Hello everyone! first off WOW! there has been so much crap that has been going around this past couple of days i really can only imagine what all of you SV band kids are thinking! I want to tell you though how proud not me but all the other former Sv band kids up here at BYU-I are of you!!!! you guys are so amzing! when you were down and hit the worst you still decided that you weren't going to let this get you down! just in case none of you have read emilys diary i want you to read this part of it because it is so true and it is the only way that you will be able to make it together......"We'll make it though. Seriously, anyone thinking of quitting band just cause we lost our director is being ridiculous. He was a huge part of the band, and he is what brought us to the top, but he wasn't the band. We are the band, and he told us that we could go on without him. It will take a lot of work, but we can do it. We are the band, and we can take it far. We can do this. Let's move on." Emily is so right! you are the band and as much as you are hurting and whatever else i can only imagine you are feeling you need to remember that you guys are the band. Mr. Bedont was just the crazy man waving his arms around...you are the band! I can tell right now that you guys are special. You are in the works of overcoming the one of the greatest obsticals in not only band but life in general. Having to let go and move on is a very hard but important part of life. The bast and only thing that you can do is to don't ever EVER forget what he taught you! Mr. Bedont was a great teacher and a great man, no matter what anyone else thinks! I know this to be true for myself! i watched him take a program and bring it back to life! he had an amzing way of teaching us to love the music! never once did he stettle for just "playing notes on a page", he taught me and i know he taught you how to play music! Don't ever forget that! Music is a very important part of life, even if you don't go on to be a music major in college, because of his influence you will never look at music the same way again. At least i know that i haven't...it will be hard, but you guys need to be strong and don't ever let go of what you have as not only band members but as friends and family! I know that if you help eachother to remember the good times and not to dwell on the bad you may end up having one of the best years/seasons of your life! you can do it and I (and all of us up here) have faith in you to do it!!! I am praying for you and i love all of you so much! Love, Leza Maria Farmer