The Beat Down of Reality

We had a perfect chance to win.  We blew it.

Our band had another competition on Halloween, which ment that we had a bigger chance to win because most of the band's didn't have time to come out on a holiday.

The members had such high hopes that we would actually take first, for this comp we finished drill for the third song and added a really nice movement to add to our score.

But I automatically new we were going to have problems when we were walking onto the field of Spanish Springs High School.  When we were ready to play we got the blunt force of the wind.  I bet that your asking what does that have to do with anything?  Let me explain when we try to perform in the wind most of the woodwind instruments (flute, saxophone, clarinet) will not play because our keys are open to the wind and it won't let a sound come out of our instruments.  Also the guard has trouble because when they toss there flag the wind will manipulate the flag to leave there catching range and miss it and drop it.  To add to everything else our shakos (the marching band hat) would feel like it would slip off because of the harsh wind and the shakos have to be at a sertan position to match everyone else's, which is also a part of the grading for our placing.

But the worst part was that right when we went off the field the wind stopped and our deepest rival Reed High School was up next.  I had the worst feeling in the pit of my stomach I started acting like a 4 year old saying it's not fair.  We still got 2 place in the class A division but what hurt our spirits was that we lost to Reed by 20 points and they also took our Out Standing music award. We did get 2nd but we're hungry for 1st and us as a band will work hard to get back to where we were and not take anything less.

Amazing Day

Wow I was sleeping really good when, the alarm goes off.  Its already time to get up.  Today is our first performance, We have practiced so hard.  I jump out of bed already full of excitement for the day.  I'm trying to get ready and all I can think about is what we will be doing today.  I start running the program through my head.
Ready to go, I head for the school. Everyone is standing around talking and laughing and all ramped up for the day. We loaded the instruments in the trailer and jumped on the bus.  The closer we got to the field the more my nerves racked my body.  We unload the trailer and get dressed in our uniforms.
Dang we look awesome.
I see the judges listing to us, writing, and looking. It was like a bolt of lightning to my stomach.
I'm not sure if I can walk now my legs feel so heavy.  We're ready to go, we start walking and the nerves are calming.
We did great, everyone sounds good and we're all marching and moving the right way.  The strangest thing started happening, While I was marching I felt calm and remembered what it was like before at other performances. I could smell the fresh cut grass, hear the other band members playing and before I knew it we were done. The wave of relief that it was all over and amazing feeling that we were great.
Now we actually have to wait for the results.  But first we got to see the rest of the band do there thing.  Some were good and some not so good.
Finally all was done, and the agonizing wait for results start.  Here we go again, the nerves are starting and I'm so anxious.
They started to announce the winning. "We are going to start with class A division and so lets get started.  We are going to name the highest score awards" thinking these all go to Reed so what's the point. " For Outstanding Music award goes to..... Sparks High School." My breath was gone everything looked like it was going in slow motion. I jumped up and started screaming with the band members, I start to feel tears, for how proud I was for us I would have never imagined winning that award in my years here.
But we had to relax for the placing. I waited and waited and waited all I keep hearing were the other bands being called and I'm chewing on my heart. Then, I hear it "Sparks High School wins second place." Oh my God. We did it.
As we headed home the bus ride was fantastic. Every ones spirits were so high. We felt nothing could stop us.  So proud and knowing how our hard work payed off, felt like I was in the clouds and I never wanted that feeling to end. I waited for this for along time.  Now I know this is my heart and passion.  I will never forget that we are one band and one sound.

Our drum major (Raymond) and our section leader for drums (Nick) holding our troupes.

 Also happy me holding our first Outstanding Music trophy.

What a Band! What a Band!

My first reaction to watching the band was " What a band What a band."

Everyone laughing and joking around, Trying to figure out where to stand on the ground.

Just a bunch of misfit school kids, trying to march, but bumping into each other, elbows bent in all directions, finding it hard to march and play all at the same time.  You could just tell they couldn't stop on a dime.

All out of tune and looking a mess, where to start, they couldn't even guess.
You can hear our director saying, Don't worry it will all come together if you practice and practice, and most of all you listen to the master.
But if you ask me.  What I am looking at is a big fat disaster.  Everyone is trying hard to do there best.  Listening and remembering and begging for a rest.

Weeks go by and the hard hours of work are starting to pay off.  They are sort of marching in-sinc, and going in the right direction.  It would be nice if they could reach an inch of perfection.  Days go by and the band is getting better, trying to put all their routines together.  Competitions are coming up soon and there is tension in the air.  But these kids are cool and confident and don't really care.

Finally it is time to put the band to the test.  I'm sure they will give it their all and do their all and do there best.

Here is the band approaching the field, I hope all their wounds from practice have healed.  A nervous looking smile on my face.  One look at the kids and I start to pace.  The band starts to play and walk on the field.  Standing straight and tall, they march in time to the drum majors call.  Looking majestic and proud, they move down the field.  Moving so smooth as if they were gliding on ice

"Wow" they really look nice.

So amazed I never thought it would all come together for them.  But what I have seen and all the hard work, now I can look at them with pride and joy and say from my heart.

                                                   "WHAT A BAND!"
                                                   "WHAT A BAND!"


.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jV8Oj7kADqg

click here to see our old show and see how much fun we have

  

The Glamor of Band

We are all talented in the band but when you go watch our performances who has the sparkle, the pizzazz, and the up most attitude, that's right the guard!
The guard has to learn the same way for marching as the instrumentals but instead of playing instruments they toss, catch, and mesmerizes the audience with there choreography.

To me from what I have been seeing is that the guard has a harder time than the instrumentals.  Only because they learn drill like everyone else but they have to learn from scratch of when they should do a butterfly or flourish or even if they should spin to there one spot.  If  you think that's a lot of pressure in every show they are five percent of our grading alone in what we place in for that competition. That five percent consists of creativity in there choreography, the accuracy of stepping in time, and how there flag work is in-since with each other.

I had also interviewed the captain of guard which is non other then Sara Legg her self . I had asked her what most frustrates her with being a roll model and having to think of choreography?  She responded with "I get really frustrated when we all have to be on the same page meaning teaching how to be in time and be precise with the work we have."  The next question was  what is the most important moment in guard for you?  She said " My favorite part of guard is when in a performance that amazing feeling when we all hit our stances and work together and feel proud for what we do."

   A lot of people say guard is the most simple thing, all they have to do if "flip a flag" but our guard girls know the challenge and that's all that matters.

On our Saturday practice I've been noticing that the freshman have not been marching in time.  Its normal for them to mess up here and there. But every time I tell them or our band director does they never seem to understand.  So I thought and asked myself what can I do to make it easier for them?
I started to experiment with my own marching to notice what might be the problem, and some of the transitions that we do can put them on the wrong foot. I talked to the freshman and told them what foot they should start with for certain moves. After a while I still saw some of them messing up.  So I asked the freshman that were still having problems, what they were still confused about? One of them stepped up and said "Were not confused its just... we don't have confidence in our step.  Our feet glitch out and start on the wrong foot".  Now I understood there just not confidant,(which is the most important step in marching,)  So I told them what our band director always tells us "You don't have to be nervous to take a step the ground is always going to be there. If it isn't we have bigger problems than marching.  You just have to remind yourself you know what your doing."
They immediately fixed there feet, they started to make the drill better and better every time we ran the performance.