Words and Music

To play, or not to play. That is the question.

I showed up at Jazz in the Woods at around 12:30 yesterday, and planted my green (Chrysalis rental) chair up towards the front.

Image from Merriweather Park at Symphony Woods social media 

I was in time to hear the end of the Mount Hebron Jazz Band’s set. Wilde Lake would be up next. The weather was cool and overcast.

In a literal sense, the high school musicians had come to play. Music, that is. It’s interesting that the expression “they came to play” means something more akin to competitive athletes taking the field.

“come to play”

American English, informal:

to be disposed to play or participate in a manner reflecting a determination to win or succeed

But this wasn’t a competition. It was more of a musical love-fest to high school jazz bands. The MHHS musicians finished their set and the Wilde Lake group began to set up. It began to rain. Not heavily, but steadily.

That was when I noticed that many of the adults around me had pulled out ponchos, rain slickers, rain hats. Some even had little roofs built onto their lawn chairs. 

Ahhh…band parents. If you are one of this group of hardy music supporters then you have learned to come prepared for the weather. Even if your kid specializes in jazz, they probably have played a good number of football games in the pep band. Weather is unpredictable. Band parents organize everything, turn out for everything, endure everything. I was never a band parent but my respect for them runs deep.

When I described these folks to my husband later, I said, “they don’t play.” He looked puzzled. “What do you mean, “‘They don’t play’?”

Hmm.

“they don’t play”  

I couldn’t find an internet-approved definition but I’m guessing this has its roots in AAVE, meaning:

taking things seriously, not inclined to fool around

Of course they don’t play, my husband may be thinking. They’re the band parents, not the band! 

Oh, how I love language and all its nuances, not to mention vocal inflection/tone of voice and how it impacts the meaning of the words that are spoken. I hope these examples clear things up:

The high school jazz bands came to play in Merriweather Park at Symphony Woods yesterday. 

The high school jazz bands came to play in Merriweather Park at Symphony Woods yesterday. 

The band parents show support for student musicians but they don’t play. 

Those band parents - - wowza! - - they don’t play.

What really matters is that these high school students made music, enjoyed themselves, and shared their gifts with the community. Yes, they played. And sang, too. Here’s a brief clip courtesy of IAT:

Wilde Lake High School Jazz Band and Vocalist, “Misty”

One of the things I look forward to every year at the Chrysalis is seeing children dancing on the lawn. This year I caught a new sight that made sitting in the Spring rain worthwhile: two teens dancing under a shared umbrella. 

I didn’t photograph them, obviously, but - - just for a moment- - close your eyes and imagine how lovely that must be.

There’s another concert today in The Park, and the weather is looking good. Schedule your own personal play date on the lawn.