The Rooster has left the hen house.

So we had this big surprise concert the other day for the founder of our program. We had to plan the whole thing behind his back, so we came up with the code word "Rooster" for it, because we were premiering a new piece of band music dedicated to Max that was written by a world-renowned composer by a VERY similar name. If we were discussing anything and he walked into the room, one of us would quietly crow and everyone would divert. "When is the Rooster rehearsal?" "Do you have the Rooster badges?" "Donde esta la musica del 'Rooster'?"

Our cover was ALMOST blown when he unexpectedly went to town to go to dinner. (He usually NEVER leaves the house during the program.) He ran into one of our guest performers from Michigan. She teaches for us quite often and for her to be in town and not call him was very suspicious. I was talking a day off in no. California and got her call. So I was trying to tell her to lie to him and say that she WAS planning to surprise him on July 3 (our big graduation ceremony) but that he caught her. But his son said that no, he bought her story that they were just passing through and didn't want to do any "band stuff" this trip.

The look on his face when he walked into the hall and saw the band on stage says that he bought it. BIG time!