Can Ya Dig It?

Sometimes we have to dig through trash to find the treasure.

My parents were incredible. They showed me and my brother what a strong and healthy marriage looks like and they loved us unconditionally. We were punished when we did stupid stuff and we were praised when praise was appropriate. They never gave us participation trophies or accolades to ensure our egos were never damaged.

We rarely went away for vacations for the simple fact that we couldn’t afford them. Don’t worry, this isn’t going to be a blog about me growing up poor and struggling my entire childhood. I am not going to tell you that I learned to play trumpet while walking to school in three feet of snow, uphill both ways and had to learn how to double tongue to make a couple of extra pennies so we could pay rent.

I never experienced any of that, but the reason I mentioned that we couldn’t afford to go away for vacation is to tell you how we enjoyed time away from everyday life.

Our vacations were usually spent fishing, swimming, or metal detecting.

On the rare occasions, when we had a free Saturday, Dad would wield the metal detector, and my brother and I would tag along to be the digger and treasure gatherer. Dad would take us to different places to find hidden metallic marvels.

The metal detector we used was a basic model detector that could not discriminate the difference between a buried pop can or a gold wedding ring. Due to the indiscriminate nature of the basic beeper of buried bullion, we dug up a lot of junk. You could not imagine how many pull tabs from beer and pop cans we found. Even though we unearthed a lot of trash, treasures (to us) were still found.

We had a small cardboard box where we deposited the treasures when we returned home. Some of the treasures included a few wedding rings, new and old coins, and random gold and silver items. it was a lot of fun digging in the dirt with Dad. We had quite a collection of memories and treasures saved in the little cardboard box. One day we got home from school and found out that someone had broken into our house and stolen quite a few things. Our first Atari 2600 was among some of the items stolen along with the little cardboard box of metal detector treasures.

Over the years, metal detectors have become a lot more sophisticated and the simple switch, that didn’t work for us, when flipped from discriminant and non-discriminant to differentiate between the metals became small computers. The internet, along with shows like Curse of Oak Island which uses the metal detection expert Gary Drayton, has popularized metal detecting once again.

Living in Florida, with the proximity to the beach, has encouraged me and my son to take our basic metal detectors surf side to scan the sand. Our first excursion netted us one penny, multiple beer can tabs, and an overabundance of the “L” shaped metal stakes people use to hold down their umbrellas and other sun-blocking wind-flappers while visiting the beach. We found a lot of trash but enjoyed the treasure too. We created memories, enjoyed the beach, and threw away a lot of trash.

My son is now a proud owner of a professional-level metal detector. It has the capability to differentiate the types of metals and tell the approximate depth of the object it is detecting. Too cool huh? After reading the instruction manual and watching a few videos we were ready to give his new detector a chance to uncover hidden treasures.

A quarter and multiple can tabs were unearthed by my son on the detector's first visit to the beach.

Along with the detector, he got a really cool scoop. When something is detected in the sand, he positions the scoop, presses into the sand with his foot, and then pulls on the long handle. Sand sifts out of the holes in the scoop and he can see the trash or treasure.

We realized early in our detecting day that we were going to find a lot of trash. Therefore, we decided to use the scoop and look for other treasures. The water was warm and the particular beach we visited is known for its abundance of shark teeth. So, we spent a little bit of time enjoying the sun, surf, and shark teeth.

Eventually, we will learn how to fine-tune and read the detector as well as know where to look for coins, rings, and other valuable metals. We will read about and watch videos of those who have experience in all things metal detecting and learn. Our next metal detecting purchase will be a couple of books written by Gary Drayton that discuss metal detecting on the beach. He is an expert and enjoys sharing his knowledge.

When we find something we enjoy, we tend to find others that have the same interests. We also attempt to emulate those who participate in our particular interest that we look up to.

Passing on knowledge is the best way to keep younger generations inspired, excited, and willing to continue participating in the same things that inspired and excited us.

Whenever I get the opportunity to talk or spend time with a trumpet player who has superior skills that I have, I use that time to learn. I ask questions and observe, I listen and learn. Those people who have a passion for a profession enjoy sharing their knowledge. There is no sense of jealousy or worry that by sharing their knowledge they will be replaced by the person they helped.

While in college I had the opportunity to take trumpet lessons from Wiff Rudd and Steven Burns when they were guest artists at ISU. I had the opportunity to eat lunch with Philip Smith and ask him questions about playing trumpet, mute choice, and auditions. They gave me invaluable information and they had no worries that I would use that knowledge to replace them in their groups or tour. Sharing their knowledge was a pleasure to them because their passion for the profession was more important than the ego of the elite.

I am enjoying playing my trumpet in groups from different genres. In one week I may play a gig with a cover band that plays rock, blues, and pop, a jazz group, and a concert band. Each group offers challenging music, attentive audiences, and groups of musicians that have a multitude of musical knowledge. I learn during every rehearsal and I hope I also help educate others too.

