Personal Feelings

So, marching band can be really frustrating.  They never let us out on time.  Rehearsals, like anything else, are the worst part, along with the uniforms and band camp.  It's also frustrating having people telling you things, giving you tips, and telling you to keep your flute angles up.  It's a pain sometimes when one person will tell you to take smaller steps, and another person tells you that your step size was good, because they almost ran into you when you took the smaller steps.

Marching band is also annoying because your schedule is so full.  I want to go camping on a weekend starting on Friday, but, as always, we have a football game.  I have to work out the logistics of how to go on the camping trip.

One mistake I made during band camp was not watching the drum major.  Now, I can't march in time and play at the same time.  Also, if you turn your shoulders towards your drum major, your flute angle will probablly be correct.

Flute posture is a pain.  Flutes are the most obvious when not correct.  So, to my understanding, you have flutes parallel to the ground, shoulders back, flutes pulled back, shoulders parallel to the sideline, and probably something else that I missed.

Another hard part of marching band is the choreography.  So, it seems to me that whenever I need a lot of steps to make a set, I don't have enough.  For short sets, I have a plentiful supply.

So, marching band is frustrating sometimes, but there's other aspects that make it worthwhile.

Marching Band Dictionary

Here's a list of terms in marching band in my words.

1) Minus One:
When your directors tell you to go back to a set, and you put your feet as if you were in the last step of the set before.  If the first step of the current set is one, than the step before it would be minus one.

2) Double Time:
Marching two steps for every count given.

3) Drum Major:
The person who conducts the marching band.

4) Color guard:
A group a people who use flags,sabers, rifles, and other miscellaneous equipment to add visual interest to the show.

5) Mellophone:
The marching version of a french horn.

6) Drill:
The choreography, or steps that you take in the show.

7) Drill Sheet:
A piece of paper that has the coordinates of your drill.

8) Dress:
To align yourself with the people next to you.  Usually the person to your left, unless otherwise specified.

9) Cover Down:
To align yourself with the person right in front of you.

10) Mark Time:
Moving your feet to the beat while staying still, while alternating using your left and right foot.  The marching band version of tapping your foot.

11) Step Outs:
To put your foot out and put it back in while doing a run through to help you know where you are in the show.

"You Have The Book Written, Now You Need To Sell It."

On Friday, we had a football game.  It was far away.  We had to travel forty five minutes to get to the game.  It was in the middle of a city, and there was a rail road line right next to the field.  At least three trains rumbles through during the game.  The bus rides up and down were lonely.  The person I usually sit with sat behind me, with someone else.  On the way back, people actually thought I was asleep.  We got back around 11:20.  I just flopped in bed.

Our show went pretty well.  Our drum major won fair queen, so we had our band director conduct.  When I turned around, I almost did a double take when I saw him on the podium instead of the drum major.  At their school, they have the home stands right in front of a brick wall, that had a church or something behind it. 

One of our director's parents, who's a marching band judge or something gave us a pep talk.  He said that "We have to book written, we just have to sell it."  We have to have confidence the second we step on the field.  Apparently, we looked unsure of ourselves in the first movement, and we looked more confident in the second and third.

The other band's fight song is the same as ours.  They really over played "Seven Nation Army."  I said that they should make that song their fight song.  One of the clowns in the band told the band director that we should play it back.  Only some instruments had the music, so I turned around to a clarinet player who had perfect pitch to help me figure out the notes.

A Cold Day of Band Camp

We had rehearsal yesterday, and we still hadn't learned the tag, and  it felt like a cold, short day of band camp.  We had to hand set the drill (section leaders had to look at the actual pages and tell us where our set was)  Fortunately, it was only ten pages, and we finished with plenty of time.  I've gotten wiser since band camp.  I tried to march to the beat, watching our drum major, and I have gotten better at dressing.  I think that our tag will look cool, if we can do it correctly.  So, we do "pinwheels"  where we pivot around various center points.  Each "pinwheel" is a group of five down the line.  So, we're all crammed together.  I'm squished between a tuba and a baritone.  Apparently, we were supposed to be somewhere near our section.

We also did a run with the three parts we already knew.

Before we went outside, we watched the video of our performance from the competition.  I could hear the places where we weren't together musically.

So, know we know the entire show.

My Feelings on Marching Band

I realized something.  I usually blog about what happened, not my feelings.  I guess that's not necessarily a bad thing though, a mix of events and emotions would be better for this blog.

So, right now, I feel mixed things about marching band.

I'm frustrated because it's a lot of commitment, and I feel like I can't do any of the activities my youth group plans because of marching band.  For example, my youth group went to a zoo, and I couldn't go because of a band competition.  Now, it's a pain in the butt to try to go on the weekend camping trip, since I have a football game, and my dad won't let me miss it.

