#percussions kids championship

[saywhatjessie]

Strike Up The Band

Back at it again with an Advent Calendar! Just writing for whatever fandom or pairing feels right at the moment. Using this list by @raven-cincaide-words Day 1: First Snow | Newcomer | Forced Friendliness  Fandom: Supernatural - Pairing: DeanCas 1.1k[Ao3]

Dean could barely see the field through the cloud of his breath. “Cas, I’m freezing my tits off out here.”

Cas hummed, bringing his arm around Dean’s waist. “They’re on next and then we can go sit in the car.”

“That’ll be like another half hour,” Dean whined, turning his body closer into Cas’s. “I can feel the bleacher in my asshole.”

“I told you to bring your seat cushion.”

“I’m not fucking geriatric!”

“No, you’re cold.”

Dean grumbled, burying his hands in the bottom of Cas’s jacket. Cas didn’t even flinch.

It was starting to snow. The first of the year so it probably wouldn’t stick but it was still an unpleasant new obstacle to the day. Not only were they cold, they were about to be wet and cold.

“At least the season is almost over,” Cas reassured him. “And if they make championships, I think it’s in Florida.”

“Ugh, but Florida sucks. I hate driving in Florida.”

“But it’s warm.”

Dean grumbled again, his thigh pressed all the way up Cas’s. Cas laid his head on Dean’s shoulder.

Dean knew Jack wasn’t gonna be an athlete. That’s okay – Dean hadn’t been an athlete in high school either. Dean wasn’t gonna be able to help him throw a ball or shoot a hoop or whatever. He was expecting Jack to do a bunch of nerd shit: build robots for science club or a math decathlon or some shit. He was ready to help with those.

But Jack joined fucking marching band. So Dean had to go to competitions for entire weekends and freeze his ass off on the bleachers only to see his kid perform for fifteen minutes.

“Have you talked to him about indoor?” Cas asked.

Dean groaned. “There’s more?”

Cas hummed. “Another winter season. It goes until May. But they only have percussion and colorguard.”

“Jack plays the trombone,” Dean pointed out.

“He was thinking he might want to do colorguard.”

Dean laughed. “With that kid’s coordination? Is he serious?”

Cas smiled, opening his mouth to respond, when they were interrupted by another parent carrying a truly insane amount of blankets..

“Hi!” The mother said, brightly. “You’re here with Rock Hills, right?”

“Uh, yeah,” Dean said, looking between her and her and the field. The band was still setting up.

“Oh, fabulous!” She said, taking the section of bench next to Cas. She put some blankets under her to sit on, hiked another over her shoulders, and wrapped yet another one around her legs. “I have been finding it so hard to get good watch buddies. My son just transferred!”

“Oh, nice,” Dean said, smiling for her. “What’s he play?”

“Oh, trumpet, of course!” She waved a hand like that was a given. “My boy always needs to be the star.”

“I don’t see how a trumpet is inherently more star-like than any other instrument,” Cas said, frowning.

“Oh, you both must be new to this!” The woman said, smiling in a condescendingly sympathetic way. “I was in band in my time. Everyone knows that if a marching band were like The Rolling Stones, the trumpets would be Mick Jagger.”

“So you were a trumpet?” Dean asked.

“Oh, heavens no! Far too masculine, can you imagine? No, I was a flute. Obviously.”

“So… Brian Jones?” Dean asked. Cas chuckled which made Dean grin brighter.

“Who? No, listen, the flutes are clearly the star of the woodwinds. Which are inherently more delicate and feminine.”

“These sound like very convoluted gender politics,” Cas said. Dean didn’t disagree, but he still elbowed Cas a bit. They still had to sit outside for twenty minutes with this woman.

“Oh, you’re just silly men,” she said, waving them off with a laugh. “Probably played sports in high school. I suppose I can’t expect you to understand.”

“Right,” Dean said, turning back to the field. He was so grateful it was rude to speak during a performance so he could ignore this woman for the next ten minutes.

Except even after the drum major gave their salute, this woman kept trying to engage them. Sure, this band wasn’t their band, but she could have still shown some respect. Dean kept shooting her polite smiles hoping she’d take the hint and shut the fuck up but she never did. She just kept prattling through the whole program.

After the drum major gave her parting salute and Dean and Cas had finished clapping, Cas turned to the woman. “That was extremely rude.”

She sputtered, clearly indignant.

“For someone who claims to be so familiar with the culture surrounding marching band, your lack of awareness surrounding the expected  etiquette during competition performances is frankly upsetting. I’m sure I’ll meet your son as he’s a part of the brass section, along with our son, but I’m not sure I’ll welcome you to watch with us again. It’s no wonder you haven’t found anyone to sit with if you’re this intolerable of company.”

“Cas,” Dean warned. He winced an apology at the woman. She wasn’t even looking at him, her jaw dropped.

“‘Our’ son? Like both of yours? You’re gay?”

Dean forced a laugh. “I mean where else do you expect to find friends of Dorothy than in Kansas, right?”

“Well, then I guess it’s good I’m such intolerable company to you, because I have found that you’re equally intolerable to me,” she said, grabbing her purse and an armful of blankets. “Now if you excuse me.”

“Wait, are we intolerable because Cas yelled at you or the queer thing.Lady, was it Cas or the queer thing?!”

She didn’t answer him even as he called after her so he just shrugged and turned back to Cas.

Cas held up one of her blankets. Dean wasn’t sure if she dropped it or if he snagged it from her, but he was delighted either way.

“Oh, nice!” he said, taking the blanket and wrapping it around both of their shoulders. He kissed Cas on the nose. “You gotta stop scaring the other parents away, sweetheart.”

Cas rolled his eyes, snaking his hand across his lap to join Dean’s. “She was insipid and shallow. She didn’t even get your Rolling Stones joke.”

“I know! He was the sax player! That’s a woodwind! That was the perfect joke.”

“And you know the saxophone is a woodwind,” Cas complimented, leaning into him. “You’re learning.”

Dean winked, tapping his temple. “Not just a hat rack.”

Cas laughed and the announcer introduced Jack’s school and Dean and Cas lost the next fifteen minutes to hooting and hollering and being generally embarrassing as was their god given right as gay fathers.

And if they snuggled in the impala, heaters on full blast, all the way until awards that evening, than that was between Dean and his babies.

[ellidoesstuff]

“So What’s Band Like” pt. 2

aka random stuff people in my marching band have done but make it reminiscing on my freshman marching season edition and more focused on general events then what specific people have done

okay so like just to cover bases that one good percussionist from part one is the only percussionist that continued on into high school band

which is a fucking upgrade if you ask me

also i’m the only flute of my grade so i was flute baby™ last year

and then oboe baby when concert season came around

or as i like to call it

boboe™

oh and don’t fool yourself into thinking we have an oboe section either

it’s literally just me and my friend

anyway lets get deeper in to it then your boyfriend/S.O will ever be in you

or then you’ll ever be in your girlfriend/S.O

I ain’t gonna assume your situation

first band competition of the year we got stuck in a very hot band bus in a thunderstorm for like probably over an hour

we ended up being one of the only bands that actually stayed and performed which was cool 

what was also cool is that we sang the 99 bottles of beer on the wall song and actually made it to 0

i’m also proud to say that one of the people who started that was my crush at the time, and my boyfriend now

how chaotic of him 

but then again

he’s a percussionist

also my section leaders piccolo decided to just d i e and she couldn’t play for our entire performance at that competition

moving on

catch us drooling over a 200 plus member band at an away game with an elaborate Aladdin themed show

that same band played megalovania as a stand tune and when I say my band dropped all conversation and bopped to that shit I mean it

also the sunset that night looked like the teletubbie sunrise

when i informed my now boyfriend and my section leader of this they both looked at me like “why the fuck did you just ruin that beautiful sunset”

it is what it is

one time we had a flute hangout after school and before a Friday night away football game 

except make it like the flute section featuring the alto sax section leader and my now boyfriend (who if you don’t remember is a percussionist)

oh and also briefly featuring one of our drum majors from last year and a trombonist 

anyway we ate little caesars pizza at a playground in a neighborhood near the school

we also played on said playground

in the process putting my kermit plushie, who will most likely be a reoccurring character in this series, in the baby swing and pushing him

we then made friendship bracelets but my now boyfriend didn’t know how 

so i did what anyone who knows how to make friendship bracelets and who’s crushing on someone who doesn’t know how to make friendship bracelets would do

i taught him how to make friendship bracelets

we also sat on the band bus together to and from that nights away game where I continued to help him make a friendship bracelet and then we looked at memes on the way back

some of them were funny, some of them weren’t

i laughed at all of them 

why?

because i was and am…

a fucking simp

we hosted a competition the same day that we marched a two mile parade so basically everyone went home and crashed that night

Me, my friend, and my now boyfriend spent like over fifteen minutes trying to find this one band just so we could hand them a single candygram to give to some kid

that kid better have appreciated that candygram

My two friends and I also received a joint airgram from our moms so we all prompted to split the tiny piece of card stock into three and we each have a piece

It’s almost like a friendship bracelet

but one hundred times easier to loose

moving onto big boy competition territory 

aka the Atlantic Coastal Championships 

or at least i think that’s what ACC stands for 

We were the first people to perform that day so we had to wake up at the ass crack of dawn to get to the competition in time

