#keith curtis

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Training Day (2001) Director - Antoine Fuqua, Cinematography - Mauro Fiore "To protect the sheep you gotta catch the wolf, and it takes a wolf to catch a wolf."

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Membranes-Dragonfly

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Membranes-Cor Blimey Ain't England Snidey

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The first time we met Keith Curtis, band director of the Archbishop Murphy High School band, The Wildcats, one of the first things he said to us was

"You can never have too much cowbell!"

We were visiting with our daughter, Linzy, who was promptly handed a cowbell to join along with the band on the song they were about to rehearse.

Of course that moment didn't seal the deal on our decision to enroll Linzy at the school. I just still remember it because he said it with such enthusiasm! 😉

Fast forward many, many, many many many years... and we're hanging out after the 2022-2023 Wildcat Band finished their second of two performances, the first at Disneyland and this second one at the Five Towers stage in Universal Studios Hollywood's City Walk.

They absolutely represented their school, by the way. It was a fantastic, energetic, and engaging performance that resonated with the audience. Resonated with us.

Afterward, we got to talking, doing a lot of catching up 'cause it's literally been years. 2016, basically, is the last time we helped admin and chaperone the band. And we were both delighted at his successes, the band's successes, in the intervening years. Which conjured a memory.

Seemingly out of thin air.

Once Upon A Time, the school's football team had a game, an exhibition game with a team from a much larger school with a much, much, much much much larger band. At the time, part of my gig with the band was making videos of their performances. So I was always keeping an eye on every element of the game. The individual musicians. Their sections. The director. The crowd and individual fans. Pieces of the game to which the band would respond musically. And so on.

And I fully admit. Since it was unusual for two bands to perform at a game (since neither was the home team in this case) I spent some time watching the other musicians and their director.

Now, the quality of that other band was beyond question. What I noticed right away, though, was that whenever the band wasn't playing, their director stood off to the side. On his own. Even during longer breaks in the game, especially halftime, he was physically removed from his band.

You with me?

Because on our side of the stadium, Keith was always, always, always always always engaged with his students. He was also a master of reading each play and lighting fast at directing his band in the appropriate musical response. Providing the game with its own exciting soundtrack conjured in real-time.

Always engaged, though.

During those times, whenever the Wildcats weren't playing, Keith was with them. Even during longer breaks in the game, especially halftime, he was engaged. Talking shop with some. Working with others to master their parts or simply to become better on their instrument. He was there. In the midst of the band. Talking. Teaching. Mentoring. Encouraging. Sharing freely his enthusiasm for performing, his love of music, and the absolute professionalism he brings to each rehearsal and performance.

And the other guy?

He was just standing off to one side.

Okay I'm pretty sure that's an unfair comparison. I knew nothing about the other band and its relationship to its director.

Still.

The visual comparison has always stuck with me. I mean seriously. It's been a long time and that's an essential insight that continued humming in the background of my brain as we spent a lovely bit of time catching up.

It is, in fact, it was... what sealed the deal for us. What caused us to conclude how Linzy needed to be in this band under this man's direction. So, therefore, she needed to be at this school. Which the school graciously and generously made happen.

That game, by the way, the one in the stadium with the other band, hadn't happened yet. This was still our moment visiting the band with Linzy on cowbell. We had two such opportunities to observe, in fact. And yes. I got to play cowbell, too.

You can never have too much, it turns out.

What I saw, however, subsequently at an away game at another stadium across from another band and its director...

It was all there during the rehearsals we got to observe. Enough to convince us he was the right director into whose hands to commit our daughter's time, education, and raw ability.

That stadium experience, though?

Underlined in thick black marker—

What a truly special human being he is.

☺️

[wiki-bio-age-net-worth]

Dr. Keith Curtis Bio, Wiki, Age, Wife, Death Cause, Biography

Dr. Keith Curtis Bio, Wiki, Age, Wife, Death Cause, Biography

Dr. Keith Curtis Bio, Wiki

Dr. Keith Curtis is a 52-years-old Armed Riverside Doctor, who accused of being in possession of 28 grams of methamphetamine and being a prohibited person in possession of firearms due to drug addiction.

Arrest and Charge

He is suspected of being under the influence while practising medicine was arrested by the Riverside Police Department on Thursday, Feb. 20.  He was…

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