Christmas Band Concerts

I'm exhausted. Had staff meetings last night, then Lilly's jazz concert. She sang Sitting on the Dock of the Bay by Otis Redding. She did a good job. Got a little nervous and lost some of her fluidity--but that's to be expected. Her friends all came to hear her sing, even though they're not in band. Some of them even live 40 miles away. We've got some nice people around us. I hope I can live up to them.
Last year's concert was better overall, I think. They combined everybody this year, and it was terrible. The only decent music they're making at Lilly's school is in the jazz band. The orchestra and choir just stink. This year they decided to combine all the recitals, so I had to sit through all this terrible stuff. They also changed the venue. Last year's was in Senior Hall. Lilly's school is held at a small local girl's private college My grandmother went there and my aunt (but she got kicked out for inappropriate behavior), and one of my best friends. Senior hall is a big, beautiful old house and one of the meeting rooms has a little platform in it. The feeling was a lot cozier, and I liked sitting there thinking about my grandmother being there in the twenties. This year they held the event in a regular auditorium, one of those cold institutional creations they made in the 60's. I gave Jay a pass on this event, which he took greatfully. My parents were coming, and they can be a little difficult. They arrived late, after the concert had started. Nick and I had saved seats for them, but a woman came and sat in one of them, just simply moved my coat out of it and sat down. I thought that was a little weird, since there were plenty of seats, but I didn't want to say anything. Sometimes people do things that are so rude I am just flummoxed. So my folks got in and sat 2 rows down from us. I was glad of this later, because during the orchestra performance, my dad started tittering and my mom started saying nasty things about them in this stage whisper which can frankly be heard to the far end of creation. The problem with my parents having known each other since they were eleven is that they act eleven with each other. My dad has this laugh, "hoohoohoohoohoohoohoo" that just sort of goes on and on quietly. The headmaster was sitting on the other side of Nick. I didn't know what to do. I mean, the auditorium wasn't that big, and at every wincing screeching note, his giggle would sort of rev up. He was the only person doing this. I mean, we're all adults right? We all know that what's going on is just terrible. Everybody in there is holding on to the edge of their seat and gritting their teeth to get through this nicely. Can't they behave? All the zen meditation really helps in situations like these--I just focus on my breath, or I internally watch the laughter, but I don't let it out. I think about other things, like how nice it is that we're all alive and here together on this snowy night and how sweet and young the screeching children look as the stage lights shine on their gleaming hair. I try to think--well--this isn't an experience about sound--it's about everybody dressing up, it's about supporting our kids. But then they launched into pachabel's canon, and I really had a hard time. "Oh, boy," Nick breathed. "I wish grandfather would stop giggling, I think people are noticing."
The words to the canon go 'In the silence of our souls oh Lord we contemplate thy peace...' what better opportunity to meditate on those words...what better way to fortify the soul than to find your soul's peace even in the midst of those awful violins. Breathe in, breathe out. Hunter was there with Sybil. They looked like they were about to be shot.
Then it ended, and my mother turns around and looks at me and makes this crazy face, sticking out her tongue, and my father doubles over, shaking with silent glee.
Nick and I just sit there, stoically. I am very proud of Nick, sometimes. I mean, how did the parents of those kids feel watching my parents act like that?
Oh, god...
That's my 1/2 hour.