Like legit imagine a bunch of tired band kids on a school bus at 6am

It was actually kind of nice and very quiet

My now boyfriend and I watched Coraline on my chromebook on the way there

We also watched Coco on the way back but we aren’t there yet

I brought my Kermit plushie, as I should’ve, but he did not escape unscathed 

My now boyfriend accidentally dropped him in his spilled chocolate milkshake which had made a fairly accurate rendition of Willy Wonka’s chocolate river on the stands

He was more upset about it then I was honestly and apologized a bunch while frantically trying to scrub the chocolate stain out of Kermit’s green plush flesh with his jeans

My now boyfriend also decided to spin Kermit up in the air like a helicopter and Kermit nearly flew over the back end of the bleachers since we were sat in the top row

Luckily he didn’t fly over but we quickly stopped throwing him around and Kermit promptly sat on the bleachers next to us for the rest of ACCs

Moving forward, I would highlight the game directly after I actually got together with my boyfriend but not a single fucking thing happened

Other then the fact that the concession stand ran out of hot chocolate 

But not before my boyfriend, our two friends, and I could get our hands on some

Flash forward, our football team, in an act of what was probably some form of witchcraft or just downright luck, qualified for playoffs and the first playoff game was a FOUR HOUR drive away

They really said “okay everybody lets travel to the other side of the state for a single football game”

And before you say “well it would take a lot longer to get to the other side of my state!”

pack it up west coast/midwest

I live on the east coast our states are  t i n y

we had to leave for this game in the middle of the school day right after lunch which meant i had to bring two separate book bags to school that day 

one bag for band and one bag for school

regardless we drove on the bus through mountains and trees for four hours before stopping off to have dinner at some rando restaurant

and no offense to old white people but like it must have been senior night or some shit because when I tell you the only people in that restaurant were like 70 to 80 band kids and a bunch of old white people I am not joking

It was terrifying

And I mean like I’m not inherently scared of old white people  

But what I am is non-binary growing up in a conservative area of a conservative state

And I was also holding the hand of my wonderful boyfriend who happens to be a person of color

I was scared I was about to be hate crimed 

Or he was about to get hate crimed

Luckily I think the fact that we were part of a flock of like 80 other teenagers all wearing red shirts and sweatpants scared them off

Or maybe they didn’t even notice and my social anxiety just said “they’re looking at you, love ;)” when they probably weren’t

We also ran the ice cream machine at that place dry

Anyway this was like November and it was super fucking cold outside so the home schools band invited us inside the school building when we got there since it was still a bit before the game

I got to talk to some of the flutes and they were super chill

We also made this weird ass dance circle where we went back and forth doing steps that I forget but remind me of the cotton eyed joe for some reason

Maybe that’s what we were dancing?

I don’t remember I just know like the entire low brass section plus a select group of the upper woodwinds/percussion were all in on it

I also remember what I think was one of the flutes looking at me and my boyfriend who was hugging me from behind and being very physically affectionate, as he usually is, and mentioning something about wondering what instrument he played

If in some miraculous event you are reading this mystery flute girl, he’s a percussionist 

you’re welcome

Nothing really stands out about the game itself other then how fucking cold it was and the fact that our football team won…

by a single point

We then all enjoyed the four hour ride back to the school

Most people spent it sleeping as it was like ten pm

Yeah you do the math we left at like 10pm

JK I’m not gonna make you do math we got back to the school at like 2am

Also notice how I said most people spent it sleeping

I probably would have been one of those people

However my lovely boyfriend, who again I do love, decided that a can of Mountain Dew at 10pm was a good idea

Baby, I love you, but why

10pm is too late for a Mountain Dew

We did end up sleeping for like an hour tho which was nice while it lasted

But then we had the glorious “Everyone we are about thirty minutes away from the school please call your parents to come pick you up” wake up call from our band director

And when I tell you that in that moment it felt like I was in between two different plains of existence

I am not kidding 

It is a very interesting vibe

Anyway I apologize for how painfully long that was but I literally could go into so much more detail. This is just grazing the surface of the experience that was my freshman marching season. However, I’m stopping myself here. If for some reason you want to read more of this and aren’t willing to wait for me to make the part three that will be directed toward this years socially distanced band season, you can read the first one of these which has a remarkably funnier collection of events and a lot less cussing. What can I say, I was an eighth grader in middle school band with an instructor who was very lenient on what we did when we weren’t playing. Until next time, this has been Elliot, signing off until i inevitably find something else interesting to share with the internet. 

[13thplaceswiftie]

Wow...I’m sorry it seems I’m on here only once every month or so to do anything, but life’s been crazy! Still love coming on here to see how things are!

For those that know me, you probably already had at least an idea as to why I chose the username 13thplaceswiftie on here. For those that don’t know me as well, here’s why I chose this name as I dove into Swiftie Tumblr.

I’ve always seemed to be the one drawn towards music in general from a young age. When I was little, I sang in the local boys choir, participated in church musicals, and then in 5th grade, I discovered the trombone, which began a love affair with band really ever since then. Even to this day, I still love to pick up my trombone and play around with it some 16 years after I first decided to try it out as a kid. That eventually led to an interest in marching band when I was around 13 after seeing the marching band of the high school I would eventually be going to perform at a football game. I then went on to march all 4 years of high school before fulfilling a dream I had ever since I started following it closely as a high school band geek: I got the chance to march in the Colts Drum and Bugle Corps out of Dubuque, IA and participate in the Drum Corps International (DCI) Summer Tour.

Even though I could go on for ages about drum corps, the shortest way I can put it was that it’s a whole bunch of band geeks (up to 150 when I marched) that left home for the whole summer to perfect and perform an 11-12 minute long field show over the course of 2 and a half months while sleeping on buses and gym floors but also having the opportunity to perform in spectacular venues typically reserved for large sporting events (The Alamodome in San Antonio, the old Georgia Dome in Atlanta, Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis). Oh, and no woodwinds. Just brass, percussion, and colorguard!

I was extremely fortunate to have been able to participate in drum corps for 2 summers, both with the Colts, with my first being in 2011 and my last (my age out year, aka I’m too old after this season) in 2014. The 2014 season is where the origin of the 13thplaceswiftie username starts to take hold. For the past few seasons, the Colts hadn’t been in serious contention for the top 12 corps on tour. Being in the top 12 meant you got to perform in the finals competition of the DCI World Championships in Indianapolis, and the place was always packed that night. We’re talking between 25,000 to 30,000 people in one stadium to watch band basically. Our field show in 2014 was called “Dark Side of the Rainbow,” which took place in a dystopian version of Oz 10 years after the Wizard and Dorothy had left. In that time, the Scarecrow had taken control of Oz for himself, and we turned this story into something similar to a Shakespeare tragedy. The music selections were awesome to perform, including a huge bulk of tunes from Pink Floyd’s iconic “Dark Side of the Moon” album, “Everything In Its Right Place” by Radiohead, and a jazz number by Raymond Scott called “Powerhouse” that had been used prominently in old Looney Tunes cartoons. (I’ll link the show at the end of the post for any interested in watching) It was an incredibly fun show to perform, and we performed it well, surprising a lot of DCI fans with how strong a unit we had become and the fact we had beaten some corps that we hadn’t beaten in some time; we beat and ultimately finished ahead of one corps for the first time since 2010, and had completely erased a 5 point late June deficit (which was still at 4 points in mid July) to beat them on the last weekend of the season at the championships. We were in 13th place going into the semifinals of the world championships, one spot out from qualifying for finals...and we stayed in 13th...and missed qualifying for finals by just ONE TENTH of a point. And just like that, our season was done, so close to making finals, but not quite making it...plus it was my last ever show as a member in DCI. It was a very bittersweet end to say the least.

Fast forward a couple years, and I started talking on Twitter to this girl from Ohio who also liked band and DCI. Not too long after we started talking, I got dumped by my now ex, and despite being in such a low place, I always found myself coming back to her. We started talking more and more about what we liked, what music interests we had, so on and so forth, and we only got closer with time. That eventually led to us meeting in person one weekend in mid April 2016, and it was a great weekend finally being able to see each other and do things together as best friends! Shortly afterwards, she sent me a mix CD that was in essence her first love letter to me. Those musical interests I mentioned we talked about? She loves Taylor Swift. And I mean LOVES Taylor and her music. Nearly half of the tracks she put on there were Taylor’s spanning all the way back from her debut album to 1989. I had heard Taylor’s songs on the radio, in stores, on Wednesdays in cafes, but this was the first time I had been able to really listen to the songs that weren’t released as singles, and I started to fall more and more in love with Taylor and her music...and at the same time fell more and more in love with the girl that introduced me to those sounds I hadn’t heard before...the sounds that ultimately led us to be together and have stayed together for the past 3 years! And in about a week and a half, I’ll be moving in with her as I start grad school at the school she’s completing her degree at!

