Day 1 - Part 1 "Exit Only is French for Welcome"

Our out of town tour started today in Cedar Rapids. We played at a middle school that was hosting a summer camp for learning and discovery. We were brought in to teach 2 one hour and fifteen minute classes about the music of the Caribbean. The excitement of hitting the road was quickly defeated by the 6am wake up time and 7am hour long drive to Cedar Rapids. Those with jobs that start regularly before 8am have no pity for us, but everyone else, it was difficult. The camp opened up with us

playing for all of the students in the camp as they met in the auditorium. Songs like Brown Eyed Girl were met with yawns while Lazy Song by Bruno Mars stirred some excited. The real fun came from teaching the classes. Though both were very well behaved, there was an extreme difference in willingness to participate with our shenanigans. Games like on the shape and off the shape (Thanks to Jim Campbell for that gem) and make a conga line during Jump in the Line proved to be home runs. I’m still working on a good way to present improvisation to children but so far it’s leaving their faces blank. Because of Aaron’s knowledge of pan history, he took care of delicately explaining the process of slavery and oppression is similar to having your iphone taken away today, which hits home for most of them.

Question time with any musical performance is a tight rope act, too far left or right and you will plummet to your death. Question time at a previous middle school performance during the University of Iowa steel band tour turned into questions about my beard. Multiple questions about my beard. So when we only had a few moments left in the first class, students asked questions like, “How long have you been playing?” “When did you start to play the pan?” and “How expensive is a steel pan?” All of which are great questions to be asked because they are easily answered in depth with a personal touch from Aaron and me. The second classes’ questions were as follows:

“Can you play Gangnam style?” “No”

“Can you play Eye of the Tiger?” “No”

“Can you play Party Rock Anthem?” “No…..How about a question that doesn’t start with “Can you play”?”

“Play the National Anthem.”

Now imagine Aaron and me staring at that kid…

The only question to beat that line up was “Can you guys play softer? Steel drums give me a headache.” To which I instinctively responded “Good.” Did I intend to sound like a guy who wishes headaches on kids who don’t like steel pan? No… but do I regret it? Meh.