting close to the foot of the chair. I clear my throat, trying to ignore the awful tension in the pit of my stomach as I took in the sight of the young girls in front of me.

They sat in the dining chairs daintily, their instrument cases set against the wooden chairs as they settled down. Sherry was a frail thing with baby blue eyes and her blonde hair styled in a low pony with a sweet red ribbon tied on the crown of her head. Her baby-blue vest was checkered, worn over a white dress shirt with a blue tie just under her chin. She also wore baggy cornflower shorts that went down just a hair past her knees.

The other girl, Christina, had chocolate brown hair that flowed freely down her back in long tresses, a bit matted. Her attire consisted of a simple pastel pink sweater and blue jeans that fit her legs a bit loosely. Her eyes were the the same shade of light blue as the rest of her siblings along with their button noses and fair skin. It was easy to tell that they were all related—the Kennedy's had very prominent features, especially with those perfect eyes of theirs.

It was hard to believe these girls are going to start high school so soon with how little they look, but I choose not to comment about it, clearing my throat with a cough before speaking.

"So... let's get to know each other before we start anything...!"

Posture is everything, I've learned.

I spent a good half of the two-and-a-half-hours with the girls trying to figure out why they sounded so... stale before realizing that they were both slouching in their seats. Their backs were hunched over the slightest amount to make them sound so weak while playing, and I had noticed only thirty minutes before our session ended.

Sherry and Chris—I had learned that she preferred to be called Chris—sat straight in their respective dining chairs, shoulders back with their bums at the edges of their seats. The younger of the two looked so little with the big ole euphonium planted in their lap that I was worried Sherry couldn't reach the mouthpiece at one point. Despite our bumps throughout the lesson, I came to like the Kennedy Girls.

Sherry, despite looking as fragile as a porcelain doll, wasn't afraid to get dirty. She easily slicked her fingers up with slide grease when I asked her to check her instrument before we tuned together, and even threatened to bet with her older sister about drinking valve oil which I immediately broke up. Even so, she was soft spoken for the most part, only ever getting rowdy if she was talking to her sister.

Chris was naturally smart-mouthed—it reminded me so much of her dear old brother. The difference between her when we first began the lesson to the end was quite apparent, it was hard to believe she was shy at all. The brunette played the trumpet quite well for her age, and I found myself satisfied with how she and Sherry learned so quickly.

"I think that's a enough for today, yeah?" I rest my trumpet on my lap and give the girls a soft smile. They nod in agreement, and I watch their jaws wiggle back and worth uncomfortably. I chuckle softly. "Go ahead and pack up and then I'll walk you two home, okay?"

"Okay!" they hum in unison, immediately reaching for their soft cases beneath their chairs. I get up to set my own instrument on my bed before leaving my bedroom, walking towards the bathroom just down the hall. Halfway through the short distance, a fake cough snaps me out of my thoughts. To my right is Damien's room, the door wide open to show me his lazy self lounging on his messy bed. I raise an eyebrow at him, my arms crossing below my chest.

"What do you want, Dami?" I tap my foot against the ground expectantly. He sticks his tongue out with a blank expression, looking at me upside on his bed.

"You guys are super loud," the idiot comments. You click your tongue at this.

"We're playing brass instruments. Of course we're loud," I walk away from his door and continue towards the bathroom.

I ignore his quips as I wash my hands, making quick work to get back to the girls. When I walk back into my room, I see them close my window and lock it, and an uneasy feeling fills my stomach. The two children notice me with light blushes dusting their faces, and I cock my head to the side questioningly.

"Was I interrupting something...?" I ask hesitantly. They shake their heads as a no, hands behind their back like ducklings as they try to act innocent. I decide it's best to not pester and keep the questions to myself.

"Are you two ready to go home then? I'm sure your dad wants you home for dinner," I walk towards the door of my bedroom, motioning them to follow. I watch them pick up their instruments before waddling up to me.

We walk out to the lower story together, the two girls trailing behind me. I lead the out the door silently, bidding my parents goodbye as we stepped out onto the porch. The autumn sun began to set, painting the sky in perfect hues of gold, pink, and blue as us three walked across the street. The distance to their house was short and sweet, and we stood on the front doorstep in a matter of seconds. The Kennedy Girls turn to face me, crooked-toothed smiles on their faces.

"Thank you for the lesson today, Missus!" they beam, and I feel my heart squeeze. I ignore the fact that they called me "missus" and flash them a smile back.

"Of course. I'll see you girls tomorrow in the high school band room, okay?" I remind them. Sherry looks a bit confused, but Chris quickly nods before dragging her sister into the house. When the door opens, I spot Leon standing a few steps away in the hall, watching us with a glass of milky-pink liquid in his hand.

He looked so innocent and sweet, but I wouldn't be fooled.

The ace has a cold look in his eyes, the same eyes the Kennedy family seemed to all share. His peachy lips are pressed into a tight, thin line as he glares at me from his spot in the hall before he looks down at his sisters with a cheesy smile that reaches his ears. It was almost terrifying how quickly his demeaner changed.

The door shut close with a light slam a soft clicking sound, telling me that the girls locked it.

I hold my breath as I begin the journey back to my home, silently wishing that tonight I can hear the sweet strum of a guitar before I go to bed.

finally the fifth part UHHHH this one kinda sucked i dunno i am kinda just doing what i want but ermmm..,

stay tuned for a self indulgent side story soon,,,,.,.,.,,..?

also yay this is now officially cross-posted on my ao3 under the same username!!

taglist: @bonnibuckets @umooooo74 @kurawooooooo @ilovemen1242 @elliewilliamsno1simp @v1v1dst4rs @iyagikkun @ir3nic-sluvv

[shmules]

what instruments i think the drdt cast would play if they were in high school band

self indulgent drdtposting bc im bored and waiting for pt 2 to drop

teruko: piano (reasoning: its the least likely to break or catch on fire LMFAO)

xander: trombone (reasoning: i picture him emptying his spit valve on the floor like a FREAK also my friend said so)

eden: piano (reasoning: she’s probably got pretty intricate fingers from working w clocks so much so she’d be good at it)

min: flute (reasoning: im a flute player and i relate to her and i say so)

nico: clarinet (reasoning: idk they js give off that vibe… not too loud but not super quiet either. they’re probably pretty good at it too)

whit: trumpet (reasoning: look at him 😭 also he reminds me of someone who used to be in our trumpet section)

hu: bass (reasoning: i dont think hs bands have zither players so that’s the closest i got to what she actually plays)

charles: bass (reasoning: he did it for the community service and art credit so he picked the instrument he thought would be the quickest to learn)

j: drums (quads specifically) (reasoning: all the boys played the drums and she wanted to be “one of the boys”)

arturo: flute (reasoning: i hc that his sister played it and so he picked it up with her. giles siblings fans where are you)

arei: alto saxophone (reasoning: idk i js feel like she’d absolutely shred on the sax. also she kinda reminds me of one of the alto saxes at my school)

rose: xylophone (reasoning: she reminds me of the xylophone player at my school. also she likes the way it sounds)

ace: drums (reasoning: he takes his anger out on them. hes probably not that good either LMAO)

levi: tuba (reasoning: he looks like he could carry around a big heavy instrument)

david: tenor sax (reasoning: he reminds me of the singular tenor sax in my band who’s like an npc and tries so hard to be a leader but fails miserably every time. also hes got that sax player build yk what im saying)

veronika: clarinet (reasoning: she found it aesthetically pleasing. also she wanted to learn the hardest instrument that was available) (idk if clarinet is actually the hardest but ive tried it before and it was pretty difficult)

[jade-gemstone]

I'm a band kid in the thick of band camp and hyperfixated on DRDT so you all get my DRDT marching band headcannons let's go!!!

Ace

Either trumpet or battery

Threatens to quit every year but never does

Veronika

Clarinet

Scares rookies on purpose and befriends the ones that don't run away from her after the first week

Arei

Color Guard

Hates being on flag, prefers to be on weapons

Complains when other people get solos

"Accidentally" hits Arturo with her equipment on a regular basis

J

Battery, tenor drums

Doesn't believe in water breaks

Rose

Pit

Falls asleep under her keyboard during drill learning rehearsals

Xander

The 1 (one) nice trumpet player

Has attempted to mutiny the band director over lack of kept promises in regards to breaks.

Levi

(Bari) Saxophone

The only person who doesn't end up a disheveled mess by the end of band camp (actually uses sunscreen and deodorant and showers every day)

Teruko

She's that one clarinet who's just a bitch that gossips and never stops talking

They've stopped giving her dots on props because the props always break

Goes through at least one reed per week

Hu

Pit

Has snacks out on the sideline and keeps extra water bottles on her

Forces everyone to reapply sunscreen every two hours

Charles

Tuba

Complains about how much he hates the drill every year

Arturo

Baritone

I know a tall skinny baritone player who thinks being mean to people is regular/friendly behavior so

Eden

Mellophone

Gives pep talks before and after every competition

I'm an autistic lesbian who plays mellophone and so is Eden because we are the same person

Min

Flute

Always the first to memorize music and drill

Knows her exact coordinate for every dot

Whit

Saxophone

Decided to learn saxophone because he wanted to learn to play careless whisper

David

Drum Major that used to play mellophone

Gets hit by band camp burn out the fastest and the hardest

Nico

Clarinet

Always plays too quiet

Can't do a single pushup so when asked to do pushups they just lay on the ground trying their best

Extras!!