That girl I’m talking about is the cutie in the picture with me, @holycoffeegrounds13. And that picture was from our first ever concert together as a couple (and to be perfectly honest, my first EVER huge concert that wasn’t a DCI show)! Having introduced me to Taylor and her music and who she is as a person, she taught me a lot about Taylor in general from her love of cats and coffee...to 13 being her lucky number! And thinking back on everything, I can’t help but feel that this was absolutely meant to be. I first met Nikki through the activity I’d fallen in love with, and then we ultimately grew closer and then ended up together thanks to Taylor and her music. Maybe that 13th place finish back in 2014 was a sign...maybe the stars were aligned just right from that score announcement that at first crushed me...it eventually evolved into this wonderful thing. I’m a band geek. I’m a Swiftie. My corps finished in 13th...Taylor’s favorite number is 13...Taylor and her music ultimately brought Nikki and me together...what beautiful poetry. I’m a 13thplaceswiftie.

-Nathanael

P.S. @taylorswift if you somehow happen to come across this, I can’t thank you enough again for not only all the great music and great acts of kindness you’ve done for so many, but also for bringing me and Nikki together. I hope the day can come where we each can thank you in person. Either way, thank you, thank you, thank you, 13 times over!

[tsgaspencolorado]

Scouted December Events // Aspen and the Roaring Fork Valley

A busy month calls for a full and festive calendar. Read on for a round-up of holiday happenings around town and in the valley.

Friday, December 13 // Aspen History Fireside Chat at The Little Nell Join AHS at The Little Nell for stories from Aspen’s past! Cozy up by the fireplace to hear about the neighborhood’s mining and skiing history, the hotel’s origins and legendary moments, and more. As part of The Little Nell’s 30th-anniversary celebration, this special program is presented for this ski season only. $15 adult / $12 senior / children 18 and under free / free for hotel guests

Friday, December 13 // History Ski Tour on Aspen Mountain On select Fridays at 11 AM and 1 PM you can learn about the amazing mining and ski history lying literally beneath your feet as you tour Aspen Mountain with a long-time local historian

Friday, December 13 // 4 - 6 PM // Holiday Tree Lighting in Downtown Basalt Merry on Midland takes place from 4 to 6 PM with the tree lighting and holiday festivities for the whole family.

Friday, December 13 // 5 - 9 PM // Kelly Peters Art Studio Opening TSG Aspen artist Kelly Peters opens Straight Line Studio with fellow artist Teal Wilson. Join them in Snowmass Base Village for art and a bit of bubbly to celebrate.

Friday, December 13 - Sunday, December 15 // Passapalooza Passapalooza grants access to all four Aspen Snowmass mountains for only $59 per day for skiers and riders who have a valid 2019-2020 pass from any ski resort in the world. Enjoy food and drink specials as well as interactive art and light installations in Snowmass Base Village and the Snowmass Mall. Head over to Aspen on December 14th for The Little Nell’s “Party Like It’s 1989” 30th Anniversary extravaganza including live music, ski films and more great deals on food and drinks.

Saturday, December 14 // Party Like It’s 1989 Party (like the year The Little Nell opened) from 3 – 9 pm for an après ski extravaganza. The party kicks off at Chair 9 with a DJ spinning from 3:30 – 7:30 pm. Starting at 6 pm, head Downstairs at The Nell where an ‘80s cover band will play hits from The Nell’s early years and the costume contest takes place with a chance to win a deluxe winter stay at the hotel. Enjoy complimentary appetizers and a cash bar serving drinks including '80s themed cocktails. Suggested attire: vintage ski apparel.

Monday, December 16 // History Ski Tour at Aspen Highlands On select Mondays at 11 AM and 1 PM, ski with a volunteer historian to learn about Aspen Highlands' "maverick," innovative, and unique past. 

Tuesday, December 17 // The Scout Guide Aspen Volume 7 Launches Keep an eye on your inbox! We sent out details on our pop-up party happening from 4 - 6 PM on the 17th in Aspen!

Wednesday, December 18 // World Snow Polo Championship Starts The glitz, glamour, and excitement take center stage at one of the world's top snow polo tournaments and only snow polo event in North America. In front of an expected sellout crowd and worldwide ChukkerTV audience, five days of events will be held during the final stop on the World Polo Tour. 

Wednesday, December 18 // 5 - 7 PM // Ice Bumper Cars at The Collective 16 ice bumper cars arrive in Snowmass Village and will be available on a first-come, first-served basis from 5 to 7 PM daily until January 2. $20 for 10 minutes per rider.

Friday, December 20 // 5 - 8 PM // Action in Africa 5th Annual Fundraiser Join Action In Africa for an inspirational evening at their 5th Annual Winter Fundraiser! This organization started at Aspen High School and has since grown into a national non-profit serving to educate and serve people in Uganda.

Friday, December 20 // 3 - 5 PM // Game of Stones at The Collective Curling comes to Snowmass with the Game of Stones curling series at The Rink in Snowmass Base Village! Teams of two will compete in a head-to-head elimination competition. The first team that reaches 10 points wins! Game of Stones will take place from 3 to 5 p.m., registration will occur at the ice skating rink prior to the event.

Friday, December 20 // Aspen History Fireside Chat at The Little Nell Join AHS at The Little Nell for stories from Aspen’s past! Cozy up by the fireplace to hear about the neighborhood’s mining and skiing history, the hotel’s origins and legendary moments, and more. As part of The Little Nell’s 30th-anniversary celebration, this special program is presented for this ski season only. $15 adult / $12 senior / children 18 and under free / free for hotel guests

Friday, December 20 // 12 Days of Aspen Begins The annual Aspen Chamber Resort Association event kicks off on Friday, December 20 with Santa and his reindeer on the mall from 2:30 - 5:30 PM and a free showing of The Polar Express at the Wheeler. With something for everyone leading up to New Year’s Eve (including fireworks!), this annual event is one not to miss. Get the complete calendar of events.

Saturday, December 21 - Tuesday, December 24 // All day // Holiday Market at Here House Stop by Here House, next to Local Coffee Aspen, and check out their holiday market featuring skincare, accessories, jewelry, photos, and home goods. There will be mulled wine and hot apple cider (plus, you can always grab a cup of coffee next door) and kids are welcome. Gift wrapping is available (score!), and members of Here House and guests of the St. Regis receive discounts.

Saturday, December 21 - Tuesday, December 24 // 2 - 4 PM // Santa’s Village at The Collective The North Pole comes to The Collective where Santa himself is available to hear the last-minute requests from girls and boys. Complimentary photos with Santa are offered daily regardless of which of his lists you may find yourself on.

Sunday, December 22 // 3 - 4 PM // Sake Tastings at Sake Try something new every week, presented by the in house expert at Sake.

Sunday, December 22 // 4:30 - 5 PM // Menorah Lighting at The Collective Celebrated the beginning of Hanukkah with a menorah-lighting ceremony and traditional prayer led by local, Alyssa Genshaft.  Stick around for some delicious food from mix6 while playing a few games of dreidel.

Tuesday, December 24 and Wednesday, December 25 // Christmas Eve and Christmas Day Dinners at The Little Nell Element 47 and Ajax Tavern are open with Christmas Eve and Christmas Day Dinners serving up holiday favorites. 

Thursday, December 26 // 3 - 4 PM // Wine Tasting at Slice Free wine tasting every Thursday through the ski season.

Friday, December 27 // 3 - 5 PM // Game of Stones at The Collective Curling comes to Snowmass with the Game of Stones curling series at The Rink in Snowmass Base Village! Teams of two will compete in a head-to-head elimination competition. The first team that reaches 10 points wins! Game of Stones will take place from 3 to 5 p.m., registration will occur at the ice skating rink prior to the event.

December 28 // 4 - 7 PM // Live Music with Chris Bank, Mark Johnson & Terry Bannon at The Collective The trio of Chris Bank (guitar/vocals) Mark Johnson (sax /percussion) and Terry Bannon (keyboards/vocals) have been performing together in the Aspen area for over 25 years dating back to the Little Nell, Syzygy, and more recently Casa Tua. They have also performed for many corporate events and weddings playing a variety of genres including rhythm & blues, jazz, funk, and pop. Whether you’re into sitting back and grooving or getting down on the dance floor this group is guaranteed to satisfy.

Monday, December 30 // Audi Ajax Cup Benefiting the Aspen Valley Ski and Snowboard Club’s 2,300-plus athletes, as well as its scholarships and programs, the Audi Ajax Cup features head-to-head slalom races on the storied run of Little Nell at Aspen Mountain. Cheer on the racers as they navigate the challenging course, and then stick around for an après ski party at the base of the mountain.

Tuesday, December 31 // 10 PM - 2 AM // The Dom Pérignon Party For their Pearl Anniversary celebration, the world’s your oyster at The Little Nell on New Year’s Eve with endless entertainment and bottomless Dom Pérignon. The all-inclusive ticket provides access to top-shelf liquor, sweet and savory bites, oysters on the half-shell, a gourmet cheese bar and more. The hotel’s transformation into a chic circus scene translates to entertainment flowing throughout the outlets with musical acts and acrobats. Count down to midnight as dancers light up the courtyard with a fire show leading up to the fireworks display over Aspen Mountain. Tickets are $650++ per person.

