The Calendar Says

The calendar is inked for the next four days with the words "Wizard of Oz".

While these talented, beautiful and handsome teens have the starring roles...

my little D shines as a munchkin

and a poppie, 

 that is going to slumber an Oz seeking quad to sleep.

D has a favorite new color and it's emerald green (or as close to it as one can find in their closest)

When not wearing emerald green she sure can cut the stage doing the jitterbug

As for me, well, I can be found in the ticket booth

taking your green backs in exchange for the best seats in the house.

You better not make things difficult with large bills or I'll send you know who after you

along with her loyal flying monkeys

By Saturday I can almost guarantee

D will be begging her bestie Grace, I mean Glinda

To help her find some ruby slippers to heal click three times

'cause after months of practice

there's no place like home

Not Even A Bad Cold Can Stop the Show

We jacked D up on some DayQuil around 530pm so she could belt out musical tunes for her March concert in order to not be subjected to sniffling-sneezing-coughing-aching-stuffy-head adding hand to: so-you-can-sing. The miracle medicine! Then she shimmered her face with eye shadow, blush, lipstick and false lashes...then dressed.

Performance Costume Recipe

1 Sully from Monsters Inc.
1 Little Mermaid
1 Flamingo dancer
100 yards of velvet
50 yards of rhinestone
Generous sprinkle of glitter

Put all ingredients in blender on high.

This is what you get....the most hideous costumes ever known to the world of show choirs!However, despite the on going complaints from the girls of Limelight, the all female show choir, about the costumes, they put on a fabulous show last night! The song collection--a tribute to woman power.

I got in the auditorium early enough last night to get a good seat. A seat right behind the Band of Sisterhood known as old ladies with the worst cheap old lady perfume ever produced and salon styled hair that met teasing heights that should be illegal. Even the Limelight mom sitting next to me commented on how bad the old lady perfume was. It was bad! I decided not to crop my pictures so I can remember and reflect on how creative I was in my attempts to maneuver around the ten mile high hair and gallons of Aqua Net hairspray while holding my breath for an hour.

Regardless the jazz hands live on.

Curt Cobain, Or Sting

That time is creeping up--spring break. It is hard not to count the days down with the kids, and not just because we plan to hit the open road, but because everyone in the world of school does. No matter what your age.

Everyone who knows us well knows when we take to the road we have always entertain the girls with a "best of" album. Learning all the words to all the songs--a requirement. Because, for no other reason than music fills the soul...or in this case, the car. Who can complain when a teen can sing and appreciate everything from Patsy Cline and the Carpenter's to Lynyrd Skynyrd and Jefferson Airplane?

So imagine the reaction from the crowd when I suggested Michael Jackson as a possible pick. "For the love of Jesus no Michael, please no mom" moans M. "Jesus loved Michael" I spit back at her. "Really mom, no!" chimes in D from the back seat of the car. "How 'bout Nirvana?" she asks. How 'bout it? Then at work the "young one" in the office begs me not to torture the girls in the Michael way. She comes back to work yesterday with her and her husband's suggestion of Sting. Hmmmm, that certainly would be a great front runner. Never done Sting before.

Still, why not Michael? Sure he was a twisted soul but he was a musical genius and a legend. Can't you just picture the beauty of the girls in the back seat swaying back and forth in a chorus of We are the World as we zip down Highway 55? No instead they want to remind King Ralph that the car Smells Like Teen Spirit as they strum their air guitars and beat their air drums.

Okay Cobain is a strong possibility. He too was a musical genius in his own twisted soul kind of way.

Then there is Sting. Sting & The Police, better yet. Then we can hear the girls sing the stalkers anthem of Every Breath You Take from the rear of the car. King Ralph could serenade me from behind the wheel with Be My Girl. While I won't reveal our destination I will say this, that Ain't No Sunshine will NOT be our weather song of the day (week) and the only way I will be able to get word to you all will be from a Message in a Bottle.

Okay seems Sting & The Police win! For good measure will let Cobain sing a few rounds as well. Maybe even let Michael pop in for a visit (just to torture the girls).

I like to play fair.

I shall commence with the CD burn.

Until we meet again...happy sunshining Thursday!

Dear Dominic

Warning: The following post is Rated PG-13 when you play the video

Dear Dominic-
Today on the way home from work I decided to preview the CD you made for M. What a delight it was to know that you want to share and enhance my daughter's musical repertoire--because the great musical artist of the 70's and 80's I have enhanced her musical pallet with just aren't enough.

Oh dear Dominic, dear marching band friend, I wish you could have seen my face as song number one played filling the space inside my little blue Toyota. Was it my dropped jaw? My one squint eye? Was it the grimace that my mouth formed? Maybe it was the horrified laugh that over came me...actually it was every one of those looks that breezed across my face.

And, my grandmother thought Madonna's Like a Virgin was harsh.

I'm not sure who should be thanking you Dominic, me or M? To think I have about twenty more songs to go before I become a card carrying member of your "hip" music loving generation...God help, no save, me.

