TMEA Convention 2019 – Day 3, Epilogue
We made one more run through the exhibit hall, talked one more time to the folks at MSC and to David Bozeman, then to the great Luke McMillian. I had the opportunity to talk to several marching music composers this week. On top of Luke, I got to see Barry Hurt, Jair Klarfeld, David Herring, and finally to Eric Rath who I met for the first time.
This was a good convention with some great clinics and some outstanding performances by college, high school, and middle school bands. I find it fortunate to be in a state where music is definitely a priority. This was a great last few days. I got home at 4pm and now, I am about to turn in for the night.
About the picture. There is a jewelry store that I pass in the mall between the hotel and the convention center that has these bears of each of the armed forces. I took the picture and then the guy mentioned that they did sell them. So Emily got the Air Force bear in his dress blues. My dad was a Staff Sergeant in the Air Force as a air traffic controller and the years that he was in the military are among his favorite times. As it turns out, he did his basic training in San Antonio (and as I remember him telling me, after basic training, he promised himself never to come back to Texas; at that point, he lived mostly in New York). There were three bases in the San Antonio area at one point of which Lackland and Randolph are still there. Kelly AFB is now gone. San Antonio has had and still has a rich tradition with the Air Force and the military in general. The bear was given for Emily to remember Papa well.
This is the last major journey for a little while. The next journey will be from Cape Cod and Boston in June for a drill writing retreat given by Craig Harms and the Spirt of America organization and to the Texas Bandmasters Association Convention in July.