Tuesday, December 31 // 7 PM and 11 PM // Clicquot Cats The ultimate slopeside experience combines The Little Nell’s five-star service and Veuve Clicquot’s La Grande Dame champagne with coveted access to Aspen Mountain. Just three snowcats for up to 12 guests each are available for a choice of the 8 pm or midnight fireworks shows. First, arrive to a private Veuve Clicquot lounge in the Silver Queen Gondola Building replete with a DJ and drinks. Next, board your private snowcat to be driven to an exclusive seating area overlooking Aspen with chairs, plush blankets, and a glowing fire pit. Here, you’ll be greeted with front row seating to the fireworks show over Aspen Mountain, A dedicated server will be your host, serving champagne, caviar, blinis, and other savory delights. $12,000++ to reserve a snowcat, includes all 12 guest spots, plus food & beverage.

live. love. local.

[rahimaldemir]

What was Rahim's goal in life before the outbreak? Was he studying? Working? What career was he in, or wanted to be in?

Oh, wow, I actually had a post talking about almost this exact thing in my queue for a couple weeks now. It’s scary how on point this question is.

Strap in, because there’s a lot of context for this answer and it got extremely long.

Something I’ve thought about a lot is how often we see or hear Rahim manning the radios in the Tower. One of the first things we see him doing is fiddling with the radio trying to get in contact with Mark, who had gone missing. The quartermaster later says ‘Rahim radioed me about you’ when we first go to him for supplies. As Crane goes about the prologue he regularly reports back to Rahim and Rahim checks in on him.

Point being, Rahim is on the radios a lot. It seems he has a lot of responsibility on them. I don’t get the impression that he’s just chatting with Crane for kicks. (Although, don’t get me wrong, I do think Rahim warms up to Crane rather quickly and definitely enjoys harassing him over radio.)

Rahim also mentions later that “all [he] can do is watch… sit on [his] ass… and do nothing,” implying that he may not go out to run missions as often as other runners.

What if they try to keep Rahim on the radios because he’s good with them? Good with electronics? He knows how to (kind of) piece things together and make them work?

There’s even a side mission where you have to find electronics for Rahim because he wants to build a “robotic runner,” which I don’t take super seriously and I don’t think Rahim does either, but it’s at least worth noting that he wanted electronic parts for a project and has some concept of working with them.

What if, Rahim was into in electronic engineering when the outbreak happened?

I believe Rahim and Jade grew up in the slums, considering Jade mentions that “[she] remember[s] playing [at the school] as a kid.” Can you imagine them having some cheap old radio or tv that stops working and little kid Rahim, after fiddling with it for a while, somehow makes it work again? (Probably more from luck than actual know-how the first time, but it doesn’t keep Rahim from being thrilled with himself.)

He wants to learn more. What if he could fix all of his family’s electronics whenever they break? He starts fantasizing about piecing together crazy contraptions from scraps. Better cell reception. Free WiFi.

There’s a chance Rahim didn’t have the funds right out of public school to go to university, so he works what entry level jobs he could to save up. At the same time, Jade was making a name for herself in kickboxing.

He’s drafted for mandatory military service, but since gay men can’t serve in the Turkish military, (and I personally headcanon Rahim as gay) he avoids it by coming out. There’s a little bit of drama following that and with a pink certificate finding work is a little harder, but his family is supportive and he starts to get things back on track.

The details get a little fuzzy from here, but the next couple years are Rahim wanting to taste freedom and independence while trying to concentrate on going to school. He’s also caught between wanting to go do fun, selfish things and helping support his family. Of course, he’s a little shit disturber during all of this and gets distracted just being a young adult.

Jade wins her first championship and uses the money to move their parents into more comfortable housing. She offers to help pay for Rahim’s schooling. No one in the Aldemir family is too proud to accept the help.

Now, don’t get me wrong, by the time the outbreak happens, he’s not that skilled yet at what he does. Spike manages the traps, safe zones, and electric grid for the district. Alfie takes care of all the electrical Tower maintenance. Rahim on the other hand, is no expert. There’s still a decent amount of guesswork and percussive maintenance when he deals with the radios, but he definitely knows more than the average Joe-schmoe and it makes him the best candidate for Tower Receptionist.

Rahim wants to bring better communication and technologies to his slum. He’s definitely a product of his generation and sees the importance of social media and internet access. He wants to make things better than they are, create things that will make tasks more convenient for people, give people more access to tools to better help their situations.

All of this is further broadened by the everything going on in Harran. It’s what makes Rahim want to focus specifically on broadcast and telecommunications engineering, which are subdivisions of electronic engineering that have to do with radio and tv broadcasting, data transmission, wired and wireless communication, and the the technology to make it all work.

Rahim watches lives being risked by the lack of radio communication. He watches Zere struggle to find a cure with Camden over a static-ridden connection. The city is threatened because the ministry is able to pretend no one is left alive because no one in the quarantine has access to the outside world.

Post Harran, Rahim wants to move on to work on establishing/strengthening communication and data transmission in low income towns in Turkey and, possibly then, places around the world. Even though the jamming was the result of a government level intervention, he wants to do whatever he can to at least try to make sure no group of people can ever be threatened in the same way Harran was.

[Rahim’s interest in telecommunications can also tie into the headcanon I have about our heroes getting a weak internet signal and using it to spread awareness of Harran through social media.]

Another idea I’ve had though, is that instead of the electronic engineering path, I could also imagine Rahim volunteering as a disaster relief aid for tragedies that happen around the world: war, natural disasters, poverty. He knows he has the ability to survive these messes because nothing will scare him more than Harran. His need to be doing something to help never fades.

[theravenouswriter514]

Day Eighteen of the 30 Day Writing Challenge

The prompt today is actually a more difficult one for me, because I don’t think a lot about myself. The prompt today is, “Write 30 facts about yourself.”

1. I’ll start with physical features. I have blue eyes.

2. My natural hair color is sandy blonde, but I dye it to a brown-red color. 

3. I wear glasses because my left eye is significantly weaker than my right eye, making it difficult to see things far away. It also screws with my depth perception.

4. This one is kind of funny, my nose is slightly crooked. When I was born my mom told me I looked like I had been into a fist fight. It straightened over time, but it still is slightly crooked. No one can tell unless I come out and tell them.

5. I have two tattoos. The one on my left forearm is an opening set of quotation marks. My best friend has the closing set on her right arm. We got them when we turned eighteen. Then I have a sail boat on my right wrist. My two best friends and I went on a girls’ trip in 2019, during which we all got tattoos pertaining to the ocean. One friend got an anchor, one got waves under the sun, and I got a sailboat. Corny right? 

6. This one is known already by my previous posts, but it is a fact that I am proud of. I have a two-year-old Corgi named Sirius. He is tri-colored, meaning he is black, white, and tan. I’ll put a picture to show him off. 

7. I have two favorite authors. One classic and one modern. They are Ernest Hemingway and Rainbow Rowell.

8. My favorite flower is a Tiger Lily. They grow outside my old house every summer. 

9. I live in a rural town in Tennessee. It’s home and I’m a proud Tennessean.

10. My favorite super hero has always been Iron Man, even before I knew about the movies. It’s actually for a funny reason. Tony Stark is known to have that great  facial hair, in the comics as well as in the movies. Growing up, and even now, my dad always kept a beard and mustache. I associated facial hair with trustworthiness, because I was a kid and I didn’t know any better. I saw that Iron Man had facial hair, and he just became my favorite. I could trust him.

10. I used to collect snow globes as a kid. My collection wasn’t very big, but I was proud of it. 

11. I’m not a musical fanatic, but my favorite is “Oklahoma”.

12. I played the marimba in high school marching and concert band. Our percussion section won first place state championship in competition my junior year. 

13. The farthest I’ve ever been from home is when I went on a band trip to Chicago. 

14. I got my first college degree in August of 2020. I have an A.A. in English.

15. My writing pseudonym is J.H.Hope. Hope is actually my middle name. 

16. I had braces for almost two years when I was 12 and 13. My mouth was too small for all the teeth in my head. I had to have seven pulled out all at once before I could get braces put in.

17. I was in my friend’s wedding as a bride’s maid in 2019. I’m also going to be a bride’s maid in another friend’s wedding later this year. 

18. My favorite color is olive green. That’s also what color my car is.

19. My sense of style can be described as casual t-shirt and jeans mixed with 80s. I’ll let my readers imagination try and figure out what I mean by that.

20. When I last got my hair cut, I showed my hair dresser pictures of Brooke Shields from the 80s, so now I have feathered bangs that resemble young Brooke. 

21. My friends sometimes think I’m crazy because I give myself essay assignments. I’m not in any classes right now, but I genuinely enjoy writing research and persuasive essays. I’ve written a few essays just for my own pleasure. 

22. I have not fallen victim to the plague on Earth that is Tik Tok. You can disagree with me, that’s fine, but Tik Tok (along with other forms of social media) has turned people into mindless, thoughtless, conforming, zombies. Social media has caused so many people to just stop thinking for themselves. If they see that one train of thought is popular in the media, then they adopt that thought as their own, even if they don’t understand it. We have become the generation of reading headlines and taking them for truth. Do your own research! Stop mindlessly jumping on bandwagons! Another thing is that we now have a whole generation of “celebrities” who are famous for no reason. I’m sorry, but showing your ass on the internet and calling it talent is not a reason to be famous. I have an ass too, but you won’t catch me flaunting it on the internet and begging for people to make me viral. It used to be just the Kardashians who were famous for absolutely no reason, but now that has grown into a whole generation! Lets go back to making people with real talent famous, shall we? 

