All geeks may not be created equal, but in the end we are still geeks

You always hear about all these conventions around the world for different types of people: trekkies, comic book nerds, pretty much anything you would association with the word nerd. When I consider these types of people, the first word that comes to mind is usually geek. Maybe your mind doesn't associate them to that like mine does, but bear with me for a minute.

I have always considered myself a music geek and am proud of the title, but in my mind there has always been a huge difference between a music geek and the other kinds of geeks I mentioned earlier. I don't shun them, but always found it extreme and kind of comical when I heard about them going to big conventions for whatever their obsession happened to be. Well, I am here to tell you, that I am no different than these people that I am referring to.

This past weekend was the UMEA Conference here in St. George (Utah Music Educators Association). While talking to some of my fellow classmates and music educators, we decided that UMEA is actually quite similar to say a Trekkie Convention. No, we don't dress up as TV characters, but we all get together for a few days and talk about nothing but music the whole time. We ENJOY sitting in clinics all weekend learning about music and have to tell everyone we meet about it after it is over. Compared to our fellow geeks in other areas, we may be getting paid for our obsession (sometimes), but it is still an obsession.

That being said, there are a few tell tale signs of how to know you are at a music convention.......
1. You know you're at a music convention when the star spangled banner is sung by the audience in four part harmony without being rehearsed.
2. You start singing a song and at LEAST 5 other people in the room finish it for you.
3. You can't walk 5 feet without seeing someone you know (if you are a fellow music teacher).
4. You constantly hear music playing in the background, but for once you can say it isn't all in your head.

If you're reading these, nodding your head, and saying, "Yep, that's so true", then you too are well on your way to becoming a music geek. If you're reading these and thinking, "what the crap is she talking about?", no worries, you don't need to worry about ever being a music geek.