We Create Happiness!

Hello again, friends!  I've been in California for three days now, but I'm just now getting a chance to update you all since everything has been so busy and new and exciting here.  It's been a blast so far, and things are only getting started.

The All-American College Band is being housed in an apartment style dorm at Cal State Fullerton for the summer.  They are decently nice dorms- no frills, but plenty of space and they've got everything we need.  Each suite has three bedrooms, and each bedroom contains two beds.  We also have two bathrooms, a full kitchen, extra storage space, and a large living room/dining area.  This is what my room looked like right after I unpacked:

That picture looks pretty sparse, but the room actually feels much more homey now since my lovely roommate Corrine moved in and brought many more colorful things than I did.  One thing that's cool is that the dorm staff does a linen exchange for us, so we don't have to wash our sheets and towels- we just exchange them for new ones every week.  So even if the sheets are a little scratchy and not fitted to the bed, at least we get CLEAN scratchy, unfitted sheets every week!

The campus here is beautiful in it's own way.  It's not a traditional looking college campus at all because everything is fairly new.  However, it has a lot of trees and flowers all over, and all the buildings and sidewalks appear to be really clean.  California smells great so far- just walking around campus, I could smell what I thought was honeysuckle (I don't know if that's what it actually was, but it was pleasant).  The weather is actually significantly cooler than I thought it would be.  I don't think it's gotten past the low 70s for a high temp yet, and it's kind of chilly in the mornings and at night.  I'm definitely enjoying the low humidity level though- SOOO nice.

Today we had our first day of Disney orientation.  It was what they called their Traditions class, and they basically educate us about the history, mission, and expectations of the company.  It was definitely a LONG day.  Our shuttle picked us up at 8, and we were done at 5.  Despite the repetitive and drawn out nature of any and all orientation processes, what I was most impressed with today was the company's consistency and attention to detail on every level.  We got somewhat of a tour through backstage (employee only areas) AND "onstage" (any area inside the park where guests are), and nothing in the park is there by accident.  Every small detail, from the flowers to the trashcans to the pavement, serves a purpose within its specific area and theme.  While Disneyland is a really crowded park, the place is about as squeaky clean as an amusement park can be.  You never see trash on the ground.

Finally, at the end of the day after we were all pretty tired of smiling and cheering, we received our Cast Member IDs and name badges!  Mickey came out and presented them to us, which was fun.  Here's mine:

Pretty cool, right?  It was the thing I was most excited about getting today.  At Disneyland, one of the company mottos is "We Create Happiness."  As cheesy as that sounds, when you think about it, it's actually a big responsibility.  People come here from all over the world for different reasons, but they're all expecting to have a great time.  My job description actually includes making sure that happens for them.  I may just be playing saxophone and wearing a silly outfit, but I have the ability to literally make someone's day by performing for them.  That's a really powerful thing.

We also had our welcome meeting with the band's staff last night.  Everyone on staff is fantastic of course, and they've all gone above and beyond so far to make us feel at home.  Ron McCurdy, our director, gave us a little pep talked to get us fired up about the summer.  In his speech, he said that we all must have "a voracious appetite for greatness."  That quote really struck me, because it's how all musicians need to be if they really want to succeed.  You can't just wish for success and personal improvement; you must have a hunger for it so overwhelming that you can't help but chase after it with everything you've got.  The further along I get in my musical career, the more I realize this simple truth: There is no secret formula to success, only hard work.  That's true here as much as anywhere.

There are a lot more stories and pictures I need to share, but it's all too much for one post.  I'll get to everything bit by bit.  Thanks for following, and stay tuned!

Roll Tide, 

Bri