Whit forcibly befriended Charles their first year by sitting next to him on the bus to every contest

Eden, David, and Hu try to organize lunches with their friends every week of band camp. Only Whit, Xander, and Arei show up to them.

Whit organizes band wide dress up days. Arei makes fun of people who don't participate in them.

[tex-now]

thank you to THESE people who have supplied me with ideas (@wodimewoahtime and @the-one-that-weeps you guys are great)

SO. SOME BIG CHANGES.

will be having a "theme" for each group to make things easier on myself because coming up with an individual theme for everyone is a nightmare. These are just some ideas, and I have more ideas than others for certain groups

WxS: Myths and mystical creatures, card deck, or a marching band.

I'm iffy on the card deck idea because well. World Link. All aces. I don't wanna just steal everything from canon. But if I go through with it... Tsukasa is the joker, Rui is the king, Nene is the queen, and Emu is the Jack (I think that's what it is).

For myths and legends tsukasa would be either a pegasus or a phoenix or even a dragon, Nene would be a mermaid, Emu would be a fairy, and rui would be a wizard/alchemist.

For marching band, Emu would play the tube or trumpet, Nene would play the flute, and rui and tsukasa are the conductor and the drum player I'm not sure which one goes where. This idea is the most cohesive but idk what powers I would give them other than. Music. This idea would actually be based off of the Let Your Song Resonate Throughout the SEKAI event rather than their own event cards.

N:25: Tarot cards. Tarot cards. Tarot cards. Lower save me.

Mizuki is obviously The Reverse Hermit and Kanade is The Reversed Hanged Man, but Mafuyu and Ena are the ones i have to do on my own.

For Mafuyu I'm thinking either Reversed Empress or Reversed Hierophant. Honestly both of them could be incorporated because they represent her during different stages of her development. Maybe if there ends up being like. An evolution of ones costumes. She could look more like the Reversed Empress at the beginning and then end up looking more like Reversed Hierophant at the end. just an idea

I'm looking at Reversed Chariot or Reversed Strength Ena. BUT I'm not 100% sure these represent her character well, so if anyone has anything to say about my choice here then go for it.

MMJ: Tokyo Mew M- I mean animal magical girls. Haruka could be a penguin, shizuku a dove, airi a cat, and maybe squirrel Minori? I need help with Minori. Maybe lamb Minori. Idc that lambs are associated with kohane she's a hamster that's the end of it. Also this is def gonna take from both their DREAM PLACE and Ai No Material outfits.

ANOTHER IDEA!!! their theme could be "gemstones" and they could take from their jewelery box set. Minori is sunstone, Haruka is aquamarine, Shizuku is jade, and Airi is spinel. These gems are all just from the project sekai Jewelery Box card game I think it is?

VBS: Okay so this one is most likely gonna be the most diverse out of all of them. Their theme is seasons. Kohane is spring (because spring baby), An is summer (she just gives off those vibes + her fiery spirit, Akito is fall because of the fact that his name normally gets mistaken for "fall" (look it up its on the wiki) and toya is winter (because mirai).

Akito is going to be based on his Kashika card (I think I can do something with the red strings) An is going to be based on her Machi card, Kohane is going to be based off of her Flyer Card (ty hoc) and her Beat Eater card (big ol hammer), and toya will be based off of his mirai and maybe Valentine's Day cards. Maybe. All of them are most likely going to take elements from blender.

L/N: Times of day. Was originally going to do this with VBS, but I moved it to Leoni.

I'm not too sure about the order but for now I will say that honami is morning, saki is midday, shiho is evening, and ichika is night.

All of them are going to be taking elements from the From Tokyo set, saki especially. Honami is going also use elements from her fea card (if I find a way to incorporate it), Shiho will take from her Draw Your Bow card (idk I like the outfit) and ichika I'm undecided on but she'll either take from her Stage of SEKAI card or her Made To Order card..

That's it

[aceofstars0]

ACE ACE ACE u asked me about my crush i think its only fair i ask u about urs /lh /nf

BFJSHDBHDBDB I SQUEALED

Okkkk SOOOO *twiddles hair twiddles hair*

He's been in my orchestra for technically like 4 years but since our orchestra is literally under 20 people this year we all got suuuper close this year

(key people:)

Me (me, cellist)

Dolphin (crush, violist, he/him)

E (bestie, violist she/her)

S (acquaintance, bassist, she/her)

J (friend, trumpet player, twin 1/2, he/him)

C (friend, flute player, twin 2/2, he/him)

So at our winter concert (all black, funeral attire you know the ordeal) S comments to me saying that he looks good and I'm like. Yeah. Yeah, he does....

AND I ONLY GOT MORE DELULU 🤩🤩🤩

For like the month after that I kinda only admired from afar cuz I started to notice more things I liked about his appearance (he has long hair and thick eyebrows, those were the first things I noticed) but he didnt seem interested in me (he has another friend in the class) so I kept my distance. I actually thought he had something against me, something about me being a weirdo during class (orchestra is when I let out my true personality)(if that was the case then he's a hypocrite) but me and E were talking about doing a duet together and then we were like hey. What if we made it a quartet instead. And Dolphin asked if one of the other cellists was in it and I was like no it's me and he still joined. And like- I kinda have trust issues where I think that literally everyone I'm friends with hates me unless they also have that fear so to see him actually join was like. Ok. Maybe he doesn't hate me with a burning passion.

So we decided on these two songs and like a week after we formed it, our teacher was out. So me, E, and dolphin spent the class together girlfailing at the new songs but I had so much fun. It was my first time actually hanging out with him and ever since then we've been hanging out a lot more (with E, C, J, and Akira)

That's all I'm gonna rant about for now but believe me THERES MORE. this bitch has LAYERS.

[zz-chikorita]

If Leon and Guzma and other characters from your fic were in a historical, real-world AU, what kind of jobs would they have? And what time period?

Oh shit I get to pick the occupation AND time period??? Ok. Give me a sec...

Let's talk 1920's USA🎼🎶🎷🎺🍻🥃🥂:

Guzma is a bootlegger. He started out solo but gained the trust and admiration of many if his peers and is now the head of the gang that bootlegs in that area. He goes by many names like The Boss, Don G, and The Passing Don, to name a few.

Leon is a jazz pianist. Although well known and loved in Europe for the classics, he immigrated to the US to pursue his passion for jazz. He faced far more discrimination due to the color of his skin in this country, making it difficult to get a foothold anywhere. He mainly plays for pennies at illegal speakeasies these days. He's very well liked by patrons for his upbeat personality and "exotic" good looks. His jazz nickname is "Champ"

Plumeria is a suffragette that frequents Guzma's main hang out. She's a sharp tongue and a very good card player. Guzma quickly learns to play her for drinks and not cold hard cash (or, worse, the shirt off his back).

Kukui was recently discharged from the Navy and currently works as a tailor. He comes to the speakeasy regularly to drink away his sorrows and flirt with the dancers.

Kalani is a mechanic who moonlights as a bar tender at the speakeasy. He's also not above helping Guzma out with those rattling vehicles that certainly don't have secret compartments he's installed to smuggle booze.

Raihan was a praised scholar over in Europe, but after immigrating, the best he can land is a job as a barber. The bar is a sweet reprieve from reality.

Piers is a jazz trumpeter. He use to be a jazz singer as well, however, he's decided to live life as the man he is and although he's successfully adjusted his speaking voice with practice, he is unable to make his singing voice sound any less feminine. He focuses solely on his horn now. Although, there's rumors that he will sing private encores for those few he truly trusts.

Imma write a little taste of this AU under the readmore:

Leon wiped the sweat from his brow before placing it back into the pocket of his suit with shaky hands. He's performed in front of audiences of hundreds of people! So, why is simply standing at an unmarked back door in a back alleyway getting to him?

He took a deep breath and patted his cheeks with his palms, an old habit that's become a ritual before every performance. In this case, it helps him keep his bloody nerves, if only a little.

Finally, he knocks on the door and does his best to straighten his suit.

After a moment of no response, Leon is about to knock again when a voice from the other side gruffly demands, "Password."

"P-password?" he replies dumbly.

"No password, no entry."

"Wait! I'm no with the police! A friend telt me ye have a piano? I'm just looking for a gig's all!"

Leon held his breath. There was mumbling on the other side of the door. It sounded like two voices. He looked over his shoulders and then gently pressed his ear to the door.

"...we been lookin' for someone casual. Keep the patrons entertained between sets."

"How ya know he's legit?! Could just be tryna get free booze! And what's with that voice? Queerest Brit I've ever heard!"

The next voice he heard he's certain he would've heard clearly even if he wasn't pressed up against the door:

"ACE! BLACLJACK! What the hell are you numbskulls arguing about this time?"