23. My friend and I have a blog where we post writing advice and feature writers and their stories to help them gain reads. We haven’t been as active lately because we have both been busy with other things, but we will hopefully update it soon. You can find it here: https://writingandtips.com/#site-header

24. One of my all time favorite Disney movies, if not my top favorite, is “Oliver and Company.” Mostly because Billy Joel voices Dodger the dog, and he is my favorite singer. 

25. I love the “X-Files” tv series from the 90s. I rewatch it from the beginning all the time. I even picked up chewing on sunflower seeds like Mulder does while I’m writing. 

26. I have a collectible action figure of Jareth, David Bowie’s character in the film “Labyrinth,” hanging on my wall. I also have a retro poster of Harrison Ford, a picture of River Phoenix printed on a page from a dictionary, a picture of “Joe Cool” Snoopy also printed on a page from a dictionary, and an antique tin advertisement poster of James Dean advertising “Kist Kola” for five cents all hanging on the walls of my room.

27. I love Red Pandas. They are the cutest animals on the planet, aside from dogs of course. 

28. My sister and I love watching paranormal and ghost hunting shows. We sort of believe in ghosts, but we love to watch them mostly to laugh at and make fun of them. Our favorite is Ghost Adventures. 

29. This one seems like self promotion, but it’s an important fact about me. I am not a huge fan of the Wattpad platform anymore, because the community has turned into only promoting super popular authors or fanfiction. It has gotten increasingly difficult to get any reads on your stories if you don’t write popular fanfiction or your story isn’t already popular. But since it is the only platform with any sort of following, I post there in hopes that my stories will get read. So far I haven’t had much luck. But I post my stories over there, if you like my writing here and want to read what I am actually super passionate about. You can find me at the username J_H_Hope. my pride and joy story is called “Grim’s Cliff” and I would appreciate anyone who reads it or any of my works. https://www.wattpad.com/user/J_H_Hope

30. I love writing, even if no one reads what I’ve written. I write and write in hopes that at least one person finds it and enjoys it. This one is obvious, but a fact none-the-less. Writing makes up an important part of my life. It is the reason I work so hard in other aspects of my life. 

There you have thirty facts about me. I was really struggling all the way through this one. I wanted to make them interesting, but I’m just not all that interesting of a person. I also don’t enjoy writing so much about specific things pertaining to me. Some of these, especially number 22, make me sound like an old lady. Am I turning 21 or 61 soon? Either way maybe this list was informative and at the least entertaining. Happy reading!

[marchingfluterino]

championships and friday game things!!

friday game:

before practice me matt and annabeth were in a practice room and miguel walks past and looks in and we all look back at him

and then he comes back and pokes his head in and says, “you guys want some sauce?”

and he comes in and takes his hot sauce and some break out of hi pockets and starts like, drug dealing it to matt and annabeth bc he’d gotten it banned

and he tells me to get in front of the door

then later he takes us into the practice room he was in and. he had a whole computer in there. like with a tower and everything

it was wild

then noah was there!!!!!! it was lit im glad noahs back

hes been in the hospital since bandcamp and obviously hes had his treatment but he still needs to take it easy

hes pit tho so thats good

it was my section leader + her twin sister the trombone section leader’s birthday

and also daryl (ben kukunas) the band fish’s birthday

i love DBK hes so cool

i didnt even know he existed until friday tho

then at the game we got there and u could hear piccolos (6, i counted)

and i was like !!!!!!! :OOOOO!!!!! i wanna do that

and max, resident tubist for the cavaliers, was like “no theyre so screechy”

and we got into an argument over whats better lmao

then at halftime after we went the (HUGE) other band got cheered for REALLY loud by their student section

like wtf i want that

and turns out they were really exciting

like bad, but exciting

lots of dancing and spinning and running and screaming

it was demoralizing tbh

they didnt have pit but they had drumline + marching marimbas

my mom marched that in 10th grade

after halftime noah did the band dance and it was SO FUCKIN LIT!!!!!!

he made us do some classic band dance stuff that we did w the drum majors while he was gone but we also did a bunch of other stuff like basically the bird

at one point he actually LAID DOWN ON THE FLOOR it was SO FUCKIN LIT

then we sang happy birth to ellie and vicky and dbk

hannah’s mellophone got knocked over and it had a flat dent it in and i said to her, “hannah, i think ur lookin a lil flat”

pat got one of those bags of those snack size bags of chips and started like handing them out to staff

u could tell he was tryin to be secretive about it but it wasnt working

he then zipped the big bag into his jacket

at one point i actually yelled “HEY PAT WHATS IN YOUR SHIRT”

and he couldnt tell it was me but he like did a glare

then later i went up with the saxes bc theyre always p lit

i had a stand off with josh where we’d like play notes at each other and like do weird poses

like dogs when theyre playin

then at one point my instrument broke AGAIN

screaming into our instruments

on the us ride back this one car NYOOOOOOMED past us really FUCKIN loud

then a second car did the same thing

it was wild

saturday championships:

LAST PRACTICE.......... EVER. RIP

not actually tho, only for the seniors

actually wait, it was the last REGULARLY SCHEDULED practice OF THE SEASON for the seniors

i gave daryl the bingo sheets

i noticed ben was like dci-style running across the field with bent legs to get to the set where we’re all on / posing around the boxes

he’s really tall and yet he was far enough away

it looked really comical

but like, i have to backwards march sorta like that to get to some of my sets in the closer as well so

at the competition there was this other band next to our bus and

clarissa: stop being so judgmental caitlin (a colorguard instructor): their guard uniforms are ugly though

apparently roman asked max to zip him up and he ACTUALLY DID

after getting our uniforms on and stuff we passed this other band that was going to the stadium and me and this one kid who had a piccolo like pointed to our instruments and grinned like “SAME HAT!!!”

there was this other band warming up that literally fuckin did hallelujah and dont stop believin. it was wild

the band before us did bohemian rhapsody and, according to my mom, their theme was rhapsodies and before that they’d done rhapsody in blue.

yes. by george gershwin. what the fuck

max came down our two line giving everyone fistbumps and i was at the back and when he fistbumped me i said “piccolos are better than tubas” lmao

while we were marching on some people in the stands were screaming like “DARYL!!!” and “EVAN HATTRICK” (but with mr hee hees real last name)

like i was STRUGGLING not to laugh it was so Fucking funny

i only made one mistake this time!!

when we went back to our trailer + buses to take off our uniforms + get our windsuits and money i told max my drum corps joke

me: hey max do ya wanna hear a drum corps joke max: no me: yeah ya do! whaddaya call someone who only starts liking a drum corps when they start winning? max: a... blue devil me: a BANDWAGONER

i got two videos during this and one was of glenna and quinn but the other one was. god

this is an Actual screenshot of it and honestly it is Such a Masterpiece. Matt’s FUCKING dab. max’s look of disappointment. pat’s fucking face like he’s like shading someone or something. paul’s face like he’s just given up on literally everything.

like. literally the video was just max leaning into the frame from behind matt while i’m yelling “WHY DO YOU HAVE YOUR DOTBOOK YOU LOSER” and then matt reverse whipping as he says “i thought i had my phone and now” and then max turns around again RIGHT AS matt says “i wanna die” and dabs

these brass guys tried to give multiple staff members a white paper bag. what was in the bag, you may be wondering?

one (1) hot dog, free of bun, and a couple fries.

mr beaver, opening the bag: “this is disgusting”

they actually had lost the bun and found it like twenty minutes later

this one 4a band did a show called “phobias: what are you afraid of” and it was REALLY COOL

the phases of the show were spiders / snakes / water / being alone / loud noises / fire and it was VERY good

they had spiderwebs on the pit’s instruments and spiderweb props that were like ropes with a guard member in the center and a marcher at each end, and the color guard also had stuffed snake props and blue and red flags for water and fire respectively. they also did sabrework and had these cool dark / light gray flags

they also had a trumpet soloist for snakes and a trombone soloist as well as an INCREDIBLE flute soloist for water. fuck

for loud noises they had some normal volume stuff and then all of a sudden FUCking THIRTY-SEVEN FS

they had two big props that were the same at the front of each side of the field that said the name of their show in big white letters, and in small white a bunch of fears and in middling size in red the phases. i sat right behind max and he was being judgy about that and salting about how that made the show less exciting or whatever lmao

then a 3a band (same class as us) did a beethoven show with a tiny bit of moonlight sonata in the beginning and then beethoven’s fifth, then fur elise and finally ode to joy

it was so fucking good. what business do they have marching to beethoven and making it that fucking good

i asked max and he said that him leaning into the frame during the video was on purpose lmao

we were on the same bus so beka gave me her hanger and windsuit pants to take back there

BUT

i had to take them onto the field

michael took the pants and put them in his pocket after folding them really compactly

i had the hanger in my jacket the whole time

(clarissa found out about the flute-in-my-sleeve scenario and got mad about it)

anyway i kept opening my jacket and going “hey u want a hanger”

even when we got to mingle with other bands

we also talked to someone from the band with the hella amazing bari sax soloist / drum major and she said that everyone in the band is attracted to him

also guess who we told about that guy being called sax daddy

lmao

there was a fucking Long conga line

also on the way back to the buses, on the Road Of High Fives, this one kid from another band yelled “tell miguel to go to hell for the hot sauce” I CANT BELIEVE THIS. HE WAS DRUG DEALING HIS HOT SAUCE TO OTHER BANDS FUCK

also ppl were taunting paul (a dentist) about dentistry on the way back. “i only floss at dentist appointments!” someone yelled from the back of the bus. paul puts his head in his hands in despair

percussion started doing the cadence on the seats

we started chanting “DARYL! DARYL! DARYL!” when we got to the school and mr hee hee said “why are we chanting for a fish” OH MY GOD

and. that’s it i guess.

end of the season

we’ve still got at least two more games to go to, since we made it into playoffs, and the disney trip, and november practices, but. that’s it for competitions and full runs for this year.

