Music Library, Rangers Game, and Band Office

This blog is a tree-parter. :)

Music Library

I have been steadily working on organizing the band music library this summer. I am making so much progress! I still have pieces that need boxes or envelopes with labels, but not that many anymore. I finished sorting, organizing, and boxing the solos and ensembles yesterday.

They are all on shelves (the ones on the bottom right side). I'm sorry the lighting is so bad. 

I also semi-sorted the loose music and scores. I was able to put the Marches, Christmas Music, and much of the Popular Music in alphabetical order so that it will be easier to put in the boxes. I put the loose sheet music in envelopes - it looks neater, in my opinion. 

As you can see, there is a lot that is not alphabetized. And there is a LOT to be filed in the boxes still! I plan on having a few kids as band aides who can get that done for me this year. 

Here are some other shots of the library the way it is now (if only I could find the pictures of what it looked like seven years ago!): 

Above are the shelves that have the Pep Band Music and some method books. Below are the shelves that house (from left to right) the Marches, Christmas music, and Popular music. You can see the envelopes of originals to be filed.

The two pictures above are the shelves and filing cabinets that house more method books (for band). The shelves that also hold the Pep Band music hold instrument method books (etude books). 

Rangers Game

I had a great time at a home Rangers baseball game yesterday with my husband, two close friends who  really are like family to me, my aunt and uncle in-laws, and my cousin in-law. We sat in the "All You Can Eat" section in the shade. It was still really hot, but everything else about the game was great. The Rangers swept the Angels by winning the third game of that series - with the third walk-off home-run as well (pretty exciting!). Here are some pictures from the game:

Do you see that temperature? That was the regular outside temperature yesterday! 105!

 My two close friends!

Me and my hubby. :) I am so not photogenic!

The in-laws. :)

Our view of the field:

The boards to our right - it got down to 95 degrees once the sun really started to go down!

Band Office

Today was all about organizing my office. While I was out during mid-July, it rained and rained here in north Texas. Well, my office and practice rooms flooded. I didn't know this until I came back to work on Monday. I saw the carpet cleaning machine in the band hall and asked the assistant principal if the custodians were going to steam clean the carpet (I needed to know because Music and Arts was bringing back the summer repairs and would need to lay the cases out on the floor). The assistant principal then told me about the flood and said that the custodians cleaned it all up with the carpet cleaner. He said it had smelled really bad. I'm so thankful he took care of it. In order to get all the water up though, they had to move MUCH of the stuff in my office. So I moved it all back, rehung the pictures and degrees on the walls, and organized organized organized. I threw out so much paper that wasn't needed! I also really found a use for the folio shelving that's in the band office. I really have wanted a regular bookcase, but I'm diggin' this thing now. I used the half-envelopes again and labeled them so I can clearly see what's in them. I tried to keep the music-type stuff on the left (daily drill exercises, scales, etc.), the assessment-type stuff on the right, and other stuff in the middle. I put the toolbox on top (which is STUFFED) with supplies. In fact, I had to put the extra supplies in other places. 

I have a LOT of handouts. :) The flowers are flower pens and pencils. There are unopened boxes of pens in the basket on top of the toolbox. There are red pens and hi-liters in the pretty mug I got at Teacher Inservice last year (when we went to the Dallas Aquarium). There are pencils and rulers in the school cup. There are permission slips in the paper organizer on top - with CDs and DVDs on the top shelf of it. There are also loose CDs in the CD spindle. 

Let me also mention that I truly am blessed when it comes to facilities. I really have it good. I have a very large band hall for a middle school, as well as a smaller rehearsal room with instrument storage cabinets. I think I'm the only director in the district who has two rehearsal rooms! I also have three working practice rooms that are large enough to house computer stations and/or upright pianos. I have a large uniform storage room, a pretty large music library room, and two storage rooms. Not to mention, I have another room that houses the school's electrical panels. I can store risers and chair/stand carts in there. And while I'm bragging, I have the largest office in the school. It is pretty huge! From what I understand, YEARS ago the large rehearsal room was the school's cafeteria and the band office was where the "kitchen" was. The windows between the band office and rehearsal space were once the lunch windows. My office (well, the entire band wing) is perfect for two directors. Until I get an assistant, it just gives me more room to spread out - and more of a chance to have clutter. I really am going to get the office organized this summer so that I can function in a clean environment. I made a lot of progress today. Here are pictures of the state of my office as of today:

I need to make sure the file cabinet drawers are organized well and then print and laminate labels. I use these file cabinets to store supplies and stuff (I don't have the inner rack to use for hanging file folders). The yellow post-its were supposed to be temporary labels (they remained all last year). 

I've organized the clear drawers already - from top to bottom: Reeds, Oils, Trombone Grease, High Brass Mouthpieces, Tuners/Metronomes/Polishing Cloths, Snakes/Etc., Lyres/Tags/Etc., Instrument Parts, Low Brass Mouthpieces, Mouthpiece Pullers/Tools. The picture below also shows the "food center" - portable fridge and microwave, cups, utensils, plates, baggies, napkins, wipes, etc.

Below is a shot of the two desks - the closest one was my assistant's - it now will serve as the "helper" desk. I have to clean it out and clean off the top still. It did not look like this during the school year. I've just put all the stuff that needs sorting on the desk. Do you see the blue post-it labels? I know - tacky. Those will be gone this year. The desk farthest away is my desk. It does not need as much work to clean it out/off.

Here's a shot from one of the doors to enter (there is a second entry door - from the practice room hallway). The main door (where I'm standing to take this picture) is from the small rehearsal/instrument storage room at the start of the practice room hallway. I can't get the entire office in one shot. If you could swing to the right, you'd see the swivel recliner chair (for parent conferences) and my desk.

Now, if I had more time (and money), I'd repaint the walls - a deeper golden color with that back wall (where the filing cabinets are) a nice garnet/ruby color (all the way up to the ceiling over that overhang). I'd also get some valances for the six windows in my office. I'd get the desks fixed (handles are falling off and the drawers don't shut easily). I'd also reupholster the office chairs and get a nice rug.  As of right now, the color scheme works because of the carpet. The carpet is blue with gold and ruby specks. So the blue trim everywhere, all the gold/yellow stuff (school color), and the ruby chair match.

Well, I promise to take more pictures as the band wing shapes up even more. Band registration is this coming Thursday and Summer Band Camp starts the week after. I will really need to start getting my sleep schedule back to normal and get my workouts in at around 5 AM. 

'til next time! It is Thursday, August 1st, 2013 at around 8:30 PM.