CVCHS OIC Performs Film Related Music

Ethan is part of what is known as the Odd Instruments Club at his high school. At a recent performance, the OIC performed a melody of film related tunes. Can you name the tunes?  Ethan is in the back on percussion.

2015 Middle School Honor Band

Here is a performance from the School District's Middle School Honor Band.  You can make out the top of Ethan's head just to the right of the conductor.

Ethan in Jazz Band - Chili Pepper Solo

Ethan had a trumpet solo in his middle school jazz band's playing of a song titled "Chili Pepper."

Chili Pepper - Ethan Plays a Trumpet Solo

Here's a recent jazz band concert where Ethan had a trumpet solo.

Fireworks Night

Ryan enjoying fireworks night...

2014 Clayton Valley Charter High School Symphonic Band - Earth, Wind & Fire Medley

Naomi is on clarinet. You can see her in the foreground.

2014 Sequoia Middle School Jazz Band - "Carry On Wayward Son"

2014 Sequoia Middle School Jazz Band - "Blue Train" by John Coltrane

Ethan continues to enjoy being in the band playing trumpet. He's finishing up playing in the 7th grade concert band.

He's also in the jazz band that is composed of both 7th and 8th graders. Here's their rendition of "Blue Train" by John Coltrane.

Okay, So It's Not New Years or Graduation....

This is the Emoto Family Duet. If Uncle Chuck were here we could've made this a trio!

Ethan and Obaachan just started playing around with this song this evening. Not bad for the first time through, huh?

Obaachan is singing the song in Japanese (Hotaru no Hikari) although it's a little difficult to hear. In Japan, this song is played at graduations and the Japanese title can be translated to "The Glow of Fireflies":

By the glow of fireflies, and the moonlit snow by the window, Days and months spent reading, Years have even passed, through the cedar door, This morning, we leave.

Whether staying, or leaving, Remember each other, in the Depths of our hearts, in a word, Sing, "Good luck,"

蛍の光 (Hotaru no Hikari) The Glow of Fireflies

蛍の光、窓の雪、
書読む月日、重ねつゝ、
何時しか年も、すぎの戸を、
開けてぞ今朝は、別れ行く。 

止まるも行くも、限りとて、
互に思ふ、千萬の、
心の端を、一言に、
幸くと許り、歌うなり。

 

Happy, and Jazzy?

From Pharrell Williams and "Despicable Me 2"...

Let Her Go

Sequoia Middle School Jazz Band

Here's the other song that the band played. it's kind of hard to see Ethan but he plays first trumpet.

Sequoia Middle School Jazz Band

This is one of the two songs that the band that Ethan is in played at a recent concert. You have to click on the logo below to go to YouTube to see the video.

Can't Hold the Seahawks Back

Two Seattle originals...Macklemore and the Seahawks...

Go 'Hawks!

Is this the year for Seattle? Seattle that lovable loser has done nothing in terms of sports championships since 1979. Okay, so maybe the record is not as futile as that of the ultimate lovable loser in sports, the Cubs, but it's just as painful especially if you consider Seattle's recent history.

That team that last brought a major sport championship to the Sound, the Supersonics, left town in a very inglorious manner that has made David Stern, the outgoing NBA commissioner, public enemy number one for most Seattle-ites. At Red Mill Burgers, a well-known Seattle burger joint that has been voted best burgers in Seattle for 10 years running and has been cited in GQ magazine and on the Oprah Show, there's even a Wanted Poster with a photo of David Stern.

In addition, the original MLB team brought to Seattle back in 1969, the Seattle Pilots, lasted all of one solitary season before being bought by a group headed by Bud Selig, the current MLB Commissioner. Luckily, Seattle has been able to get a new MLB team since, the Mariners, although this team too has not had much success on the field. The team holds the record for the MLB to win the most number of games during the regular season and not win the World Series.

So we now have the Seahawks going to their second Super Bowl and possibly their first championship in their history. So hope reigns.

Lose Yourself to Dance

Look It's a Bass Player!

Mumford & Sons at Red Rocks Amphitheater in Morrison, Colorado. Looks like an incredible concert venue.

When I'm Gone...

This is a fitting song for what we learned today. We learned that Ryan has a spot at Sequoia Elementary School this fall that we are going to take. It will be sad to be leaving the only elementary school that we have known, but this is the best situation for us.

It may both help and make more difficult our commute at the same time. The school is right next to the middle school that Ethan attends so we're thinking that both will be picked up together, but since he will be new at the school we are probably going to be driving him to the school on his own at least at the beginning. We'll play it by ear and see what happens.
 

Can't Hold Us

Seattle rapper Macklemore who is a big fan of all sports Seattle. Video has great shots of Seattle, but supposedly was shot in 16 days on six continents. One shot even looks like it was taken on SF Bay.

I'm Coming Home