I am from Phoenix, Arizona, where, as I write this, the temperature is a cool 107°.
I kid you not.
While this may seem incredulous to you (and frankly to me), I say "cool," because this is one of the lowest daily highs we have experienced all Summer, the worst and most extreme one on record.
And I mean EXTREME.
Don't believe me? You think you had a hot summer? You're not even in my league! And yes, I like to make everything a competition.
Here are some other heat-related stats from this Summer to shock you. Since June 1st, we have had:
156 days with excessive heat warnings, up from 132 last year.
A record 107 consecutive days above 100°, beating the previous record of 77.
77 days of high temperatures at or above 110°F, up from 52.
256 heat-associated deaths, shattering the previous record.
2,100 calls to the Phoenix Fire Department for heat-related illness, a 27% increase from last year.
The latest 110°F day ever, happening on October 8th (typically on August 26th).
OCTOBER 8TH!
Yep, I win. Errr, I lose?
Yes, the calendar says Fall, but the calendar is not outside right now. It's in my air-conditioned kitchen jacking up my power bill - another touchy subject right now.
But, I am not the only one dealing with extreme weather.
Across the country, in the "Sunshine State," they are anxiously awaiting their second Category 5 hurricane in just ten days. As the flood waters recede from Helena and the damage is fully revealed, Floridians prepare for an additional storm surge of ten feet of water.
And I sit here in Arizona, entering my 10th month without any substantial rain.
Strangely, these two very different scenarios are happening simultaneously and in the same country.
Despite the stark differences in our circumstances, Gulf Coast residents and I are united by a common bond - our willingness to persevere and overcome obstacles in pursuit of excellence and achievement.
In short, we march through it. Weather we like it or not. (see what I did there with the word weather?)
I am not minimizing or trivializing the tragedy of Hurricane Helene or its incoming counterpart, Milton. I am pointing out how we (and our students) endure and overcome different and challenging obstacles to achieve the same results: excellence and achievement.
But it impacts music.
In hotter parts of the country.
Yes, an activity that has uniformity as a foundational concept; we are anything but uniform. Because of the weather:
The competitive marching band season in Colorado ends in a little over a week - in California, they are at the beginning of their competitive season.
Sun Belt states are marching band-rich compared to their smaller cold-weather counterparts.
The rain in the northwest means few schools even have a marching band. The few that march have rain gear.
And while marching band shuts down in November in the Northeast, Texas students are still applying sunscreen.
On the same day, my son will compete for a state championship outdoors in 72° weather; a Grand Nationals requires a dome to protect from the elements.
Why? Weather! Yes, weather.
It's interesting, because weather only affects other curricula or activities in the same way or the same degree. Weather doesn't change Geometry or Pythagorea's Theorem. It doesn't adversely impact Spanish class or impede the use of a microscope.
But it impacts music.
And it's not limited to weather. Geography impacts/alters the experience just as much as climate does. For instance:
Instruments and uniforms cost more if you live in Hawaii.
A contest in Alaska may mean three missed days of school and an eight-hour ferry ride.
Staff/techs/lesson instructors are harder to find in rural communities than their urban counterparts.
Reeds/mouthpieces/drum equipment are altered depending on the climate.
A band in Indianapolis can take a school bus to a regional or even Grand Nationals, where charter buses or plane tickets are required from other participants.
Indoor/covered practice facilities have become more prominent in hotter parts of the country.
But we persevere - and maybe that's the point—the ability to display grit, fortitude, and toughness.
As a parent of a freshman in the high school marching band, I am experiencing it first-hand. Well, my son is the one actually experiencing it. I watched it in my air-conditioned car. His band camp was brutal, beginning on July 8th (year-round school), in 118° heat that set records and, after twelve weeks, has yet to relent.
It's hard to sell a kid on the merits of marching band when he has heat stroke. The bass drum feels a little heavier every day, even though you lost three pounds the day before. He can't get excited about putting on his new band uniform when it's three layers, black, and will make it even hotter.
This isn't his fault. I chose to live here. Well, my parents did, so let's blame John and Sheila.
But it begs an interesting question.
Would he struggle less and smile more if we lived in North Dakota? Would he be more enthusiastic about band camp if it were in Oregon? Would enrollment in the band grow if we were in San Diego? Does the heat impact their score in ways that are hard to see or quantify? How would warm weather kids' perceptions about this activity change if their seasons were 4-6 weeks shorter by living in Colorado?
Conversely, would all the band kids rehearsing in rain gear on water-slogged fields in Florida want to change places with my son? What are Floridians and Arizonans learning that students in the other forty-eight states are not? And is it worth it?
My son and his fellow bandmates have shown remarkable resilience in the face of extreme circumstances. Their ability to endure, survive, and overcome the challenges of our environment is truly inspiring - and I would challenge any adult calling today's kids "lazy and coddled," to strap on a drum, sousaphone, or any other instrument and march for a couple of hours. My guess is that they wouldn't last a couple of minutes.
I am immensely proud of him, his friends, and our national marching band community for demonstrating such resilience and grit. Like the post office, "In rain, sleet, snow, or shine, THEY DELIVER."
Weather they like it or not.
Have a great week, everyone.
Scott