"There's some kid at the door," the more nasally 'numbskull' explains, "says he plays da keys."

Next thing Leon knew, the door gave way and he stumbled forward, the side of his face landing squarely in the broad chest of a man with a spotless, white suit with hair to match.

Leon quickly scrambled backwards, apologizing profusely.

The man roared with laughter and grabbed the young man by the front of his shirt, practically dragging him through the door.

"He's a bit of a gongoozler as well, eh? But tell you what, kid, I'll let it slide this time since you're so damn pretty." The man winked, and every nerve in Leon's body felt like it was lit aflame.

The man put his hand at Leon's mid back and began to lead him down a dimly lit hallway.

"You sure 'bout lettin' him in here?" the same 'numbskull' from before asked as they walked.

"Ace, the kid says he plays the keys. So let 'im play the keys! If it turns out he's lyin'-"

"We can just kick 'is ass later!" finished the other 'numbskull'.

The white-haired man waggled a finger at him with a grin on his face. "See? Blackjack knows what's up."

They arrived in a large room with a bar, some tables, a decent size stage, and a grand piano sitting just below it.

Being early in the day, there were not many people here. The dark skinned bartender eyed him from where he wiped down the bar. A couple patrons were passed out, bottle or glass in hand. In the very back corner booth, a group of men in suits quietly played cards. One, whose suit could only be described as cut sharp as a razor, appeared to be winning.

As they made their way to the piano, the man's hand still resting gently at the small of Leon's back, said man asked him, "What's your drink?"

"Oh...uh...whisky, I guess."

He called over for the bartender to pour a glass before setting a firm hand on each of Leon's shoulders and forcing him to sit on the piano bench.

Next thing he knew, a lowball glass was thrust into his hand. Without thinking, he started throwing it back.

"A'right, a'right, take it easy, kid," the white haired man scolded, a bit of amusement in his voice, snatching the glass from his hand and setting it up on top of the piano. "You play good, you can have the rest and then some, eh?"

"O-oh! Richt! Umm... what do ye want meh to play?"

"Whatever ya got," he replies cooly, leaning an elbow on the piano, "You sing too?"

"I... umm... I mean... I can... it just... isnae onything special."

The man hummed in thought.

"Alright then. Just play us somethin', don't worry 'bout singin'. If I happen to know it, maybe I'll sing with ya. Sound good?"

"Aye- er... yeah. Ok."

Leon took a breath to center himself. This is the easy part. All he's gotta do is focus on his playing and lose himself in it. Luckily, the few ounces of liquor he just ingested seemed to be helping his nerves as well.

He didn't really think about which song to play; he just started playing and hoped for the best. The tall man seemed to perk up with interest.

Next thing Leon knew, a deep sultry voice sang:

"There was a boy

A very strange enchanted boy

They say he wandered very far

Very far

Over land and sea

A little shy

And sad of eye

But very wise was he-"

Transfixed on the handsome man singing just in his peripheral vision, Leon failed to notice all the heads turning their way, some even beginning to nod in approval or sway to the deliciously languid rhythm.

"And then one day

One magic day he passed my way

And while we spoken of many things

Fools and kings

This he said to me-"

As a professional, Leon didn't waver as the white-haired man moved to stand behind him, placing a large hand on each of his shoulders. Although, it didn't stop the hair on the back of his neck from standing on end.

"The greatest thing

You'll ever learn

Is just to love-"

The man leaned down to his ear.

"And be loved...

in return."

[thicc-astronaut]

You would BELIEVE how stoked I would be about this. I count five methods of recharging (ordinary USB-C power port, AC Power port, Magsafe, Magsafe 2, and replaceable AA batteries), this would make things so easy and you wouldn't have to be so worried about the right cord with you. And the multiple forms of user interface (3.5 mm headphone jack, ear trumpet jack, stylus, keyboard, rotary controls, in addition to the normal touchscreen and bluetooth) would not be something I would necessarily need, but I'm sure could be configured to be much more accommodating to people with disabilities than what the modern iPhones look like now.

This is like actually a better phone in a number of ways

Also imagine how this would be like for musicians? iPhone has always been on a kick for artists, this would be so great for indie musicians. They could have an electric guitar plugged into the guitar jack, a microphone plugged into the XLR jack, and have a sound sample playing in the 8-track player, and they could record a song and then burn a CD for it right then and there in a single session. Heck, a band could use both XLR jacks, and plug a camera into the RCA jacks and record a music video while they're at it.

ok this looks ultra mega based, are you kidding me? can you imagine the bullshit i could get up to with this bad boy? fuck yes i want ten

[total-cards]

Top 10 Most Playable Cards from Pokemon Scarlet & Violet Stellar Crown that you need!

10. Glass Trumpet

Who doesn't love Trainer cards that give you draw power? Say you've lost a couple of Pokemon with Energy Cards attached - it's somewhere no player wants to be. That's where Glass Trumpet comes in. This card, so long as you have Tera Pokemon in play and two Benched colourless Pokemon, will allow you to draw up to 2 Basic Energy cards from your discard pile!

You can only use this card if you have any Tera Pokemon in play.

Choose up to 2 of your Benched Colourless Pokemon and attach a Basic Energy card from your discard pile to each of them. With this card, you can start to ramp up your Benched Colourless Pokemon with Energy Cards you may have previously lost! This card can obviously have a pretty strong combo with certain Pokemon, so it's definitely worth a look.

9. Briar

Briar, who debuted in the Teal Mask DLC for the video game, is a Supporter card that can turn the tides and win you the game depending on certain circumstances. With an ability that is restricted by how many Prize cards your opponent has left, Briar can increase the amount of Prize cards you take.

You can use this card only if your opponent has exactly 2 Prize cards remaining.

During this turn, if your opponent's Active Pokemon is Knocked Out by damage from an attack used by your Tera Pokemon, take 1 more Prize card.

Combine this with any 2-Prize card Pokemon (which all Tera Pokemon are) and you could win the game or turn the tables on your opponent.

8. Noctowl

A card you can find within packs of Stellar Crown, or guarantee if you purchase an Elite Trainer Box, Noctowl has a pretty sweet buff if you have a Tera Pokemon deck. If you want free Trainer cards, then check out the ability Jewel Seeker:

(Ability) Jewel Seeker Once during your turn, when you play this Pokemon from your hand to evolve 1 of your Pokemon, if you have any Tera Pokemon in play, you may search your deck for up to 2 Trainer cards, reveal them, and put them into your hand. Then, shuffle your deck.

[Colourless] [Colourless] Speed Wind - 60

Essentially, if you're evolving Hoothoot to Noctowl and you have Tera Pokemon in play, you'll get to search your deck unrestricted for any two Trainer Cards. This could really put you over the edge, and it's such an accessible card too!

7. Grand Tree

ACE SPEC cards have been making a huge comeback lately, and there's one card that really stands out to us in Stellar Crow: Grand Tree. This card is a Stadium Card that allows you to, in all essence, evolve your Pokemon twice. The downsides are that you must have a Basic Pokemon in play for at least one turn, but this is basic Pokemon rules so nothing new - and that each player benefits from this, so definitely something to consider when running this card.

Once during each player's turn, that player may search their deck for a Stage 1 Pokemon that evolves from 1 of their Basic Pokemon and put it onto that Pokemon to evolve it. If that Pokemon was evolved in this way, that player may search their deck for a Stage 2 Pokemon that evolves from that Pokemon and put it onto that Pokemon to evolve it. Then, that player shuffles their deck. (Players can't evolve a Basic Pokemon during their first turn or a Basic Pokemon that was put into play this turn.)

Though this card won't work particularly well with any Pokemon that have "play from hand" abilities, as these will not fire, its a card that offers consistency and allows you to cultivate the benefits turn after turn - so long as Grand Tree remains in play as the Active Stadium.

6. Galvantula ex

If you have Energy to spare, or have discard pile draw, who doesn't want to lock their opponent out of using beneficial Item cards? Galvantula ex does just that. Paying 1 Grass, 1 Electric and 1 Fighting Energy allows you to not only clobber your opponent's Active Pokemon for 180, but also triggers an ability that prevents them from playing any Item cards from their hand during their next turn.

[Electric][Colourless] Charged Web - 110+

If your opponent's Active Pokemon is a Pokemon ex or a Pokemon V, this attack does 110 more damage.

[Grass][Electric][Fighting] Fulgurite - 180

Discard all Energy from this Pokemon. During your opponent's next turn, they can't play any Item cards from their hand.

So long as you have a combo that allows you to recover that Energy from your discard pile, this card will be a powerful one to add to your deck with the added bonus of angering your opponent!

5. Joltik

You want Energy?! You like electrified spiders?! Then why don't you have Joltik in your deck! Joltik can not only possibly benefit you when preparing to whip out that Galvantula ex card, but it also benefits your other Pokemon as you can draw 4 Energy from your deck at the cost of 1 Colourless Energy!

[Colourless] Jolting Charge

Search your deck for up to 2 Basic Grass Energy cards and up to 2 Basic Electric Energy cards and attach them to your Pokemon in any way you like. Then, shuffle your deck.