If ever there was a time for Puff the Magic Dragon, it might be now-- for me!

Musically (Aghast) Enriched,
Momma Avery

Union Renegade Weekend Review

I had a great weekend. I know you all are thinking how does one have a great weekend trapped on a coach bus for a seven hour rides and hanging out with one hundred eighty four teens...but it was! Even though I am exhausted beyond description. I offer you the Union Renegade Review Flyers style.

When we left for Tulsa, Oklahoma, the Mecca of marching band, some of us felt as though we were jumping into the deep end of the pool without any floaties. Some left scratching our heads as to why our director entered us this competition. It didn't take much more than a good nights sleep in the Embassy Suites, a hot made to order breakfast, a good dose of caffeine, some snazzy band uniforms and some hair fashioned with bun magic to change attitude. The guard was ready to show off the new clock flags to all of Oklahoma, while as a whole band the kids showed what they had to offer.

I (along with lots of our parents) officially have high school football stadium envy. Union High School's stadium is sick! The whole school actually was sick. I think my kid's school is a fine establishment of education with nice classroom buildings and a grassy football field with suitable metal bleachers. However after sitting at the Union Tuttle Stadium from 11am-1030pm I am officially in awe of a town’s devotion to football and band, the amounts of money and donations that can drop into a high school facility. Score boards with video screens, memberships to the "Turf Club” with its catered pre-game meals, a two story all glass press box and a marching band with a near overflowing budget. Sick I tell you, all sick.

I will return in a few weeks to the Flyers Stadium to cheer on our undefeated football team, gaze over the grassy field as it fights off Fall with massive doses of water via the sprinklers. I will dance in the bleachers-- that come without a printed ticket or a seat number--to pre-game music blasted from our press box built of plywood and warmed by space heaters. I will listen to the pep music of the marching band that...that left Tulsa with a renewed spirit that they can compete and place high when in the company of the kings and queens of marching band world's greatness.

Yes friends we placed third in our division in prelims--which placed us fifth overall. Then we filled the bellies of our band with a hot dinner, warmed up the instruments for finals and took to the field under the moon and those massive stadium lights. Then the kids did it again.

One cool thing about this competition is that they offer a judge's review with your directors. For five minutes they can ask the judges anything and the judges will say things to the directors. One thing they said was our band has such a presence in our opening picture that they know something great is about to happen.When the bands all retreat out for finals awards we figured the kids would place fifth or sixth...accepting that would be fine being in the company they had been given. So, when they named the sixth place winner and then the fifth place winner and neither were our kids we braced for fourth. No fourth for us and I turned to my band mom friends and said "holy shitake mushrooms we made third?" Yep, third place for the Missouri band. The color guard got to perform there award routine when the drum majors were called to accept our pretty etched glass trophy…tis' a good day on Saturday in Tulsa to be a Flyer from Saint Louis--the only band brave enough in the United States not from Oklahoma to enter the competition.I love that when they dismiss the bands after awards (just like at BOA) the bands blend to congratulate and compliment one another. I love Robyn who helps me make bun magic, laughs at all my jokes and loves my text messages from the bus. I love, my, color guard girl.
And, I love ALL the color guard girls (even the ones who are not in this picture...where are you?).

Before and After

Like I have said a band field show is a constant work in progress.
Like the Skip-Its

Before Donna's magic

After Donna's magic


I love the Skip-Its!

Friday Night Lights

"Friday Night Lights" brings us the first Flyers home football game of the season and a winning game to boot, 24-14. Go Flyers! I love the guards new "skip-its"; not a technical or official name for those custom propeller looking apparatuses just a moniker for them given by some dude in the drum line. They look so cool as they spin in different directions and will really be awesome when they have gotten there full fashion make-over. The first football game is the beginning of a show in progress. It only gets better from here. The performance silks are soon to arrive. The performance uniforms...let's just not go there for a while--it stresses me! Funny I mention the crunch to get all the guard stuff together since, this year's show is titled "Running Out of Time".

The Curtain Goes Down on the Middle School Music Years

It was the finale of middle school music--for both Demi and us. We have spent a lot of years marking our spot in the auditorium in the name of middle school musical exploration, enhancement and parental support for all three of our girls. But like all things good the end must come. And the end is marked by D, the youngest.

She and her fellow Show Choir pals had the evening aerobic workout by performing in all three grade level choir performances. Lucky for us D said her last show, the 8th grade concert, was her best. Which in the end seems fitting.

D had a spot light vocal with sections of the musical number accompanied by the all famous show choir jazzy hands.
Despite the fact that I gag at the new sparkly blue dresses; I smile knowing D loves show choir, she loves singing. It makes me smile to see her smile knowing she has found her passion at her age and is already honing her craft fit for her future goal. Once show choir ended it was a quick wardrobe change...well if you can call it that by slipping the green choir shirt over the sparkly blue dress. Again D had a spot light vocal. Before Concert Choir sang the last piece it was awards. For the second year in a row D has been one of the few to receive the highest choir award--a medal. (Actually last year she was the only 7th grader to get a medal.) Sharing the same honor with her BFF made it even sweeter. What made us all giggle was when D's other good friend, one of the Solo/Ensemble quartet posse, said looking at her medal "D you are a choir champion."

