Community Band

Here are a couple of shots of our Farmington Valley Band. It is sometimes a little bigger group than this, but is always quite the archetype spirited band. Sam, the director has saved hundreds of old arrangements from the old bands, some sounding like the old two step band 78's I have heard. I only wish I were a stronger player. There are many in the group with extraordinary ability. I love the band for this and other reasons, since I always have to stretch and play at the top end of my ability to keep up. I am not expert at all, but I am proud and glad that I can play most of the stuff along with, and say %90 of, for instance, a guy who was in a military band for 20 years, playing daily, now in several bands, some for pay, and plays daily.

The stories of the players in groups I have been in are interesting, and would be a subject for a book. (note to self) A couple of examples:

Chester plays the Euphonium. He is in his 80's and is quite deaf, and can see better now since his cataract fix last year. But what a fantastic sound on the horn! Three years ago I witnessed him get spontaneous applause after a soaring solo in a rehearsal of a 50 piece band - from the musicians! His tone and singing-like sound is truly a mystical thing. Unfortunately in that short period from then to now, he has slipped a bit, but still better than most. He was a butcher years ago, then continued his musical activities and played in most every band and some orchestras in the area for fourty years, actually making a living from music at some point. Now he is in the Farmington Valley Band.

Mark plays the clarinet. Mark can also play whatever instrument you would hand him - and very well, not just a tune or two. He also has a resonating wonderfully deep operatic quality speaking or singing voice that can get the attention of a hall without a microphone. I know he was a music major, studied voice and instruments, and I don't know why he didn't go professional. I plan to talk to him some time. I do know that it is perhaps harder for anyone to make a living in music today than ever before, especially classical. Mark can play a flurry from a classic, then switch and play a screaming jazzy solo from Woody Herman with class. Now he is in the Farmington Valley Band.

However, the band is a community band. It has had teens in the band, retirees, mediocre players, hobbyists as well as the superstars because it is designed to be for and of the public. As long as you can keep up, it seems to be ok. But this band has a reputation of an attitude and style of above average stuff. I'm lucky to be able to keep up so far.


Our concert at the Thomaston Opera House. What a great performance! We seem to rise to the occasion and play at our best on stage.


Dave and John, in front, are playing 1st (man are they good), I play 2nd, Ken and Alex are on 3rd trombone. Here I'm playing my same silver King Trombone that Dad bought for me in Jr. High!

anticryptography

Anticryptography is a new word for me, but it refers to those many times stupid iconographic signs that are supposed to tell us something where at first blush, a word or two would do. The idea of anticryptography is to assume no prior knowledge in communication, which means independent of ability to have language skill. (and some say a lack of common sense)
On the other hand, I guess I can see that Jane Doe would be more likely to understand (then ignore) this than a lengthy notice on the back of a Wall-Mart cart:



One of the first of these that I made fun of was when the on-off switches on computers started using | O for on and off - I guess digital for 1 and zero, but to me that takes more interpretation. Imagine, say a third world peasant would not know what "on-off" meant on his wireless computer (right), but he immediately might recognize the anticryptographic sign | O .


To take this one step further, the first Pioneer spacecraft that left the solar system had a plaque attached to an antenna as a message to . . . . well it had a message to be read by who or what-ever.
If you want to see what the imagery is supposed to mean to the aliens, check here..


This happened quite a few years ago, and today there would not be unreasonable criticism of things, or course ¦;¬), but at the time, some feminists complained that only the hand of the man was raised and not that of the woman. In response to this criticism, a similar image included on the Voyager Golden Record showed the woman with her hand raised.