At a low cost for that Energy draw, and a powerful Stage 1 Pokemon to evolve into, why wouldn't you want to pick up this adorable arachnid?

4. Lacey

Albeit not the most powerful card that Stellar Crown has to offer, it's arguably one of the most popular. Lacey, particularly the SAR, allows you to essentially half-mulligan. We say half-mulligan, as you'll only get to redraw 4 cards unless certain conditions are met.

Shuffle your hand into your deck. Then, draw 4 cards. If your opponent has 3 or fewer Prize cards remaining, draw 8 cards instead.

If you're nearing the end of the game and find your hand just...sucks...Lacey will allow you to ditch those cards back into your deck and draw 4 more - 8 if your opponent is absolutely demolishing you. This could really turn the tide for you, though it has limited competitive potential. That doesn't matter though, the artwork alone is a big reason to pick this up!

3. Zeraora

This card may be in this list on artwork alone. The attack Zeraora offers isn't too bad, you pay 1 Electric and 1 Colourless to use Combat Thunder which does 20+ damage. Sounds measly, but if your opponent has a stacked bench you could very well get 120 damage out very quickly.

[Electric][Colourless] Combat Thunder - 20+

This attack does 20 more damage or each of your opponent's Benched Pokemon.

The artwork though...the colour and vibrancy, mixed with the action-packed depiction of Zeraora, it's definitely a card to pick up for your collection! But if you have the next card, Zeraora could definitely be much more beneficial...

2. Area Zero Underdepths

Area Zero Underdepths. The Hyper Rare card boasts a big reason to pick this up - but the ability it offers just bolsters that even more! A stadium that will increase your benched Pokemon to 8 so long as you have a Tera Pokemon in play.

Each player who has any Tera Pokemon in play can have up to 8 Pokemon on their Bench.

If a player no longer has any Tera Pokemon in play, that player discards Pokemon from their bench until they have 5. When this card leaves play, both players discard Pokemon from their Bench until they have 5, and the player who played this card discards first.

It's definitely important to keep an eye on your Tera Pokemon with this stadium out, especially if you find your opponent is hammering you with damage. But you can combine this with a bunch of different cards, such as Zeraora who we've slotted in at number 3.

1. Terapagos ex

This is easily the most sought-after card in the set. The Special Illustration Rare of Terapagos ex is pretty much the most expensive card, and probably the hardest to pull. Combine this with Area Zero Underdepths, and you've got a pretty killer Tera Pokemon in play.

[Colourless][Colourless] Unified Beatdown - 30 x

If you go second, you can't use this attack during your first turn. This attack does 30 damage for each of your Benched Pokemon.

[Grass][Water][Electric] Crown Opal - 180

During your opponent's next turn, prevent all damage done to this Pokemon by attacks from Basic non Colourless Pokemon.

Unified Beatdown is insane if you have 8 Benched Pokemon, racking up 240 damage - 150 if you have the standard 50. Not to mention Crown Opal allows you to prevent incoming damage during your opponent's next turn if there attacking with a Basic non Colourless Pokemon. Terapagos ex is pretty insane, in looks and power alike.

This concludes our Top 10 list of the best cards from Stellar Crown. Did you agree with our list? Or did you have a different idea? Let us know down below!

If you're still in need of Stellar Crown, or need to pick up some of the cards in this list and more, be sure to check out everything Stellar Crown we have to offer!

[brookstonalmanac]

Birthdays 10.8

Beer Birthdays

Nicholas Bastendorff (1842)

Jackson Koehler (1851)

Cornelius Antonius Van Ginderachter (1859)

Bryan Kolesar (1971)

Modern Microbrewery (1976)

Garrett W. Marrero (1978)

Five Favorite Birthdays

Chevy Chase; actor, comedian (1943)

Matt Damon; actor (1970)

Frank Herbert; writer (1920)

Harvey Pekar; comic book artist, writer (1939)

Heinrich Schütz; German composer (1585)

Famous Birthdays

Julia Ann; adult actress (1969)

Tommy Armour III; golfer (1959)

Terry Balsamo; American guitarist (1972)

Rona Barrett; gossip columnist (1936)

Steven Bernstein; trumpet player (1961)

Emily Blackwell; physician (1826)

Nick Cannon; actor, rapper (1980)

William Corlett; English author and playwright (1938)

Reed Hastings; Netflix co-founder (1960)

Paul Hogan; Australian actor (1939)

Jesse Jackson; politician, activist (1941)

Kari Korhonen; Finnish cartoonist (1973)

Dennis Kucinich; politician (1946)

Kristanna Loken; model, actor (1979)

Bruno Mars; pop singer (1985)

Harriet Taylor Mill; philosopher, women's rights activist (1807)

Richard Morris; English archaeologist (1947)

Blake Morrison; English poet (1950)

Mark Oliphant; Australian physicist (1901)

Juan Peron; Argentine leader (1895)

Emily Procter; actress (1968)

Eddie Rickenbacker; pilot, World War I Ace (1890)

Johnny Ramone; rock guitarist (1948)

Albert Roux; French-English chef (1935)

R.L. Stine; writer (1943)

Bella Thorne; actress (1997)

Marina Tsvetaeva; Russian poet (1892)

Bill Vaughan; writer (1915)

Sigourney Weaver; actor (1949)

Clarence Williams; pianist and composer (1893)

Stephanie Zimbalist; actor (1956)

Bill Zorn; folk musician (1947)

[viperrot]

⇁high school sweethearts | leon kennedy | pt. 4

resident evil 4 remake leon s. kennedy x fem!band-student!reader high school au

you have a sweet encounter with leon, and there's already talk of ada and leon being together despite the moment you shared.

pt.1 pt.2 pt.3

content contains: mild angst, is this even enemies to lovers? i dont know anymore., mean leon, cliches, story is told in first person, reader is a bit shy and is an oboe and trumpet player!, leon and reader are in their juniour year, fictional town set around 1980!

not proofread i am sleepy

2119 words

song rec: "dust in the wind" by kansas

Teaching the fundamentals of music was no easy feat.

As I sat in the center of my room, a felt a growing frustration sit in the pit of my stomach as my eyes darted from paper to paper, thinking of ways to teach dynamics and balancing to middle schoolers. My music books from years ago were scattered around me, terrorizing each cell in my brain as I painstakingly search for simpler ways to teach these techniques to my students, who'll be coming over for their first lesson tomorrow afternoon.

The night breeze flowed from my open window, making some of the scores flitter around. I sigh tiredly, flopping down to lay on my back in an attempt to calm my nerves. The carpet beneath me tickled my cheek as I turned to lay on my side, my hands fiddling with the white fabric as the cool air soothed me. Slowly, my eyes drooped closed as I succumbed to sleep.

But the moment is short lived.

Drifting to my ears was the sweet sound of a guitar, echoing from wall-to-wall in my bedroom. The tune was vaguely familiar, and I found myself crawling to my little window nook in curiosity. I plop myself up on the small seat, peeping out of the window to search for the source of the sound. The streetlights flickered outside, the road silent save for the sweet music playing in the distance. My eyes focus on the house across from my own, squinting at the window parallel from me.

A warm glow emanated from the opened glass, inviting me to take a look. I can't see too much save for a desk with the source of the light on top of it. I bite my lower lip anxiously as I stare from my own window, wondering if that's where I'm hearing the music from.

Suddenly, the strings stop playing, and feel a sense of sorrow as silence fills the night. As I get up to go back to my spot on the floor, a familiar figure makes way to the window across the street.

Leon slumps down into his desk chair, placing an ebony guitar on his desk with a thump!. Immediately, I notice a string dangling from the side of the lump of wood, and I realize that he had been the one playing tonight. The blonde ace digs through the drawers of his desk, fishing out a roll of string and some other tools I couldn't quite name. Curiously, I watch the boy change the string, carefully tuning his seemingly well-loved acoustic guitar as he pokes his tongue out in concentration. When he was satisfied with the way it sounded after playing a short practice tune, he went back to playing, relaxing in his desk chair.

It was mesmerizing.

The way his fingers effortlessly plucked at the strings made my brain buzz. Deftly, he played chords that went along with Kansas' "Dust in the Wind". The music whistled to me across the street, throwing me into a trance as I rest my head on the window sill.

If I focused hard enough, I could hear Leon singing the lyrics beneath his breath, as if muttering them were a sin. His blonde locks of hair framed his face perfectly, the yellow glow of his desk-light contouring the lines of his strong jaw. My heart fluttered oddly at the peaceful sight. The further into the song Leon got, the louder he would get. I eventually heard him clearly from across the street.

Completely enamored, I lost myself in the sickeningly sweet voice of his, humming along with the ace from my spot. As Leon sang, he looked up from his instrument, and we locked eyes.

His lips don't stop moving.

Leon continues to serenade me, seemingly unbothered by our recent issues. The ocean blue of his eyes hooked me in, and I could no longer focus on the way his voice sounded or how the pads of his fingers drifted across the fretboard of his guitar. His voice went through one ear and out the other, and I could feel my breath hitch in my parched throat. I'm completely unaware of how the song has ended, our stares never faltered.