[exo-orbiter-1983]

1-99

Dude what the f u c k

Spotify, SoundCloud, or Pandora? - Sound Cloud

is your room messy or clean? - MESSY LOL

what color are your eyes? - Golden brown

do you like your name? why? - Yes! Because I picked it and it’s something I’ve grown very comfortable with

what is your relationship status? - Single

describe your personality in 3 words or less - loyal, funny, hard-working

what color hair do you have? - brown

what kind of car do you drive? color? - a gray toyota sienna (I’m basically a soccer mom)

where do you shop? - amazon, maybe hot topic. I dont really shop

how would you describe your style? - clothing? Laid back. I wear basketball shorts, athletic shoes, a t-shirt, and sometimes a hat 

favorite social media account - instgram or tumblr

what size bed do you have? - full

any siblings? - yep, little sister

if you can live anywhere in the world where would it be? why? - tbh california, just not my current city. I like it here, it’s pretty liberal and open and the weather is slightly standable in the spring

favorite snapchat filter? - doggo

favorite makeup brand(s) - lmao I don’t wear makeup

how many times a week do you shower? - not enough

favorite tv show? - orange is the new black

shoe size? - LOL 3 IN KIDS

how tall are you? - 5′1″ FINALLY

sandals or sneakers? - sneakers all the way

do you go to the gym? - no, we have a workout room at home plus im in band so that works well enough

describe your dream date - oh boy. Honestly just doing something chill together and going for a walk and looking up at the stars together. Nice cuddling and some kisses thrown in there too lmao

how much money do you have in your wallet at the moment? - $0, I don’t use cash

what color socks are you wearing? - white

how many pillows do you sleep with? - 1, sometimes 2

do you have a job? what do you do? - I do not, menchies rejected me

how many friends do you have? - a big group of like 10 or 11 who I can really call friends and actually depend on

whats the worst thing you have ever done? - oh fuck okay, probably run a red light and almost tboned someone but luckily they stopped because my dumbass is a terrible driver

whats your favorite candle scent? - cinamon

3 favorite boy names - ALEX, Mikey (cuz he’s my bff and I love his name), and Andrew

3 favorite girl names - Taylor, Sarah, Kate

favorite actor? - idk man

favorite actress? - Amy pohler 

who is your celebrity crush? - Laura Prepon god she’s so fucking hot

favorite movie? - Power rangers

do you read a lot? whats your favorite book? - not really, but my fav series is chaos walking

money or brains? - brains

do you have a nickname? what is it? - yes! a lot of people call me shimmy or Shim

how many times have you been to the hospital? - I got hurt a lot when I was younger to I went to the urgant care but that’s it

top 10 favorite songs - 1. You’re gonna go far kid 2. First by Cold War Kids 3. Forest by ToP 4. be Still by the killers 5. mr. brightside by the killers 6. The Violence by Rise Against 7. Cecilia and the satelite 8. Handclap 9. Believer by imagine dragons and 10. tear in my heart

do you take any medications daily? - nope

what is your skin type? (oily, dry, etc) - dry

what is your biggest fear? - losing someone i care about

how many kids do you want? - 3

whats your go to hair style? - Parted on the side and just kinda swept over and pushed forward? Idk how to descibe it ill post a pic after this tho

what type of house do you live in? (big, small, etc) - i guess it’s a little on the bigger side

who is your role model? - my friends mikey and lexi (@bridkid)

what was the last compliment you received? - “You’re tone sounded really good that rep”

what was the last text you sent? - “Are you shitting me” to Lexi after seeing that someone was making me answer 99 fuckin questions

how old were you when you found out santa wasn’t real? - bruh idk maybe 9, 10?

what is your dream car? - idk just not my current van

opinion on smoking? - dont do it

do you go to college? - nope I’m a junior in high school

what is your dream job? - high school band director

would you rather live in rural areas or the suburbs? - suburbs

do you take shampoo and conditioner bottles from hotels? - nah

do you have freckles? - not really

do you smile for pictures? - I try

how many pictures do you have on your phone? - 431

have you ever peed in the woods? - definitely

do you still watch cartoons? - of course

do you prefer chicken nuggets from Wendy’s or McDonalds? - wendys

Favorite dipping sauce? - BBQ

what do you wear to bed? - basketball shorts and a t shirt, sometimes I sleep shirtless if it’s too hot tho

have you ever won a spelling bee? - nope, never participated in one

what are your hobbies? - music and hanging out with friends

can you draw? - yeah I’m not terrible at it

do you play an instrument? - Yes! Trumpet, piano, saxophone, french horn, euphonium, bass drum, and pit percussion

what was the last concert you saw? - Does DCI count

tea or coffee? - coffee

Starbucks or Dunkin Donuts? - starbucks

do you want to get married? - maybe, probably

what is your crush’s first and last initial? - DR

are you going to change your last name when you get married? - probably, just because I don’t like my last name rn

what color looks best on you? - blue

do you miss anyone right now? - my friend lexi cuz bitch graduated

do you sleep with your door open or closed? - closed holy shit

do you believe in ghosts? - not sure

what is your biggest pet peeve? - my trumpet section

last person you called`- Nathan, one of the sophomores in my section because he was super late this morning

favorite ice cream flavor? - cookies n cream

regular oreos or golden oreos? - regular

chocolate or rainbow sprinkles? - gay

what shirt are you wearing? - my SCSBOA 2015 Championships shirt

what is your phone background? - a picture of me, Mikey, and our friend Emma laying on top of each other

are you outgoing or shy? - more outgoing than shy

do you like it when people play with your hair? - YES I LOVE IT

do you like your neighbors? - no 

do you wash your face? at night? in the morning? - when I shower I wash it

have you ever been high? - nope

have you ever been drunk? - I’ve been buzzed

last thing you ate? - crab quiche 

favorite lyrics right now - literally the entirety of be still by the killers but i like this part “And may your limits be unknownAnd may your efforts be your ownIf you ever feel you can't take it anymoreDon't break characterYou've got a lot of heartIs this real or just a dream?Rise up like the sunLabor till the work is done“

summer or winter? - summer

day or night? - depends

dark, milk, or white chocolate? - milk

favorite month? - august or november

what is your zodiac sign - pisces

HAPPY I ANSWERED 99 QUESTIONS BUDDY also this proves I have nothing better to do with my life lmao

[feverwildehopps]

lol you go to a summer school?

No xD it's because of band camp lol my percussion (front ensemble) classes aka sectionals, started Wednesday and Thursday //day off Friday// and now us band kids are just taking a field trip to see the marching competitions before the REAL band camp starts with the full band and color guard and stuff. I don't go to summer school I wouldn't have time to draw 😜 It's cool that some time later in band camp we can watch DCI Championship on a big screen in the band hall and that's a fun day ^^

[classicalguitartrends]

Antoni Bryla Percussions Talent

Antoni Bryla Percussions Talent

ANTONI BRYŁA – POLAND – PERCUSSION – BIO Antoni Bryła, born in 2013 in Poland. He is a student of the State School of Music M. Karłowicza names in Katowice in the class of Mr. Arkadiusz Kuc. At the age of 5 he made his debut with joint performances in the Polish National Radio Symphony Orchestra in Katowice alongside his first teacher Mr. Krzysztof Nowakowski and Mr. Marcin Wyrostek &…

[aquaace]

Things That Color Guard People Say:

(Or just a list of funny shit from my season cause I don’t see enough color guard/marching band content)