This past year has been an incredible year of learning for me. I had begun writing music for the middle school band. While their band director, I learned that approximately 96-98% of the students were dumped into band class by the school guidance counselors. The guidance counselors have told students that they couldn’t sign up for band after they had taken band the previous year. Needless to say, I fought for the continuity of band class.

I am not going to make this a rant about the injustice done to students by taking them out of classes they excel and thrive. If you are a guidance counselor and or you are in charge of scheduling students and you are reading this, how dare you take students out of band class because you want to make numbers even for other teachers. How dare you put “troubled students” into band class and then claim amazement when the “troubled students” are surprisingly no longer a problem, take them out of band class, put them in a different class, and then blame band class for their behavior when they begin to act up again. I learned a long time ago that the best way for those who do student scheduling is to remember the 3 “B”s. Busses, Beans, and Band.

Scheduling is easiest when stability is incorporated. A person that schedules cannot change the arrival and departure of busses, or lunch (beans), and when band students are scheduled before other classes, the majority of the rest of the classes fall in place. However, listening to wise counsel doesn’t seem to happen with those that have failed up.

Rant over.

Back to learning from others, sharing knowledge, and writing music.

I acknowledge that I am not talented at musical composition and that making a living at writing music is probably not in my foreseeable future. But, I am asking questions, reading, and learning. You never know what the future holds. Fortunately, I have people in my life who are incredible arrangers and writers, Fernando Frank, and band director friends who have agreed to have their bands play my compositions. I plan on expanding my writing to strings and voices too. Learning and trying is fun and exciting.

There is no place for inflated ego or negative attitude when learning. Playing an instrument or writing music is a personal form of expression. To improve, we need to learn to accept criticism. Not all criticism given is criticism a person should accept. People who are clueless or mean enjoy giving criticism, thinking that demeaning or criticizing negatively makes them look important or better than others.

When I started my career as a firefighter, I was told by a friend, “There will be times when someone will tell you what to do or criticize you. Sometimes that person will be a higher rank than you and what they are saying is wrong. Sometimes what they say is obvious jealousy on their part. Just because they have a higher rank doesn’t mean they are necessarily better at the job than you are, but, unless what they are telling you to do would get your or your crew hurt, then do it.”

There were many times I had to bite my tongue and many other times I refused to hold back my comments and actions when told by a commanding officer to do something on scene that I knew wouldn’t work. The problem was, that the person that attempted to give commands was clueless in regards to the job functions with my crew. The same thing happens while playing or writing music. The only difference is, that playing or writing music typically does not involve life safety.

Many times I am required to play a piece of music that I have played many times in the past. Typically, I will play the piece of music with the same inflections and style I had played it in the past. Sometimes the conductor will make changes, some subtle and others extreme, and it is up to me to comply. That is a way I learn. I listen to their suggestions and apply them.

While writing music for the middle school and other compositions I consult with Fernando Frank and welcome his critique.

“I see what you are trying to do here,” he says, “If we were to do this, do you think that is closer to what you were hearing in your head?”

That is a phrase he has stated multiple times as he sat over my writings. My respect for him, his writings, his professionalism, and his friendship gives him the freedom to give unsolicited critique if he chooses. He is too nice to say, “Hey Hauger, that sounds stupid, you need to fix it like this!” But, if he were to say that to me, I would still listen and heed his advice.

I have pulled my college theory, composition, and instrumentation books out of my studio and I am relearning things that I should have learned and remembered in college. Fernando doesn’t talk down to me when I ask him how I should write a particular part and he replies, “That should be a Plagal Cadence.” Even though a Plagal Cadence sounds familiar, I would have to look it up and refresh my memory.

Critique is good when it is given by those who are respected. Critique can also be good coming from those who are completely clueless but appreciate the same things you do. A person can be clueless on how to use a metal detector but they could give valuable information to someone that is searching the sand. “Hey, I think that metal detecting stuff is cool, but no one hangs out in the area you are searching. There was a tent set up over there last week selling stuff and I bet some people lost change.”

Or

“I know this warm-up exercise is very easy for some of you band students, so, I am going to suggest that you use alternate fingerings and slide positions on the notes so you can do the substitutions. However, use your ears and when you are using the substitutions, make sure the note or notes are in tune.”

Even though we may find a lot of trash while we are learning how to metal detect, we will still find treasures. The more we learn, the better we become at finding more treasures than trash. The same goes for music. There will be times we think we are ready to play treasure pieces when what we need to do is listen to the pros, learn from those who know, and build upon the basics. Know what is trash and prepare ourselves to search for the treasure. A lot of bad teaching and terrible techniques are taught online, in books, and lessons. Always ask others you respect and get their opinion. Sift through the trash, find the treasure, and enjoy the journey.