His lips are pressed into a straight line as he looks at me from across the street, baby blues gazing into my own.

And then I wave.

I fucking wave at him.

In my awkward trance, my hand swings back and forth in front of me, greeting him with a cheesy smile from my window. Leon waves back, just as awkwardly, as he threads his other hand through his hair, his guitar tucked securely in his lap. I feel a blush creep up my neck, flushing the skin a soft pink as I bite the inside of my cheek. Suddenly, I get an idea.

I lift my index finger in the air, silently asking him to wait. I see his eyebrows knit together confusedly as I turn away from my window, rummaging around my room to find my old black board and a piece of chalk from my book bag. I sit on my knees on the nook of my window, scribbling my thoughts onto the board before showing it to Leon.

"You play beautifully," I wrote to him in neat letters. I see Leon squint, his eyes trying to adjust to the dim streetlights. Leon moves quickly to set his guitar to the side to then dig through his desk drawers, pulling out a spiral notebook and a ballpoint pen. In big, red, and sloppy penmanship, he writes back,

"THANKS I'M GLaD yOu LIKE THE sERenAdE."

My eyes crease as I giggle at him from across the road when I notice how horrendous his writing is, facing my blackboard to myself to reply to him.

"How long have you been playing?" I question him, trying to write large enough for him to read. Leon scribbles on a new page.

"LIKE ?? SINCE I waS 7?" He responds, his lettering bold and messy.

"That's interesting. You didn't strike me as a music person," I write. I see Leon's face burn a soft pink despite the gap between us. He flips to a new page, quickly jotting down his response.

"RUnS iN THE fAmILY. DAD LoVES MUSiC," he flashes the paper to me, the paper crinkling beneath his tight grip. I nod at him from my end, smiling softly. I smudge off the chalk on my board.

"Well, it was beautiful," I show him the board before writing another response. "You should sing more often."

"WiLL You LISTeN IF i DO?" He asks me, an odd look in his eyes as he stares at me from his desk. I gape at him slightly, unsure of how to respond to the ace. Hesitantly, I nod, and I see a sheepish grin paint across his face.

"Goodnight, Leon," I bid him farewell before setting my small blackboard down, shutting the window with a soft click!. I gaze at Leon from behind the glass, seeing him wave at me with his notebook in the other hand.

"NIGHTY-NiGHT," it says in the worst handwriting I've ever seen. I giggle softly before I draw the curtains closed.

That night, I had a sweet dream.

The next day, I'm walking through the halls with my Sony Walkman buzzing through my skull, blasting "Brandy (You're a Fine Girl)" by Looking Glass into my ears. I had thirty minutes before the first period bell rings, giving me enough time to hang out with the girls as I always do. Entering the lunch room, I immediately spot the group of girls at a round table tucked into a corner.

"Sweet pea~!!" Samantha practically shouts above the crowd from her seat atop the table, waving her arm in the air. I jog up to her and the rest of the girls, greeting them with a smile.

"Is that your new oboe?" Patti points her daintily manicured index finger at the thin, black case in my left hand.

"Yeah... I tried playing it over the weekend. It's a bit poor quality for the level I play at, but it'll last me until our concert season officially begins," I sigh, frowning softly.

"Man...!" Lucy sniffles. "This is terrible! I can't believe Leon would do that to you--I mean, one of our best players gets their signature instrument trashed? That's honestly a sin!!" The blonde shoved her face into her hands, and I was worried that she was about to cry. Samantha huffs at this.

"It's whatever. We're going to be starting our fundraiser when football season starts up here in a few weeks, so we'll get her a new oboe by then," the ravenette says confidently, rubbing her hand onto my shoulder. I squirm in my seat as I think of whether or not I should tell them about what happened last night.

"Speakin' of Kennedy, have you heard about him and Ada Wong?" Patti mentions, and I visibly perk up at the subject.

"Wong?? What about her?" Samantha quirked an eyebrow, her fingers lacing together under her chin as she looked at our friend curiously.

"Apparently, her and Leon are dating! They went on a date over the weekend, and even went to Hattie's!" Patti rambled excitedly, eager to share the new info that's probably spreading around the schools like wildfire. I hear Samantha scoff next to me, and I just know she's rolling her eyes.

"Of course, he's in cahoots with her of all people," she scowls. "Dami's girl—he's probably trying to spite the poor guy," Samantha audibly recalls my brother's past relationship with the class president. I pout slightly at her suggestion, praying that wasn't true.

For the sake of my brother or for the sake of myself, I'm unsure.

"Are you sure they're dating? I mean..." I tap my fingers against my bottom lip in thought. "Leon's only been in Everglade for less than a week... How could he jump into Ada's tits so quickly?" I question. Patti shrugs her shoulders.

"Ada's got that charm, I guess," she scoffs gently. I hum in response, not sure on how to respond. I look down at the charms on my oboe case, which I had transferred from my old case. The bunny stared back at me with its beady, black eyes, comforting me. I look back up at my group to tell them about what happened last night, but I'm stopped when I see the devil walk past our little table.

In a woody-brown Carhartt jacket, blue jeans, and worn-out Timberlands was Leon Scott Kennedy. In his hands was a carton of strawberry milk, tossed up and down as he sauntered past our table. I watched his face closely, noticing immediately how he took a quick peek at me from the corner of his eyes. When he's out of earshot, the girls all sigh at the same time, as if they held their breaths the entire time he was within 5 feet of us.

"His ass is so tight in those jea-"

"Patti!!!"

"Sorry, Sam..."

I stifle a giggle behind the palm of my hand, a blush painting my face red as Samantha scolds the poor brunette for ogling at the "new" guy. I ignore them as I watch Leon take a seat at a long table near the center of the lunchroom. He's cozy next to Ada Wong, who's sporting a scarlet-hued sweater over a black collared shirt. Her hair is perfectly styled, like always, and there's a soft red gloss on her lips. There's an odd feeling in the pit of my stomach as I watch Leon swing his arm over her shoulder, pulling her into a side-hug situation. The smile on his face is wide, and he looks at-ease in his table filled with sweat-rags and other jock freakazoids.

"You have to admit, they do look good together," my best friend hums, looking over at me. I give Samantha a small frown in return, nodding in agreement as we all stole glances at the terrible sight in front of us.

Leon looks up at me for a split second, but it feels like ages to me. I see his fingers twitch on Ada's shoulder, as if he was planning to wave at me, but he stops himself.

His attention returns to the woman in red.

"I guess we shouldn't have expected much from a Greenvale student," Patti yawns, turning her attention to the dirt between her nails. The table exchanges mumbles of agreement, and I feel the feeling in my tummy get worse for some reason. The girls chat among themselves as I lose myself in my thoughts.

Chemistry is going to be awful.

i wanted to make this chapter a little sweet as an apology for the lack of updates AND as a thank you for 100 followers! it means so much to me that you guys are all so supportive :,]

a little taglist: @bonnibuckets @umooooo74 @kurawooooooo @ilovemen1242

[jpbjazz]

LÉGENDES DU JAZZ

JONAH JONES, ‘’KING LOUIS II’’

''The essence of his style was to swing. His whole thing was to communicate, and that's why he stuck with the melodies. He always said of himself that he was not a chord player, like Dizzy Gillespie and Roy Eldridge and Charlie Shavers; he was more of a melody player.''

- Jimmy Owens

Né le 31 décembre 1909 à Louisville, au Kentucky, Robert Elliott Jones est issu d’un milieu modeste. Jones avait commencé à s’intéresser à la musique à l’âge de onze ans après avoir vu un orchestre d’enfants jouer dans la rue. Jones était particulièrement fasciné par le trombone (le groupe était composé de cinq trombonistes). Le tromboniste Hess Grundy avait alors informé la famille de Jones que l’harmonie scolaire que Jonah avait vu jouer prétait des instruments et donnait des cours gratuitement. Les bras de Jones étant trop courts à l’époque pour jouer du trombone, il s’était rabattu sur la trompette.

En 1919, Jones s’était joint au Booker T. Washington Community Center Band où on lui a appris à lire la musique. Jones commence alors à interpréter à tous les dimanches des ouvertures de compositeurs comme Franz von Suppé, Rossini et Tchaikovsky ainsi que des hymnes religieux. Lors des parades, Jones jouait aussi des marches du compositeur américain John Philip Sousa. Parmi les membres du groupe, on retrouvait deux filles, Helen Humes, la future chanteuse de l’orchestre de Count Basie, et la future épouse de Jones, Elizabeth Bowles, la soeur du tromboniste Russell ��Bowles (qui joue également avec la formation), ainsi que le tromboniste Dicky Wells.

C’est en jouant avec le groupe que Jones aurait hérité de son surnom de Jonah. Le chef de l’harmonie, Lockwood Lewis, ayant une forte tendance à bégayer, il avait pris l’habitude d’appeler ses musiciens par leur nom de famille. Jones ignorant tout à ses débuts des dièses et des bémols, il faisait donc de nombreuses fausses notes, ce qui avait tendance à mettre Lewis en colère. Lewis se mettait alors à crier: «Jooo-nah! D-d-don’t you see th-the-that’s the wrong note?».