- “Mild” concussion - I had a bagel today and I’m so happy - I’m in hell. This green tea is shit. - No seriously, it’s just hot water with a tang. An ugly tang. - A hilt 6 and a double blade hitting each other = hip bounces away from guilt - 8 ibphrophen in 4 hrs and trying to do drill = low-key high - my medicine wore off in four hrs and I can’t take anymore for 2 whhhhhhhyyyyyy - APPLES! - I’m eating the ice out of my ice pack, I’m gonna screw myself over but… Ice - apples… - without that shirt on you would be naked! yeah, Cara. That’s how clothes work - do you want some apples? - ah! It hit my butt! - stop touching my butt! - touch my (rifle) butt one more time and I will hit you with it - meeeeee to. - “weeeeeeee'rrrreee your back yard friends the backyardagiiiinnnsss!!!!” - that show was lit but shut up we trying to be classy! - does he even know what he donated to? no but we need the money so thank him and let him go. - babe, no! - aw, babe why. - I love you so much. - you’re my fav. - “cuuuuuuute!” “she’s literally being stabbed Erin.” “but- but her flourishes! And her makeup just yaaaass gurl” - ooh, get it babe - *duet holds each other close from behind* *guy accidentally grabs her face instead of shoulders* *both awkwardly go with it* *is accidentally smothering her* - bonus: percussion group starts singing I believe I can fly during their show and the cameraman is done - YOU’RE HOT AF, GET IT - My grandpa says Cocaine is popular right now. why? he said it was because it’s cheap …Why does he know that? ……….That’s a good question - “and then he said was your mom on drugs when she was pregnant?” You’re dad said this….? Yeah What the fuck karah? - what if you tried a butter tacos? Would it taste like toast - was it a Mexican pirate? I said Japanese Oh Why did you think it was Mexican Well I was thinking about tacos.. What!? I really like tacos okay!? And you were eating some earlier so. - you know tacos and pirates are related Karah no - what are the boy parts of rat? Syd why - that’s the time the nurse thought I was gay and my mom was my girlfriend Omg Karah- And it’s not the first time! - if you said farquad with a toothbrush in your mouth would it sound the same? Karah it is midnight - I can’t sleep, you guys are holding my conscience - and I thought this is how I’m going to die, by suffocating under my dad’s butt - Yuh gunna wear yah flowar crown to practice Yaaaaaaaaa Mmmm - Three Sixty, more like Three sexxyyyyyy ;) - She’d be great if she didn’t suck - I wrote it last night! Erin, the solo is in a week. What is your life? - *21 Pilots Can’t help falling in love comes on and then is cut off* *Entire guard finishes it* - *Flags are learning something new* *are supposed to go right* *somehow four flags end up going to the center* “Yikes.” “Yeah” “Looks like a flower” “An uh oh flower…..Cara?” “Yeah?” “It’s a woopsie dasiy” - Erin you’re a guard kid! Catch it! I don’t deal with small and rectangle, I deal with long and cyndrical *makes hand motion that yes could be a pole but could also not* Erin, no. Don't​- stop- why? Do you even know what you just did? No why? - *small struggle is heard along with a yelp and laughing* Anna are you- Bai? Why did you- Take your legs from around her neck and stop being the Karate Kid. - *Rode home with twins* *Erin tries to unlock doors while Cara locks them* *This goes on for a while* *Erin stops and glares at Cara* *Rolls down my window* Good luck. - Staff Run - You both sang that in varying degrees of terrible. Ha! I sang it worse though! That’s not an achievement, Erin. - …Stupid What!? Wait, nO NOT YOU! THATS WAS FOR NORA! - VICTORY SCREECH!!!!! - “Flexed Foot” face - So I ate an entire bag of Cool Ranch Doritos and I don’t even like Cool Ranch. - “oustide” - dangit chicken noodle soup! - it’s a blessing and curse. Not really a blessing though. - Ah, this silk! Leave me alone! Same. - that’s fried chicken! What? no, they’re puppies! I just like fired chicken, okay! - we’re just making an x-rated movie on the floor - why are you guys in that position? None of that. Nu uh, not in my guard! Leave room for the flag silk! - *call to attention* Pineapples! - there’s just a trail of ramen noodle juice. - just leave her to her baby saltines. - don’t worry it looked great! It was a sexy flop! - there’s a chicken leg on the ground! - I AM NOT A WIZARD! *flexes arm* - Ha! Ha, my eye brows look like Caterpillars! Ha! - “what if I just used the end of my saber a s a selfie stick” *hold up saber above head* (**aggressively**) “Everybody smile!” - hi! Wow I love Championships! That guy was really high! - I’m high and tired okay. - I thought you said “leave a present in the microwave wait, they need a microwave nevermind” - Last time, best time. Thanks for a great season guys

[spartanguard]

11 facts

I’m kind of late to this, but I was tagged by @optomisticgirl, @kat2609, @amagicalship, and @thesschesthair to list 11 facts about myself. here goes:

1. I’ve officially done colorguard longer than some of the kids I coach have been alive. I started in June 2002, before my freshman year of high school, and most of the current freshman were born that year.

2. One of my proudest moments was when my college guard, State of Art, won the gold medal in Independent A at Winter Guard International (WGI) world championships in 2009. (If you don’t know what that means, then it’s kind of a big deal but not a huge deal.)

3. (One more guard one) I competed in A, Open, and World class WGI finals in consecutive years (2009—IA; 2010—IO; 2011—PIW [I was on the visual/guard line for Redline Percussion]).

(I’m in there!!!)

4. Not counting college, I’ve only lived in three towns, and all my moves have been to an adjacent town. One of the crossroads I live by now is the same road I lived on as a kid.

5. I’ve always been a fangirl. I remember drawing Power Rangers during catechism in elementary school, dabbling in Sabrina, the Teenage Witch fanfic at age 9, and the time my friends in middle school made me give up talking about boy bands for Lent.

6. I have 4 nephews, all age 2 and under. (Technically, they’re my fiance’s step-sibling’s kids, but they call me aunt so yeah.) And they’re all FUCKING ADORABLE.

7. I have serious FOMO, even on tumblr. I also have this odd relationship with attention: I want it, but not at the risk of coming off as an attention whore, and I hate being the center of it (my wedding is gonna be interesting in that regard).

8. PIZZA. I could eat pizza every single day.

9. I actually hated writing until halfway through high school. It wasn’t until the perfect combination of a good history/English teacher and a fun journalism class (which was student taught by a guard girl) collided that I liked it, but even then, only journalistic style and editing. When I finally got into fic a couple years ago, my writing was still very succinct, and that was why. (But now you can’t shut me up.)

10. My mom was the middle of 5 kids, which puts me roughly in the middle of 13 grandkids on that side. I love having such a big family.

11. The colors of both my high school and my university are green and white; I’d be lying if I said that didn’t influence my choice of college (though it definitely wasn’t just that).

only tagging a few: @mryddinwilt, @biancaros3, @xpumpkindumplingx, @fergus80, @captainswanismyendgame, @the-jolly-tad-cooper, @annytecture, and @xhookswenchx. feel free to ignore if you’ve already done it!

[deadcactuswalking]

REVIEWING THE CHARTS: 8th July 2018

All right, I really don’t want to talk about Drake. Let me elaborate: Drake has made a lot of music I love ever since he started rapping, but honestly, after a few years, he just got too popular and lost my interest because, like anyone at their peak, kind of got the mindset of “I can do whatever the hell I want and still get money” – which is, in fact, true. His laziest, mediocre, most boring and cheap songs seem to be his most successful, and that kind of aggravates me, when he’s capable of much better and puts it out, only for it to pale popularity-wise in comparison to the trash that he can spit out. Hence, I am glad UK chart regulations have shortened my Drake-load to only three songs, while America has 27 Drake songs in the Hot 100. Let’s stop rambling and get on into the top 10.

Top 10

Surprisingly, Drake just couldn’t knock George Ezra’s “Shotgun” off of its top spot, now at its second week there. That would be Drake’s third number-one debut this week if not for this track’s somewhat odd amount of strength as a hit. Huh.

Oh, yeah, speaking of Drake, we have “Don’t Matter to Me” from his latest album Scorpion, featuring posthumous vocals from Michael Jackson and uncredited vocals from Paul Anka, debuting at the runner-up spot.

“Solo” by Clean Bandit featuring Demi Lovato is down one spot to number-three, somehow still toppling two Drake songs.

The highest of those two being “Nonstop”, debuting at number-four.

Drake also takes up the number-five spot with “Emotionless”, and just like that, he takes up three spots in the top five of both the US and UK charts. Delightful, it’s like the charts are his house that he rents every Summer.

Due to Drake, we have some decent fallers in the top 10, including number-six, “2002” by Anne-Marie, down three spots to number-six.

Also down by three positions is “I’ll be There” by Jess Glynne, now at number-seven.

“I Like It” by Cardi B featuring Bad Bunny and J Balvin stays at number-eight from last week.

“If You’re Over Me” by Years & Years is also down three spaces to number-nine, but that will definitely rebound with their new album and all next week.

Finally, “Girls Like You” by Maroon 5 featuring Cardi B creeps into the top ten at #10 due to a three-spot increase.

Climbers

Yeah, not much increased this week at all. Mostly debuts from last week had smaller gains, but those aren’t really notable. There are seven-space jumps for “Taste” by Tyga featuring Offset up to #27 and “Nevermind” by Dennis Lloyd up to #32, but other than those and “Oh My” by Dappy featuring Ay Em going up five spots to #26, there’s nothing to go and talk to home about here.

Fallers

There are a LOT of small fallers this week, especially for trap-rap and hip-hop since Drake took over that demographic, so I’ll only mention the bigger ones for pop and go rapid-fire for hip-hop. “One Kiss” by Calvin Harris and Dua Lipa is down six to #16, as is “Familiar” by Liam Payne and J Balvin down to #20, as well as “no tears left to cry” by Ariana Grande now at #29. “Flames” by David Guetta and Sia took an eight-spot hit to #34, and “Girls” by Rita Ora featuring Cardi B, Bebe Rexha and Charli XCX didn’t fare well either, down eleven spots to #38, joining Cheat Codes and Little Mix at the bottom of the top 40 as their track “Only You” is down eight spaces to #40 after its debut last week.

