ANCOC Day 3

Last night I finally got a little bit more sleep; it certainly helped that we didn't have to report until 0800.

The first set of classes involved more drum majoring. The school instructors were required to attend suicide prevention training (the same training I'm missing this week), so one of the ANCOC students who is in the class - and who is the drum major for his unit - taught the first hour of the course. Several of us were able to pair off with those who were struggling to give some one-on-one peer assistance. The weather is starting to break, and we even got a little bit of rain in the morning.

Next we had a group discussion to recap how our MST selection meeting went the day before. We had been given only a few rules (5-9 people per group, each person plays their primary instrument, at least one student from each class in each group, etc). It was quite an interesting process, especially after most of the groups had been formed and there were some "left over" players that weren't assigned. Thankfully enough groups took pity on the remaining percussionists to give them a group to join. :+)

Our horn quartet has decided (I got out-voted) to simulate playing for a local festival. In fact, they picked an Oktoberfest. During the lunch hour I typed up some ideas on what we might say as we present our music, including my own joke about being the group's permanent designated driver. One of our members has some sets of German horn quartets that we started playing through, and we have an idea about inserting an American march too. Of course we'll be very serious as we play our regular parts to the final strain of Stars and Stripes. Or maybe it will be Bravura. Or American's We. When it comes to horn parts, it really doesn't matter what title you put on those after-beats. Since we're going with the biergarten theme, I'm hoping we can round up some plastic cups and distribute "simulated adult beverages" (apple juice) to the crowd. Part of the scoring is music, but another part is creativity in presentation and engaging the audience.
A briefing on Composite Risk Management provided some "real" Army indoctrination.

The last couple of hours were spent outside on the parade field, attempting to learn the setup and sequence of review ceremonies. That will come in really handy for the once or twice a DECADE that we perform such ceremonies. Actually, the only time we've done one was when we were asked to go to Montana for a change of command. It's still good stuff to know. That practice had more than the normal number of distractions, including three separate SOM field bands marching around and playing across the street (we were trying to rehearse bandmaster movements and sequences very slowly while Washington Post was being blared from just a few yards away) and the Navy kept flying their helicopters around - sometimes with three guys literally dangling from a wire rope beneath the flying machine!

Bobby Shue is giving a concert on base tonight; still not sure whether I'm going to go, or I might just hit a practice room since many more should be available at that time. Also I'm hoping things will cool off (high was 77 degrees today) tonight, which should help me sleep better. The high for tomorrow is only forecast to be 43 degrees, so that should help me. The guy from Hawaii is going to suffer, as he didn't even BRING a jacket! I doubt they were ever issued cold-weather gear.
Until tomorrow ...