Après avoir joué du saxophone pendant un an, Jones avait commencé à jouer du mellophone (une sorte de cornet), avant de passer à la trompette vers 1921. Jones a même l’occasion de remplacer Maurice Horton avec les Wilberforce Collegians à Springfield, en Ohio, où il démontre ses habiletés à déchiffrer les partitions. Comme Jones l’avait expliqué plus tard: «We didn’t know nothing about jazz until we grew up and hear more.» Durant son séjour à Louiseville, Jones avait également joué avec des groupes locaux comme les Tinsley's Royal Aces et les Perdue's Pirates.

À la fin de 1927, en se rendant à l’école, Jones passe devant un magasin de disques et entend un enregistrement sur lequel un trompettiste joue de façon inusitée. Intrigué, Jones économise patiemment les 75 sous nécessaires à l’achat du disque (probablement «Hotter Than That»/«Savoy Blues» de Louis Armstrong) et commence à l’écouter sur le phonographe familial. Armstrong était d’ailleurs une des principales influences de Jones.

DÉBUTS DE CARRIÈRE

En 1927-28, Jones est engagé pour travailler sur le Island Queen, un vapeur qui fait la navette entre Coney Island et La Nouvelle-Orléans. Dirigé par le tromboniste Wallace Bryant, l’orchestre se produit exclusivement devant un auditoire blanc et prolonge ses concerts jusqu’à une heure du matin. Lors d’une escale, le vapeur fait un long séjour de quatre à six semaines à La Nouvelle-Orléans, ce qui permet à Jones de parfaire sa connaissance du jazz de La Nouvelle-Orléans. Il expliquait: ‘’It was a great thing for us because a lot of trumpet players down there played like Louis Armstrong… We’d find a place to go out and learn more about jazz, because I didn’t know nothing about jazz when I was young.’’ Décrivant son admiration pour Armstrong, Jones avait ajouté: “Louis could do no wrong. That guy was like a God to me. He had everything, tone, technique, feeling.” 

De retour à Louisville, Jones se produit avec des groupes locaux. En 1928, Jones se joint à l’orchestre de Horace Henderson (le frère de Fletcher) à Cleveland. Parmi les membres du groupe d’Henderson, on retrouvait aussi Joe Thomas au saxophone ténor, et possiblement Roy Eldridge à la trompette. À partir de janvier 1930, Jones fait la tournée avec les frères Hardy (notamment à Indianapolis, Richmond, Cincinnati, Detroit et Cleveland) et devient un des dix membres des «Troubadors» de Wesley Helvey à Cincinnati. Après avoir passé quelques mois avec l’orchestre de Jimmie Lunceford avec lequel il se familiarise avec les arrangements de Sy Oliver (plus particulièrement au Lafayette Theatre de New York en 1931), Jones se joint au violoniste Stuff Smith à Buffalo et à New York (1932-34).

En 1935, Jones obtient un engagement régulier avec l’orchestre de Lil Hardin-Armstrong. Admirant la puissance et le panache du jeu de Jones, Hardin le considère comme le trompettiste le plus apparenté à Louis Armstrong et le surnomme «King Louis II». Le fait de jouer avec Hardin permet à Jones de connaître la popularité en interprétant le répertoire de son idole Louis Armstrong. Il se produit notamment au Lafayette Theatre de New York, au Lincoln Theatre de Philadelphie, au Ross Theatre de Baltimore et à l’Howard Theatre de Washington. Jones avait d’ailleurs toujours reconnu avoir bâti son style en se basant sur le jeu d’Armstrong dans les années 1929 à 1932.

Après avoir quitté le groupe d’Hardin lors d’un séjour à Detroit, Jones joue durant un certain temps avec les légendaires McKinney’s Cotton Pickers, avant de retrouver Stuff Smith à L’Onyx Club et au Silver Grill de Buffalo au tarif de vingt-cinq dollars par semaine. Après avoir pris la relève de Smith comme leader du groupe, Jones rejoint le violoniste à New York où il s’installe sur une base permanente en janvier 1936. Très populaire, le groupe a de nombreux succès à son actif dont ‘’You’se a Vipe’’, ‘’Tain’t No Use’’, ‘’Here Comes the Man With the Jive’’,’’Old Joe’s Hitting the Jug’’ (1936) et ‘’It Ain’t Right’’ (1937). Le producteur John Hammond propose alors à Jones et Smith de participer à une émission de radio avec Ella Fitzgerald et des membres de l’orchestre de Chick Webb. Avec Smith, Jones a également fait des apparitions dans des films comme March of Time et Thanks for Listening (1937).

À l’époque, Jones est aussi très lié avec Bunny Berigan, le trompettiste soliste de l’orchestre de Tommy Dorsey. Avec Berigan, Jones devient un assidu du Rhythm Club de Lenox Avenue, se produisant souvent jusqu’à une heure du matin. Également très sollicité par d’autres chefs d’orchestres, Jones collabore notamment avec le pianiste Teddy Wilson, le batteur Cozy Cole et les saxophonistes Johnny Hodges et Harry Carney. Jones enregistre entre autres le 30 juin 1936 la pièce ‘’Why Do Lie to Myself About You?’’ pour les disques Brunswick. Au cours de la même session, Jones enregistre également avec la chanteuse Billie Holiday des chansons comme ‘’It’s Like Reaching For the Moon’’, ‘’These Foolish Things’’, ‘’I Cried for You’’ et ‘’Guess Who’’. Le 19 novembre de la même année, Jones retrouve de nouveau Wilson dans le cadre d’une session mettait en vedette Benny Goodman, Ben Webster et Cozy Cole (dans le cadre de la pièce ‘’Sailin’’). Le 12 janvier 1937, Jones enregistre de nouveau avec Holiday avec Edgar Sampson au saxophone alto.

Jones travaille également avec Lionel Hampton qui l’engage le 16 août 1937 avec la section rythmique de Stuff Smith (composée de Bobby Bennett à la guitare, de Mack Wilson à la contrebasse et de Cozy Cole à la batterie), le clarinettiste Eddie Barefield et le pianiste Clyde Hart dans le cadre d’une session comprenant les pièces ‘’Drum Stomp (Crazy Rhythm)’’ et ‘’I Surrender Dear.’’ Le 18 mars 1940, Jones enregistre aussi la pièce ‘’Sixth Street’’ avec les Dixielanders de Lil Hardin (composés de Don Stovall au saxophone alto, de Russell Jones au saxophone ténor, de Wellman Braud, à la contrebasse et de Manzie Johnson à la batterie).

En 1940, Jones se joint à l’orchestre de Benny Carter avec qui il enregistre ‘’Babalu’’ en janvier 1941. Sur l’invitation du trompettiste Russell Smith, Jones collabore également avec l’orchestre de Fletcher Henderson, avec qui il se produit au célèbre Roseland Ballroom. En 1941, Jones collabore aussi brièvement avec l’orchestre de Tommy Dorsey. Mais la carrière de Jones ne décolle vraiment que lorsqu’on lui demande de remplacer Mario Bauza avec l’orchestre de Cab Calloway. Véritable groupe tout-étoile, l’orchestre de Calloway regroupe à l’époque les plus grands noms du jazz: Lamar Wright Sr., et Dizzy Gillespie à la trompette, Tyree Glenn, Quentin Jackson et Keg Johnson au trombone, Jerry Blake, Hilton Jefferson et Walter Foots Thomas au saxophone alto, Chu Berry au saxophone ténor, Danny Barker à la guitare, Milt Hinton à la contrebasse et Cozy Cole à la batterie. De fait, Jones avait fait une impression immédiate sur Calloway,  qui l’avait immortalisé dès son arrivée avec le groupe en enregistrant une pièce en son honneur intitulée ‘'Jonah Joins the Cab'' dans lequel il interprête un long solo.

Jones a également été en vedette dans plusieurs autres enregistrements de l’orchestre comme ‘’Take the ’A’ Train’’, ‘’Hey Doc!’’ et ‘’Smooth-One.’’ Sur cette dernière pièce, Gillespie avait d’ailleurs été remplacé par Russell Smith et Shad Collins, car, lassé des mauvaises blagues du trompettiste, Calloway avait décidé de le congédier temporairement. Jones expliquait:

‘’En 1941, tandis que Cab chantait et dansait devant l’orchestre, nous nous amusions Dizzy et moi à faire des boulettes de papier mâché et à les envoyer tout autour de Cab. Un jour, agacé de voir toutes ces boulettes autour de lui, Cab s’en prit à Dizzy, l’accusant de vouloir le ridiculiser, et se mit à l’invectiver violemment. Dizzy prit fort mal la chose et les deux compères en vinrent aux mains, à la suite de quoi, Cab chassa Dizzy… J’intervins pour revendiquer la moitié des boulettes et expliquer à Cab que, tout compte fait, mieux valait que ce soit moi qui parte plutôt que Dizzy. Mais rien n’y fit, et Dizzy dut quitter l’orchestre’’.