Now, for hip-hop: XXXTENTACION – for obvious reasons – didn’t have a good week, with “SAD!” down nine to #14, “Moonlight” down 14 to #31, and “changes” down 15 to #37. Post Malone’s “Better Now” is also down eight to #15, taking an identical drop to “German” by EO, now at #23. And rapid-fire for the lesser falls: “Praise the Lord (Da Shine)” by A$AP Rocky and Skepta hit #21, alongside “Butterflies” by AJ Tracey and Not3s at #22. Women in hip-hop suffered too, as “Man Down” by Shakka and AlunaGeorge hit #30 and “Bed” by Nicki Minaj and Ariana Grande had a five-spot injury down to #35.

Dropouts

Drake dropped out the charts. Somehow, “Nice for What” featuring uncredited vocals from Big Freedia and 5thward Weebie is out of the charts from #25, despite the album release and it hitting #1 in the US. That’s really odd, actually.

Other than that, “Love Lies” by Khalid and Normani is out from #33, “Answerphone” by Banx & Ranx and Ella Eyre featuring Yxng Bane is out from #37 and “Family Tree” by Ramz is out from #38, with most of the songs being pretty much at the end of their run, although “Answerphone” is fading away much quicker than I expected it to.

Returning Entries

There is one returning entry this week due to the World Cup and it’s an interesting case. Let’s talk about it.

#24 – “Three Lions” – Baddiel, Skinner and the Lightning Seeds

“Three Lions” is a Britpop song written by rock band Lightning Seeds, as well as comedians David Baddiel and Frank Skinner, known for hosting the show Fantasy Football League together. It originally hit #1 in 1996 because it was made to celebrate England hosting the European championships, however it has since been recontextualised for World Cup events. In 1998, it was re-recorded and hit #1 once again, but that version never really stuck. Instead, every four years (and sometimes in between due to the European Championships), the original 1996 track kept on returning to the top 40 or top 100, peaking differently each time – in 2002 it was #16, while it was #9 in 2006, #10 in 2010 (alongside a second re-recording that peaked at #21, released with Robbie Williams and Russell Brand under the name THE SQUAD), #77 in 2012, #27 in 2014, #84 in 2016, and finally, #24 in 2018. It has a strong legacy and will go down as an official anthem for English sport, but is it actually any good?

Well, I’ve never been too much of a fan of music that’s too rowdy or ladsy (for lack of a better word), including a lot of Britpop, but this is too safe for even that. The hook is so weakly delivered with not really much of a passion at all, and I’m not sure if any of these guys can actually sing – don’t get me wrong, it’s catchy and I appreciate all the references to other notable English football moments, as well as some being sampled in an instrumental break that includes a nice guitar/synth refrain that slowly grows in intensity but then it all drops off at that anti-climactic, weaksauce chorus! Skinner’s vocoded, for God’s sake. Put some passion into the main vocals as much as you do with all the backing and left-ear-exclusive vocalising. Yeah, I’m not too much of a fan, but hey, I’ll chip in and have some hope for my own country. Come on, England! It’s coming home!

Wait, sorry, no, it’s not, we just lost against Croatia. God, it’s going to be depressingly ironic when this hits #1 next week – and it probably will.

DRAKE (new arrivals)

#5 – “Emotionless” – Drake featuring Mariah Carey

This is technically a solo Drake song that samples Mariah Carey, but I want to credit her as a feature here because I find it odd (and kind of awesome) how she’s done nothing of note this year and yet she’s still had two top 10 hits in the US since December simply by convenience, the first being “All I Want for Christmas is You”, the second being this new track from Scorpion, and, yeah, you know this is a No I.D. beat as soon as you hear Mariah Carey’s powerful vocals over the simple piano chords and a choir being pummelled by this bass and the skittering hi-hats, very similarly to “The Story of O.J.” by JAY-Z, which he produced last year, especially with how the sampled vocals are chopped-up at times, setting the stage for Drake to body this track with his rhymes about... condemning females using social media and modern technology to enjoy their time in foreign places, specifically Rome, and how he wasn’t hiding his kid from the world, he was hiding the world from his kid (that basically means the exact same thing, Drake, you can’t switch that!). He takes some shots at Kanye and mentions how the wise man once said nothing at all, which apparently, Drake cannot do throughout this year as he’s dissing Pusha T and Kanye throughout the album subtly, and then there’s an awkward fade-out to a nice funky, jazzy piano section that just seems kind of out of place and unnecessary? It doesn’t even lead up to the next song on the album (that’s “God’s Plan”), it’s just kind of there. Okay, but the beat is fantastic, so check this out anyway.

#4 – “Nonstop” – Drake

This nearly debuted at #1 in the US. I’m sorry, but what does anyone see in this?! This is boring. This is trash. This is Drake and his producers just not trying. Drake half-mumbles his verses for the most-part, with some pretty cringeworthy lines about how he’s light-skinned but still a dark man mentally, and how he’s a wig-splitter or whatever the hell. This beat is literally just a bass and some cheap trap percussion I could probably download from Loopmasters right now. This hook is literally just a sample from a Mack Daddy Ju song repeating with static effects and distortion, to the point where it’s unrecognisable and a massive waste of sample clearance money. I can’t believe Wheelchair Jimmy could make a Lil Xan song, but here we are: a sleep-inducing, probably drug-addled sleepwalk through Drake’s mind with more ad-libs than bars, which is probably how I’d describe his album – just replace ad-libs with pointless samples, for which “In My Feelings” is probably the worst case. I’m glad that one didn’t debut. Oh, yeah, and there’s the opening part, which is supposed to be cool and all but all he says is he flipped a switch and has some dumb “flip, flip” ad-lib afterwards, like, what are you trying to do, Drake? No matter what you’re trying to do, you’re failing immensely.

#2 – “Don’t Matter to Me” – Drake featuring Michael Jackson and Paul Anka

So, combining his enthusiasm for both lazy sampling and grave-robbery, Drake decided to buy some unreleased material from Michael Jackson that he wrote with Paul Anka, who provides additional vocals on the song, in 1983, recorded in the same session that lead to “Love Never Felt So Good”, another posthumous single Jackson released with Justin Timberlake in 2014. Surprisingly, Drake sloppily rap-singing over deceased R&B singers has proven to be a working formula, as he does the same stunt with Static Major on the best song on the album, “After Dark”. It’s vaguely tropical in its production, with some nice, warm synths and handclaps as well as some accentuated 808s that set the stage once again for Drake, who has a charm in his badly-sung verses. Michael Jackson’s pre-chorus is okay, and the King of Pop’s chorus is somewhat lowkey, which is a shockingly calm, subtle vocal hook for MJ but possibly an overly dramatic performance for self-certified wig-splitter Drake. Also, I know the audio was from the 1980s, but this could really have been mixed better, especially in the kind of excruciating pre-chorus and bridge (which is just all over the place with unnecessary reverb and echo). Come on, Drake, the mixing throughout this album is way too amateur for someone of your status. JAY-Z’s verse on “Talk Up” might as well have not been there before you made it louder when you pulled a Kanye and changed your own album, cluttering “In My Feelings” even more in the process and not changing this track and “March 14”, which need better mixing, or “Final Fantasy”, which really should have had the unnecessary bridge that samples the Maury skit cut, or “Emotionless”, which could do with you leaving the profanities intact on the explicit version of the album (how do you mess that up, honestly?), or even “Blue Tint”, by giving Future the verse he rightly deserves, instead of just sticking him onto the chorus as an uncredited hook-singer. Maybe you could have put songs on the right side of the album? Side A was darker hip-hop and trap, why is “God’s Plan” on there? Side B was smoother, funkier alternative R&B, why are “Blue Tint” and “Nice for What” on there? Thankfully, this will probably and hopefully be the last time I review a Drake song until my end-of-year lists – in which knowing Drake, he’ll probably make both worst AND best – so I can say I’ve slain this dragon for now (if Pusha T hadn’t done it already).

Conclusion

I mean, what do you think? I can’t give anything to the returning entries, so I have to give Drake something or other. “Nonstop” easily takes Worst of the Week – that is a dreadfully boring song – while I think I’ll give Best of the Week to “Emotionless”, and Honourable Mention to “Don’t Matter to Me” with Michael Jackson and Paul Anka for at least... trying. See you next week.

[daylightisviolent]

11, 19, 21, 22, 25,

11.   something you’d give ANYTHING to hear performed liveHonestly? All songs made by Foo Fighters or Marmozets! I absolutely love those bands and I REALLY REALLY hope I'll be able to see them at Pinkpop (a Dutch musicfestival) aahh 💕💕💕19.   the last song you had stuck in your headEeeeeeeehm Africa by Toto! It's because I saw an Africa related post earlier today and I HAD to reblog it because Africa is love, Africa is life. The greatest song ever created and I am not kidding you. 21.   a song that you could SLAY at karaoke.. Africa by Toto.. hehe..22.   a song you can’t help but dance toAll Time Low by Jon Bellion or California by Mallory Knox! I absolutely love both songs and they usually get me sooo happy ;v;25.   a song with a great music videoMy orchestra's performance at the Open Dutch Percussion Championship of 2017 has me nyooming around from the bells to the tubular bells and then to the back of the stage for my percussion solo and back to the bells again xD Does that count?.. But besides that I also really love the music video from Marmozet's Run With The Rhythm and Linkin Park's Castle of Glass Thank you for these fun questions anon! ❤❤ If you ever wanna talk about music with a nerd like me then don't feel too shy aboit sending me a message! ;v;