The beat still goes on

The Rye Town Community Band performing for Rye Brook’s 30-year celebration in Crawford Park June 16. Yes, I’m there — in the middle.

I wrote some time back about how all these years later, I’m still a band geek.

Yup — play me some John Philip Sousa and I stand a little taller, secretly check to see if I can still slow march (yes, I can).

The years I played with the Port Chester High School Marching Band remain very dear to me, despite hours upon hours of early-morning practice in all kinds of weather and endless weekends of riding buses and sitting in stadium stands.

Guess it’s all in my blood! There’s something about attempting to make a beautiful tapestry from all those squiggles and notations that gets me every time.

Heaven knows I’m a mere shadow of the clarinetist I was in high school when I played every day. Still, I get a lot out of the effort. The group I play with now — The Rye Town Community Band — is a menagerie of musicians, most former or current Port Chester High School Marching Band members (click on the link you just passed. The Pride of Port Chester is HOT STUFF). We range in age from 10 to, well, well-seasoned.

Thank goodness for the kids who keep us older folks honest.

Here’s a clip someone kindly filmed at our concert last Saturday, at the Rye Brook, NY, 30-year celebration. We don’t sound half bad! (And in case the video isn’t playing for you, here is the link.)