Lorsque l’orchestre de Calloway fait une apparition dans le film Stormy Weather en 1943, Jones est de nouveau de la partie, aux côtés des trompettistes Lamar Wright Sr., Russell Smith et Shad Collins. Continuant d’enregistrer avec le groupe par la suite, Jones collabore aux pièces ‘’I’m Making Believe’’ (1944), ‘’The Honeydripper, ‘’Afternoon Moon’’,’’The Jungle King’’ (en petite formation avec Hilton Jefferson au saxophone alto et Sam Taylor au saxophone ténor), ‘’The Huckle-buck»» (avec Bernie Peacock au saxophone alto et Sam Taylor au ténor), ‘’Ol’ Joe Louis’’, ‘’Your Voice’’ (avec John Ewing au trombone et Leon Washington au ténor) et ‘’Oobli-a-da’’ (avec Tyree Glenn au trombone et Ike Quebec au saxophone ténor). Jones est également utilisé à l’occasion comme chanteur.

Parallèlement à son travail avec l’orchestre, Jones enregistre en juin 1944 avec les Keynoters de Charlie Shavers qui comprend Budd Johnson au saxophone ténor, et avec qui il enregistre les standards ‘’You’re Driving Me Crazy’’ et ‘’I’ve Found a New Baby.’’ Comme leader, Jones enregistre également le 20 septembre 1944 avec Tyree Glenn au trombone, Hilton Jefferson au saxophone, Buster Harding au piano, Milt Hinton à la contrebasse et J.C. Heard à la batterie. Très prolifique, Jones participe cinq jours plus tard à une session avec Ike Quebec pour Blue Note. Le mois suivant, Jones se joint aux Jump Cats de Walter Thomas aux côtés de Hilton Jefferson, Eddie Barefield et Coleman Hawkins avec qui il enregistre la pièce ‘’Every Man For Himself.’’ En 1945, Jones retrouve de nouveau Lil Hardin et enregistre une nouvelle version de ‘’Confessin’’’ avec J.C. Higginbotham au trombone et le légendaire Warren ‘’Baby’’ Dodds à la batterie. Le 6 juillet de la même année, Jones se joint à Milt Hinton pour une nouvelle session de quatre pièces pour les disques Keynote. De nouveau comme leader, Jones enregistre avec Hilton Jefferson, Buster Bailey, Ike Quebec, Danny Barker et J.C. Heard les titres ‘’Hubba Hubba Hub’’ et ‘’Stompin’ at the Savoy.’’ Le mois suivant, Jones embauche Hilton Jefferson et Joe Thomas pour une nouvelle session de quatre pièces pour Keynote.

Le 4 septembre 1946, toujours avec ses Cats (formés de Tyree Gleen, Rudy Powell, Ike Quebec, Dave Rivera, Milt Hinton et Kansas Fields), Jones réalise un de ses meilleurs enregistrements en carrière: une version du standard ‘’I Can’t Give You Anything But Love.’’ L’enregistrement est si parfait qu’il fait dire au critique français Hughes Panassié qu’il s’agit ‘’assurément {de} l’une des deux ou trois meilleures interprétations que Jonah Jones ait enregistrées.’’ Pour sa part, Charles Delauney explique dans un article publié dans le magazine Jazz Hot en 1950: ’’Des centaines de séances auxquelles j’ai assisté, c’est certainement celle que j’eus de faire avec Jonah Jones au cours de mon premier séjour aux Etats-Unis qui m’a laissé la plus forte impression. […] A la fin de chaque interprétation, il régnait dans le studio une ambiance vraiment incroyable, au point que, l’exécution une fois terminée, l’atmosphère restait saturée de sons.’’

Mais toute bonne chose a une fin, et Calloway dissout son orchestre en 1951. Jones forme alors son propre quartet et commence à bâtir la formule qui sera sa marque de commerce au cours des décennies suivantes. Le quartet de Jones est alors composé de George "River Rider" Rhodes au piano, de John "Broken Down" Browne à la contrebasse et d’Harold "Hard Nuts" Austin à la batterie. Le plus grand succès du groupe à l’époque était une version du classique "On The Street Where You Live", un ancien succès de Broadway remis au goût du jour sur un air de blues et de boogie woogie. Vendue à un million d’exemplaires, la pièce avait été le premier grand succès de la carrière de Jones.

Parallèlement à sa carrière comme leader, Jones se produit aussi pendant quatre semaines avec le pianiste Joe Bushkin au club Embers de la 52e rue, avant de se joindre au sextet d’Earl Hines (début 1952 à 1953), qui comprend Aaron Sachs au saxophone ténor, Bennie Green au trombone, Tommy Potter à la contrebasse, Osie Johnson ou Art Blakey à la batterie. C’est d’ailleurs à cette époque que Jones avait commencé à jouer avec une sourdine. En effet, les propriétaires du club Embers, qui désiraient établir une atmosphère plus calme pour leur nouveau restaurant, avaient demandé à Jones de jouer de façon moins explosive. Même si le jeu de Jones était très inspiré du style agressif de Louis Armstrong, il était capable de jouer dans un style beaucoup plus doux.

Devenu un incontournable du club Embers, Jones avait éventuellement fait de l’établissement la base de ses opérations. Il se produisait au club durant vingt semaines par année. Quand même pas mal pour un engagement qui ne devait initialement durer qu’une semaine ! Parallèlement à sa carrière aux États-Unis, Jones avait également continué de se produire en Europe, en Asie et en Extrême-Oriwnt.

Lorsque Calloway revient sur scène en 1953 dans la revue Porgy and Bess de Gershwin, il réussit à imposer Jones et Buster Bailey malgré la ségrégation raciale. Déterminé à faire bonne figure, Jones prend des cours de trompette avec William Vacchiano. Parallèlement, Jones continue de collaborer avec Stuff Smith et enregistre avec  Sidney Bechet pour Blue  Note.

Le séjour de Jones à Paris en juin 1954 est particulièrement mémorable. Jones devait initialement se produire avec Bechet, mais celui-ci tombe malade. Jones se produit donc à la tête de son propre groupe durant quatre semaines dans le cadre du 3e Salon du Jazz de Paris (à raison de 350$ par semaine contrairement à seulement 250$ pour Monk et Gerry Mulligan). Jones joue ensuite durant deux semaines au théâtre du boulevard des Capucines de Paris, puis dix semaines au Casino de Knokke-le-Zout avec André Reweliotty (juillet-août 1954). Durant son séjour à Paris, Jones enregistre aussi avec des musiciens français comme  Alix Combelle, Dave Pochonet et Roger Guérin. En l’absence de Bechet, Jones enregistre également avec les Sidney Bechet  Blue Note Jazzmen avec André Persiani en lieu et place de Bechet, mais ce dernier est victime d’une mauvaise prise de son et l’enregistrement est un échec.

Même si les contrats se font plus rares au retour de Jones aux États-Unis, il continue d’enregistrer avec Cozy Cole, les Kaycee Strompers de Sammy Price et sous son propre nom avec des musiciens comme Edmund Hall, Vic Dickenson, Pops Foster, Urbie Green et George Clark. Il chante même sur certaines pièces comme ‘’Beale Street Blues’’, ‘’Down by the Riverside’’, et ‘’Wrap Your Troubles in Dreams’’.

Les engagements continuant de se raréfier, Jones songe même à se retirer de la scène en 1955 pour devenir messager ou même chauffeur de taxi ! Avant de tirer sa révérence, Jones doit honorer un dernier contrat au club Embers de Manhattan. Pour son chant du cygne, Jones décide alors de s’accompagner discrètement à la sourdine. Avec l’aide d’une excellente section rythmique formée de George Rhodes au piano, de John Brown à la contrebasse et d’Harold Austin à la batterie, Jones remporte un succès inespéré, et l’annonce de sa retraite est reportée aux calendes grecques. Le concert donnera lieu à la publication de l’album Jonah Jones at the Embers en février 1956 et à d’autres enregistrements pour Capitol qui connaîtront également un succès éclatant. Un peu comme avec Sinatra, Capitol décide de faire enregistrer à Jones des albums thématiques (revues de Broadway, bandes sonores du cinéma, etc.). Parmi les albums à succès de Jones à l’époque, on remarque ‘’Muted Jazz’’, ‘’Mack the Knife’’, ‘’St. James Infirmary’’, ‘’Swingin’ at the Cinema’’ et ’’Swingin’ On Broadway’’.

Devenu une grande vedette en 1958 après avoir collaboré avec Fred Astaire dans le cadre de l’émission de télévision An Evening With Fred Astaire sur le réseau NBC, Jones voit son salaire être porté à 3500$ par semaine. Durant les étés de 1959-60, il joue même à Monaco devant le prince Rainier et la princesse Grace. Très populaire dans les années 1960, Jones continue de se hisser au sommet du Hit Parade au moins une fois par année avec ses albums. Jones enregistre aussi un album avec Dick Hyman à l’orgue.

En 1962 et 1963, Jones enregistre deux albums qui lui permettent de sortir un peu de la routine. D’abord, un enregistrement en big band publié sous le nom de Jonah Jones et Glen Gray. Benny Carter, qui a écrit les arrangements, dirige aussi l’orchestre lors de l’enregistrement. Enfin, Jones enregistre en quartet avec une formation augmentée de quatre trombones l’album Blowin’ Up a Storm. Après avoir quitté les disques Capitol en 1964, Jones retrouve son vieux compère Earl Hines et enregistre avec la chanteuse Etta Jones.