Marching band is also frustrating because it's really hard for me.  I'm just not that coordinated to march in time, play from memory, and keep good technique all at the same time.  My mom told me at the competition yesterday, she sat next to some ladies she didn't know.  Apparently, they were practically begging her to not let me drop marching band, and they said the first year's always the hardest.  It seems like people are always giving me suggestions, and there's no way that I can remember everything they tell me.

Another thing I don't like about marching band is rehearsals.  They are always long and tedious. (see my other posts on that.)  It seems like the weather is never right.  During band camp, it's really hot, and during November, it's always cold.  The uniforms keep heat in, but don't keep the cold out.

On the other hand, there are some things I do like about marching band.  I like the social aspect of marching band, meeting and getting to know people in the marching band.  I like competing, because it gives me a reason to work hard on my part of the show.  One of my favorite parts of marching band is playing in the stands at a football game, since you can sit and talk between songs.

If I wanted to get the "Best of Both Worlds," I would audition for the pit.  I would play percussion, and not have to march.  The only problem with that is I don't know the first thing about playing percussion.

Overall, I would tell anyone who is debating whether or not to do marching band, I would say to go for it.  That way, you know whether or not you like it, and you can do it again if you enjoy it.  Also, as a freshman, you're allowed to not know everything, and get a lot of help from upperclassmen.  As a senior doing marching band for the first time, people look up to you, expecting you to know everything.


I think I will do marching band next year.

"Get Wet and Sandy..."

"Get wet and sandy" is one of my band director's favorite expressions.  It's from the book, Lone Survivor.  I think it's about a dude in the military, who's commander made him do things like getting wet and sandy and then running five miles.  He translates by saying that we must do hard things to get ready for competitions.

We had a three hour rehearsal before the competition.  It was long, and tedious.  I didn't eat enough for breakfast, and I was starving.  We had a good run, because they held the idea of eating lunch over our heads.  They told us to "earn our mac and cheese," not to go through the motions to get to lunch.  We got through it, obviously.

The competition went okay, I guess.  Apparently, the run through in the afternoon was better than the one at the competition.  We ended up getting fourth out of eleventh, and we were ecstatic when we found out that we didn't get fifth or sixth.  Upperclassmen said that they thought we would get fifth or sixth.  Our color guard got the award for the best color guard.  I love our tradition before a competition.  We have someone, this year, it was our president, pray, and ask God to help us do our best and for safety.  So, I guess I like competing, I'm not sure if I'll do marching band next year.

What I Like & Don't Like About Marching Band

I honestly don't know if I'll do marching band or not next year.   Before, I said that if I don't LOVE competeing, I'm not going to do it again.

I really enjoy the social aspect of marching band.  It's nice to be thrown in to a new environment with entirely new people.  I've really gotten to know some of the upperclassmen, and I'll really miss them when they go off to college.  That's one thing I like.  Another thing I enjoy is the football games.  I like playing in the stands, and just having a good time.

Of course, there are some things I don't like.  I don't like being sleep deprived, like when we have rehearsal from 6:30-9 on a school night twice a week, and football games running until ten on Friday night.  I also don't like rehearsals, since they tend to drag.  Band camp was the worst two weeks of my summer.  I'm glad that's over.

So, at least I don't have to decide yet, it'll be a lot to think about when I do have to choose.

"One More Time!" - Not

So, marching band has been really frustrating for me.  Rehearsals have been long and tedious, I have sleep deprivation, and it's a lot to sacrifice.  It doesn't come naturally to me.

So, my little brother had practice at six o'clock, and I have marching band rehersal every Tuesday and Thursday from 6:25-9:00.  My mom always drops me off early.  Some of the upperclassmen were helping me march.  So On Thursday, they were helping me with different step sizes.  I was doing the standard 8-5, which means eight steps for every five yards.  I was also getting help with 16-5s, which means you take very small steps, and 6-5s. (larger steps)

I couldn't march in time and play at the same time if it would save my life, as the expression goes.  I "walk and play" as my drill section leader puts it.  I need to march and play, and march to the beat.  I'm off the smallest bit, and when I'm around people who are right on, I look really off.

At the football game last night, my school's football team creamed the other team 44-7.  In the first thirty seconds, one of the players from my school ran the ball down to the end zone and kicked a field goal.  After that, it was pretty much down hill.

That performance was one of my worst.  We were at a college field, not a high school.  They had artificial grass, and we're used to real grass and pavement.  Also, their hashes (markings on the field used to find your sets) were really strange, and I honestly don't know what made them different from our field.  Being a college field, the space between the field and the stands was very large.  Our band director got on our case about projecting.  I'm suffering a severe case of sleep deprivation.  We got back to our high school at ten thirty.  By the time I was ready for bed, it was almost eleven.  I usually go to bed around 9:30 on weekends.  

