In approximately 21 hours the first DMA workshop of the 2008 will get underway in Arizona! Mr. Parks and the first team of staff members are probably packing frantically right now as most ofo us have just finished up with our “real” lives—band directors at various schools! But there are a group of young men and women even more excited about tomorrow–the students who are ATTENDING DMA @ ASU!
Did you pack your linens? Clothes? Stuff to clean up with in the mornings/nights? A good pair of sneakers?
GOOD!
What about a notebook? Whether you believed the registration packet or not, you are going to be taking an enormous amount of notes–maybe more than you took all year in your history class (no offense meant to any history teachers out there)! Have a couple of extra pens and pencils with you too. Remember, the Drum Major Academy is an educational workshop—it is NOT a camp. Oh, you’ll have fun, I can promise you that, but there’s a whole lot of learning that is going to take place so make sure you come prepared.
In a little over 5 days most of you at the DMA @ ASU are going to be on your way home having learned more than you can possibly imagine, and even making some new best friends. No, I am not kidding you. I have students in my band here at UD who met at DMA and kept in touch until they were in band together in college–how incredibly cool is that?!!
So get some sleep, have a good breakfast, travel safe and see some of you at ASU tomorrow afternoon for DMA Check-in.
Watch out Arizona–here comes DMA!