Choir champion or not this final middle school concert was bitter sweet as so many of D's singing friends have chosen different choirs in high school to express and show case there talents.

Don't worry D tried out and made Limelight for high school...long live the jazzy hands!

"Music of the Heart"

What a musical week The Avery's have had. We ended our musical week last night with an evening at the symphony-- a working rehearsal performance of Beethoven's Ninth, and the final selection for the 08-09 SLSO season.

Now anyone and everyone who breaths air knows Beethoven's Ninth. I mean I can hardly escape, to this day, renditions of Ode to Joy on a recorder, played by a third grader. One of the Ode'd-to-Joy's of working in an elementary school. As I sat waiting for the working rehearsal to begin I read the program. In there was a story about how the SLSO performed the Ninth every season in the 60's and 70's till-- as the musician put it "the joy in Ode to Joy was lost." I could relate. I remember when the girls came home so excited over there new found musical talent that they squeaked that plastic horn till my ears bleed, chasing them outside on the deck to continue there one woman concert. Just like the hiatus I had from Ode to Joy so have the classical music lovers of Saint Louis--waiting patiently for its return to the stage. There is something musically captivating about the Ninth that music lovers cannot deny. Whether it is the peaceful serenity of the second movement or the joy-ful excitement in the fourth movement--the choir belting out a strong and powerful chorus in German. Just to watch these musicians makes one realize what is to earn a living doing what you love with your life's passion. I mean how many of us can say that, that we earn a living doing what we are truly passionate about? D has a dream and desire to be a music teacher, we took her for her first non-school trip to the symphony last night. We wanted her to hear the SLSO Choir-- exposing her to opportunity in the world of choral music. She was in awe and doubly by their singing her chosen foreign language. I mean while sat struck by the movement of the strings, there bows moving in perfect unison slowly and then as quick as humming birds wings flutter-- with nothing less than beauty permeating sounds through the concert hall. D couldn't have thanked King Ralph and I enough times for her special evening out.

While three of us were mellowed by music M spent a Wednesday evening thrashed into the world of heavy metal and her first real concert (in box seats). Sometimes I wonder how could I have possibility spawn this tall-lean-pink-loving-girl who's passion is high fashion yet loves WWE wrestling and head banger metal music--if you can dare to call metal music music. (If it ensues anger in me having to hear it then it isn't music. It makes a mother out of me as I scream "turn that down") She went as the guest of her BGF (best guy friend) to see, hear Slipknot. Now look at their picture...it looks like a trip to hell. Worse than a quick breeze through Hot Topix to buy a novelty T-shirt. This picture resembles the sort of thing horror movies are written about and nightmares result from. Not music.

I am the mother of three girls each so totally different, each very much allowed to express there individuality. (Still Slipknot spooks the day light out of me!)

Back peddle.

The week started on the most wonderful musical note-- D and a select group of 6th, 7th and 8th graders singing "God Bless America" at Busch Stadium. Listening to the patriotic song while experiencing altitude sickness is another story--why is it the school tickets are always in section 453 and there is only 453 sections in the dam stadium? Why do the Cardinals always have to lose at these games? Still, I love our Red Birds!

There you have it our week of music of the heart--Avery style.

Grease Lightening

Last year's musical was so painfully long that my future sister-in-law left the theater saying something like, I would rather have my wisdom teeth pulled than sit through another Sperreng musical. Guess what, she got her wisdom teeth pulled yesterday and missed a good middle school musical. All kidding aside...

Sometimes it is time to say good-bye. To move on. But, before you do you have to have one last moment on the "big"stage. That is just what last night's closing performance was for D. Her last middle school musical--GREASE.

The Pink Ladies just before they sang "Freddy My Love"

D sang her heart out as "Jan". Sam-- or otherwise known for the night as "Roger"-- sang as well as any prepubescent boy can. Got to love those boys with there Peter Brady singing voice crackles. And, so, the two belt out the duet "Crooning"--Roger and Jan.

D got a big laugh with this line as Jan:

Doody- Hey, Crooner. You shouldn't be eatin' that cheeseburger. It's still Friday, y'know!

Roger- Ah, for cryin' out loud. What'dja remind me for? Now I gotta go to confession.

Jan- Well, I can eat anything. That's the nice thing about bein' a Lutheran.

I suppose the large group of Lutherans in the theater, me included, found it funny.

Costume change. Johnny Casino sing "Hand Jive Baby" and start the dance contest.

One last costume change with a rendition of "You're the One That I Want"

To end the night a final chorus of "We Go Together" as the cast takes the bow.... (Okay so the actual bow pictures didn't turn out)
before the eighth graders presented a thank you gift to there drama teacher

King Ralph came from work with a bouquet of roses for his "Pink Lady" as her devote fan club gathered round for a snap shot to say "GREAT JOB D!