We had to get up early for today's rehearsal.  Rehearsal was from nine to one, and we literally had to beg the director for a ten minute break.  Everyone was starving with an hour left in rehearsal.  The directors were adding visuals here and there, teaching us the tag, and making us do runs and parts of the show to make them a little clearer.  It was really tiring.  I feel like I can barely keep my eyes open.

I am in the process of surveying upperclassmen about what helped them be able to play and march at the same time.  The drum  major said to learn the music so well, it becomes second nature.  Another band member said knowing the drill really well, and just practicing.  

My mom says that she thinks this will be my one and only season in marching band.  Apparently, other parents have asked her if I'm "lovin' it."  Let me tell you, so far I'm not.  It's a lot to sacrifice.  At least I can say, for the other 2/3 of the people in my grade who didn't do marching band, at least I tried it for myself.  So if I don't love competing,  I'm not going to do marching band again.

"How Good Do Your Guys Want to be at Our First Competition? Show Me, Don't Tell Me."

 We had rehearsal last night, as usual.  Rehearsal felt long and tedious.  We had to run the same fifteen seconds many times, and connect it to the other pasts.  So we did the end of the opener for most of the time, the end of the third part, and a run.  Stretched out to two and a half hours.  It was kind of breezy out, and since the Summer Solstice has past, the days are getting shorter.  That's nice, because it means that you don't constantly have the sun beating down on you and glaring in your face.  We practiced for a while without the color guard. 

I can't believe we only have about four more rehearsals until our first competition.  For me, that's a scary thought.  What motivated me is that my band director told everyone that he's going to have helpers follow people around to see if they're playing, since he feels that a lot of the band isn't playing.  I wasn't really playing until about a week ago.  I decided that I'll play as much as I can now.  Before, I would play when we were at a hold and when we were in a block just moving forward.  I'm trying now to play when we marching in a line, and as much as possible.

The title of this post was after one statement my directors use often.

The First Official 2010 Football Game

Yesterday was my first official football game as a member of the marching band. We won 38-0, which is ironic, since we were supposed to be creamed. The weather was okay, not really cold, but on the warm side. We had rehearsal from twelve to four, which was long, and kind of tedious. One of the more dedicated color guard members must have gotten heat stroke or something like that. She was panting really hard after a run, and two people had to help her inside. It felt like a rendition of band camp.

We did a pregame show, and it didn't really matter that we were there. No one really paid attention to us, except some of the parents. The show itself went well. Ir isn't quite ready for a competition, but we've come a long way. We have five or six rehearsals until our first one.

My favorite part of the game was playing in the stands. We could just chill and talk. One flautist was explaining football to me, since I don't understand it. We played random songs, like our fight song, Final Countdown, Eye of the Tiger, and others. It's nice being a flute, so we can get members of the color guard to hold lyres for us.

The other marching band was okay. They had about as many members as we do. Their show was really "blah" to me. They marched around in a block for the first movement, and the second movement, they stood in an arch and played. Their color guard only had one flag each. It was really boring to watch. The other school's marching band had three drum majors. Apparently, we have one so we can have more people on the field. One of my section leaders said that maybe they're not a competition band, but our first competition is at their field.

I felt really strange walking around in my bibs during the third quarter. Everyone else is wearing jean shorts and a T-shirt, and the marching band is wearing bibs that look like snow pants. One person said that they don't care anymore, they're proud to be a part of the marching band.

So I would definitely say that football games are fun. We get in for free, which is really nice. It's a good thing that they're fun, because we have them every Friday night for the next month and a half.

People keep asking my mom if I'm lovin' marching band so far. I need to experience a whole season before making my decision. If I don't love competing, I'm not going to do marching band next year. It's a lot to sacrifice. Two weeks in the Summer due to band camp, every Tuesday and Thursday for rehearsal, Friday night games with friends, some Saturdays for shows and practices, time to practice the music, and sleep. So far, the sacrifices aren't worth the return.

A Long and Tedious, Yet Useful Rehearsal

Yesterday, we had marching band rehearsal. It was for two and a half hours, and that can get really long and tedious.

We were rehearsing the middle section and the end. I’m glad we did what we did. They changed the end part of the ballad (the middle section) and I was confused. Apparently, my drill sheet was right. They must of changes it and then changed it back.

I’m excited. I still can’t play and march, because I need to focus all of my concentration into the marching aspect of marching band. Toward the end of the ballad, we have this move where we move forward twelve as a block. I decided I was going to try to play, and I did. I still can’t play all the time, because I either don’t know where we are, or I need to focus on the marching. The marching part of marching band is not my strength; my strength is the actual music.

On Thursday, we're working the end of the ballad. I'm glad, because I'm a little fuzzy in that area.

I’m definitely looking forward to the rest of the season.