Parmi les membres du quartet de Jones à l’époque, on remarquait le pianiste français André Persiani. Arrivé aux États-Unis en 1958, Persiani avait joué avec Jones lors de son séjour à Paris en 1954 lors du Salon du Jazz. Il avait aussi enregistré avec lui en compagnie de Sidney Bechet. Mais Jones roule à un train d’enfer et Persiani n’en peut bientôt plus du rythme épuisant des tournées et quitte le groupe. Persiani expliquait: ‘’Il y avait cent cinquante arrangements faits par Buster Harding à apprendre, parce que Jonah ne voulait pas de partitions sur le piano! […] Je ne passais que deux mois par an chez moi. Le reste du temps, j’étais en tournée.’’

Après avoir signé un nouveau contrat avec les disques Decca en 1965, Jones transforme son quartet en quintet trois ans plus tard avec l’ajout du guitariste Jerome Darr. Il enregistre aussi deux disques avec la célèbre écurie Motown. Après la fermeture du club Embers, Jones se produit au Rainbow Grill du Rockefeller Center.

Même s’il enregistre beaucoup moins dans les années 1970, Jones continue de se produire régulièrement sur scène. De moins en moins présent en Europe durant cette décennie, il en profite cependant pour y entreprendre de derniers enregistrements. En 1972-73, Jones joue et enregistre notamment avec Buddy Tate, Earl Hines (avec qui il enregistre l’album Back On The Street) et Cozy Cole. Il décroche aussi une période de résidence au Rainbow Room de New York en 1975.

En 1978, Jones fait une apparition à la Grande Parade du Jazz à Nice et se produit avec Vic Dickenson, Gerry Wiggins, Pierre Michelot, Oliver Jackson et André Persiani. Une semaine plus tard, Jones enregistre son dernier disque à Paris, Confessin’, avec un quartet composé de Persiani, Major Holley et J.C. Heard.

DERNIÈRES ANNÉES

Agé maintenant de plus de soixante-dix ans, Jones n’enregistre pratiquement plus aux États-Unis, à l’exception d’un enregistrement de 1986 mettant en vedette Carrie Smith et Bross Townsend, qui est aujourd’hui introuvable. Au début des années 1990, Jones reprend même des cours de trompette avec Jimmy Maxwell et s’initie au clavier avec Eric Goletz.

Jones avait aussi commencé à éprouver des problèmes de santé à la fin de sa vie. Jones, qui avait toujours été un grand buveur et un grand consommateur de narcotiques, avait finalement été informé par son médecin qu’il n’aurait plus qu’un an à vivre s’il ne ralentissait pas la cadence.

Jones avait continué de présenter des concerts usqu’au début des années 1990. Il s’est finalement retiré de la scène en 1993. Jones avait livré sa dernière performance en novembre de la même année au club Blue Note de Greenwich Village. À cette occasion, Jones avait chanté au profit de la Jazz Foundation of America. Même s’il s’était retiré de la scène, Jones avait continué de faire des apparitions dans des documentaires portant sur des légendes du jazz comme Cab Calloway et Dizzy Gillespie. Client assidu des magasins de disques usagés situés près de son appartement du Lower Manhattan, Jones était toujours prêt à évoquer sa carrière de musicien avec les amateurs de jazz.

Malgré tous ses succès, Jones n’avait jamais vraiment été reconnu par la critique. Il était par contre très apprécié de ses pairs musiciens. En octobre 1987, Jones avait participé à un hommage à son idole Louis Armstrong au Queens College en compagnie de Doc Cheatham, Jabbo Smith, Roy Eldridge, Dizzy Gillespie, Clark Terry, Art Farmer, Red Rodney, Ted Curson, Jimmy Owens, Jon Faddis et le jeune Wynton Marsalis. En 1999, Jimmy Owens le consultait encore régulièrement. Même si Jones avait eu peu de disciples en dehors de Fred Gérard, il était reconnu pour sa technique impeccable et pour sa grande virtuosité, un peu à la manière de Charlie Shavers, par exemple.

Jonah Jones est mort à New York le 30 avril 2000. Il était âgé de quatre-vingt-onze ans. Il laissait dans le deuil une fille, Shirley Redmond, deux garçons, Lawrence et William Jones, ainsi que deux petits-enfants. Jones avait également eu un autre enfant, mais il était décédé au moment de sa mort. L’épouse de Jones, Elizabeth Bowles, l’avait précédé dans la tombe en 1993. Un des fils de Jones aurait suivi ses traces et était devenu trompettiste bebop, même s’il ne semble pas avoir enregistré.

Une entrevue de Jones réalisée en 1996 par Dan Del Fiorentino a été enregistrée sur vidéo et a été léguée en 2010 à la  NAMM Oral History Program Collection afin de préserver sa musique pour les générations futures. Décrivant le style de Jones, le trompettiste Jimmy Owens avait commenté: ''The essence of his style was to swing. His whole thing was to communicate, and that's why he stuck with the melodies. He always said of himself that he was not a chord player, like Dizzy Gillespie and Roy Eldridge and Charlie Shavers; he was more of a melody player.''

Jonah Jones a été intronisé au sein du Big Band and Jazz Hall of Fame en 1999. En 1960, Jones s’était également mérité un prix Grammy pour son album ''I Dig Chicks’’ dans la catégorie du meilleur disque de jazz instrumental.

©-2024, tous droits réservés, Les Productions de l’Imaginaire historique

SOURCES:

‘’Jonah Jones.’’ Wikipedia, 2024.

‘’Jonah Jones.’’ Jazz Hot n°680, été 2017.

‘’Jonah Jones 1909–2000.’’ Encyclopedia.com., 2018.

‘’Jonah Jones, Trumpeter born.’’ African American Registry, 2024.

RATLIFF, Ben. ‘’Jonah Jones, 91, a Master Jazz Trumpeter.’’ New York Times, 3 mai 2000.

[escapaldi]

Okay, so then within the confines of this AU, there's a lot more consolidation to what constitutes musical ability?? That's what I'm getting? I'm down no matter what, really. That struggle/romanticism is definitely a good analogy, which is why I think it works so well.

Definitely agree on the Strawhats and what they would do. Judge strikes me as a "piano is easy" sort of asshole though, so Sanji probably also knows something else genteel like flute. Actually, if he learned flute, he might've morphed his time w/Zeff into transferring that skill into something brassy for ska/jazz, thinking it's a better hit with the ladies. Jinbe and Robin are music teachers, but that only gets brought up in passing lol.

YEAH Law would definitely try to lead a double life for as long as he can when it comes to the band vs his normal friend circle that he might jam with on occasion. They don't have ambitions for themselves, but they would yes channel that love and support of their friend into learning stuff if they realize that they're looking for a couple key players. Or offer to be roadies or some other support mechanism. Because they're just nice like that. Jean Bart does something. I dunno. He broke an unfair contract before his big break and now isn't allowed to do whatever it is until something stupid like thirty years from now but until then he know what he can do just to tell his old label to fuck off.

Funnier option is seeing Heat and Wire as accountants/mid-level management, which means that yes this is the better route.

Ace and Sabo are so a trumpet and piano/full bass/saxophone*, respectively, and therefore don't fit, but are supportive and in their own jazz scene. Luffy casually doesn't mention this until they're standing right there.

Yes, I did think about the possibility of them all knowing multiple things for a studio session but it makes me curious as to how they'd pull it off doing a gig, if that would be when they pressgang others into service or what would happen. Yeah, cross it when we get there.

*these seem so wildly different and I love Sabo but he probably also had a "piano is easy" dad and made him do viola/cello/bass too, but when he ran away to the boonies he fell in love with a sax, which served as the Best Rebellion

I know I literally made a whole thing of how I don't normally do fanmixes, but I needed some music that was under 40min and very familiar so I played Linkin Park's Meteora album and the entire time I had the band au in my brain. except they'd need more members to make it work. and i kept trying to think of who it'd be for such a collab. maybe i'm too tired idk but it was like if the au band sang in a higher register than they probably would and since both Linkin Park's first three albums and your art live rent-free in my head it was only a matter of time

thats actually rly perfect now that i think abt it. ive always imagined the music range Law brings is more indie soft rock and they have to balance it with kid and killer's metal and punk rocks. LP feels like it fits their style hmmm as for musical collabs, i haven't really thought much about who else is in the music industry. Most everyone in the AU has regular jobs to be socially accepted adults, but Kid in particular really wants this band to be a thing (especially for killer) after many attempts, band breakups and accidents. they could wring in the other kid pirates for a gig or two but barely as regulars.

possible candidates: Uta - but luffy never thought of bringing it up that his sister is a famous singer Corazon - Law saw all the Donquixote posters on their walls and decided to gatekeep him away from them as long as he can hawkins/apoo - kinda their gigmates before? left "for greener pastures" and now theyre not allowed near each other