band camp - my version

Last week Annie and I traveled to Adelaide for the Annual Primary Schools Band Workshop. She was 1 of the students invited to play in the 200 piece orchestra.

We headed over on Tuesday night and we watched this beaut sunset out of the plane window.

Once landed we waited for our one bag to pick up (her Saxaphone was tagged as Priority Hand Luggage - you hand it over at the steps of the plane and its handed back to you at the steps of the plane when you disembark). While we waited Annie popped up on the carousel for a quick pic.

The next morning found us catching the tram to the Ridley Centre at the Adelaide Showgrounds. From my sister in laws home it was only four stops away so the tram was wonderfully convenient. 

200 kids and their parents were pouring in through the door into the large acoustic room that boasted a grandstand for 300 people. Once the roll books were done, the kids got stuck straight into warm ups and working through various pieces of music.

I caught up with two of my SILs at a coffee shop not far away for our Christmas planning session. And I also met up with the camera cleaning wizard who took both cameras for sensor cleaning. He was wonderful. He understood that I didn't have a vehicle and not able to get to him, so he picked up and dropped off. Very old school and very much appreciated by me.

I was back before the kids broke for lunch. Annie wandered in the courtyard with her new friends for lunch and I just kept an eye on them from afar.  You can definetly tell the country kids from the city kids thats for sure. As it turned out, the girl Annie shared the sheet music and stand with, is a niece of a local woman here. And my brother went to school with the girl's Dad. Small world hey!

While Annie was practising, I was in a side office with my laptop flat out in photography post production. My work comes with me ;)

The kids knocked off by 3.30 so Annie and I took the tram into town. The main reason is to acquaint Annie with the transport system, to get her to recognise landmarks and just to figure out how where some things are, so if she still goes to collage later on, she knows a little bit about getting around Adelaide.

Heading back home was a bit funny. I lead us onto the wrong tram and we took off in the opposite way I intended.  It was a bit of a giggle.  If nothing else, my error did lend itself as example to Annie how you can get off at the next stop and just catch the tram that goes the right way. No biggie.

We stayed at my sister in laws home and they have Karla. He's the most charismatic Sulphur Crested Cockatoo I've ever met.

The next day saw us back at the Ridley Centre with the rest of the ensemble by 9am. I keyed away on the laptop while Annie keyed away on her saxophone. They sounded so much more polished than the day before.

1pm and we were dismissed so I thought we'd jump the tram to Glenelg. We so rode those trams like a Boss!

I havent' been to Glenelg since I was a little kid. Year 7 school Adelaide Trip I think. Its changed a lot but then, not changed much at all.

We found this guy doing those amazing big bubbles by the jetty.

We headed up the jetty...

we played hopscotch near the jetty...

and watched kids whiz around the slide at the Beach House while we had our ice creams.

That night was the main performance played in front of 300 family and friends. They played 10 songs and just blew me away. The last song was the finalé and was just so impressive. Everyone had this sheet music sent to them at home weeks before the event, to practice, and it was really really cool to hear how all the sounds came together.

Please ignore the videography ;). The camera was terribly heavy with my fast 200mm lens and I really needed a tripod. So just close your eyes and listen instead.  If you peek you'll find Annie wearing vertical black and white stripe top. I've focused mainly on the percussion side of the ensemble as they were the heartbeat to this amazing music.

THE GREAT LOCOMOTIVE CHASE

Friday morning saw us coming home. Got to do the obligatory airplane selfie.

 :)