"Always Work Hard, Be Honest, And Be Proud of Who You Are." {Competition #3}

Here's a good quote too long for the title:

"Marching band today isn't your grandmother or grandfather's marching band where the band walked out onto the field, stopped and played a couple of songs and walked off the field. These students are moving thousands of steps at high tempos all the while playing an instrument or using a piece of color guard equipment during one show."  
~ John Carlin

The quote that's the tittle was said by Patricia Velasquez.

Okay, to make this post different, from here on out, I'm writing this post in third person.

As the marching band climbed on the bus to drive to there destination about an hour away, Alexis penned a couple of thoughts about marching band.  First was frustration.  She wanted to leave the football game early two days ago.  The band was planned to arrive back at school at 11:30 or so, and she felt that she was going to be exhausted.  Alexis was grumpy after competition #2, and she went to bed around 10:30 or so, and the competition today is much later.  Another emotion by Alexis was one of a sense of fitting.  She feels that she would miss the marching band community.  A siren went off at the beginning of practice, and a hilarious upperclassman trumpet told the brass players to take their mouthpieces off and buzz with the siren.  Only in the marching band.  Jokingly, another flute player was told that Alexis felt left out.

*During rehearsal, the piccolos were called out for bad shoulders.  The guard director (not the one who's said this in the past) told Alexis that her technique for marching backwards was good.

*Told by her marching band mentor, the band was one of two in the division.  Her marching band mentor said that the other band isn't good.  So Alexis knew from that moment that the band should get first.  Another local band that was big competition wasn't at the competition.

*Alexis felt pretty confident.  She felt that her part of the show locked in her mind.  Previously, moving to a modified third position was a bit iffy, but it was more solidified in her mind after the three hour rehearsal.

*One other frustration was the amount of new material added to the show.   The band was given a new sash to attach during the third part.  They were only given one opportunity to practice attaching it to the Velcro that was sewn to the uniform.  It wasn't at all graceful.  It was more of a mad scramble to get it in the right place.

*Another frustration.  A few weeks before, the band was given different music for the beginning of the ballad.  Now, the directors wanted them to switch back to the original music.  So for the ballad beginning, it was silent, music, different music, music.  Alexis just wanted the directors to make up their mind and stick with it!

*A spin was added, too.  It's horns up on one while spinning.  Too much going on.

After Competition:
Everyone in the band felt that they had done well.  Alexis made some little mistakes, but it's nearly impossible to have a perfect show.  She got her sash across, but she didn't quite make her last set.  The band was crammed in the stands.  The poor band on the other side.  They were crammed on both sides.  Alexis, through marching band, has learned to do anything with gloves on.  She can play and march the show with regular, uncut gloves, and she was writing with them on.  Some people in the band were chatting with the band sitting near them.  It was interesting to meet the "competition."

What Alexis is famous for in marching band:
1) Flinging fruit.
2) Not being able to get her lock open.
3) Always being prepared.  She always has food.

After awards:
*First Place
*High Guard
*Seemingly tough judging
*Around an 84
*To Alexis, it didn't seem as much of a victory.  A band mom told the band that they would need to get an 89 to keep up with the rest of the bands.  The biggest local competition got an 87 at a different competition.  Judging is different at every competition.  Alexis felt that the band really needs to work for our upcoming competition.

Alexis started talking to an upperclassman whom she wouldn't normally have talked to.  She found out that this year's seniors are 1/3 of the winds.  The band is going to lose A LOT of people for next year.  She told the upperclassman that she struggled, as an underclassman, to manage her time.  She wanted to know how upperclassman with AP classes managed.  She said that it's tough.  The guard has had an undefeated streak for the past two years.  Three years ago, the show was pointless.  Four years ago, they were pretty good.  The guard has been pretty good.  Again, many of the really talented people will graduate.

"One of the Best Ways We Set Ourselves Apart is That We Are Examples Of Success."

10-6-11
It's kind of frustrating rewriting the show.  The director was trying to get the guard members through the band with all of the cuts.  He was getting really frustrated with the way we were rehearsing, so we had to go to silent.  I'm surprised.  In warm up arc, I got the step outs of the new stuff.

10-7-11

Game: 10-7-11 Show: Auto mode Show

*I was complimented on my backwards style.  My band director was giving feedback, and people were again told to watch me if they're near me in the show.  That's like the third time in the last two weeks.  Before he complimented me, he said that more people were trying the scissor style backwards marching instead of with knees.  I guess that's why I stick out.  I scissor my legs instead of using my knees.  People started clapping after my marching band mentor told people,"This is where you clap."  A few people congratulated me on the way back to the stands on my compliment.

*Lately, I can't march without playing or play without marching.  Although it would be easier for me to play without marching.  I know the show by notes.  Okay, when I hit this B flat, I go backwards.  We cut part of the closer, and I made mistakes when we were told just to march.

*I'm writing in the stands, and people asked me what I was doing.  An upperclassman flute told me to write that flutes dominate.  Here's his quote: "No other being can march the essence of awesomeness that radiates off the flute section when they take the field as one."

I have to say that the hardest part of continuing to blog is coming up with creative post titles.

Competition #2

Thoughts:

*I've been complimented on my style for marching backwards lately.  Yesterday, people were told if they were near me to watch me.  Also, my band director said I was catching his attention for that.

*There was so much energy on the bus going in.  People were laughing, talking, drummers were taping sticks, etc.

*I love getting notes from people.  They were mainly about how I've improved a lot or how I'm a good flautist.

*I would in some ways really miss marching band if I didn't do it again next year.  I'd miss the community.  I wouldn't miss everyone in it, but I'd miss how everyone fits in somewhere.  Also, it's a lot of fun.

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Actual Journal:

I really need to stop eating candy.  I got a candy bag from my section leader and from one of our drum majors.  I'm all sugared up.

There's so much energy on this bus.  People talking, singing, drummers taping sticks, etc.

I love getting notes from people.  I got a note from my section leader and one from each drum major.  All pretty much about how I've improves or how I'm a good flautist.

Apparently, it's raining there.

It feel so much later that it really is.  It was only 3:45 when we left.  It feels more like 5.

During the rehearsal, my band director said I was catching his attention for good marching skills backwards.  That's my marching strength.  Small backwards steps.

My friend has a ritual that she gets a coffee every morning.  I just thought about how blogging is my ritual.

Our drum major, my marching band mentor was about to pray for the band, one of our pre-performance rituals, but she teared up.  Our band President, my section leader, had to take over.

I can't wait for the award ceremony.  The cheers will be so much fun.

I love marching band because everyone shares with everyone.  You can get water from anyone, everyone shares food and candy.  If you every forget anything, someone will lend it to you if they have an extra.

Our performance was pretty good.  I did as well as I could have.  The moments and dynamics were pretty good.  The percussion thinks they did well.  My drum line friend's mom said that they looked better than our band's arch rivals that won high percussion last time.

We're on the bus because it's pouring, and they don't want us getting sick.

We ended up getting first place, and as of now, I don't know if the percussion got high percussion and whether or not we got high auxiliary.

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My mom was just commenting on how I must be exhausted.  In some ways, they do drive us too hard.  We practiced from 11-2:45, and we barely got any breaks.  We didn't eat until 3, so we pretty much skipped lunch.

Also, a clarinet in my grade hurt her knee, so she asked last competition if she should march.  Apparently, they made her.  She might need surgery now.  Wow.

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I can't wait for the rest of the season!  it's going to be a tough rivalry between us and that other school whom we beat by .2 this competition!