We're not even at the host school yet, and I know we're going to get
first place. We're the only band in our size division. We could march
on and stand there and still get first. The competition drives me. It
pushes me and makes me work harder. Oh well.
I feel like our band is strangely decent. We don't have a drum major,
and our band is many freshman and newbies, yet we got second out of
seventh at our last competition, and our forms are coming together.
Sometimes, our arcs actually look like arcs and our lines are sometimes
straight. I feel like that didn't happen last year or the year before.
We also follow dynamics at certain parts in the show. Past years, we
would only follow dynamics at our directors' prompting.
I'm energized by an intense, fast-paced rehearsal. Today was cool weather wise, but naturally long.
I love the suspense during the award ceremony waiting to see what place
we got. I'm hoping that they're giving out special awards for guard and
percussion and stuff.
As we warmed up musically in the arc, I looked around taking stock of
all of my fellow band members, and I wondered how much better life could
get. I mean, the band fights and argues and some people can grate on
my nerves and not be serious, but the communal feeling prevails. The
weather was gorgeous. How much better could life on Earth possibly be?
I am so incredibly blessed. This is one reason I love band.
Right after performance thought.
I've upgraded from writing with pen and paper and typing into the computer to typing a note on my iPhone.
I was focused, but I wasn't totally in the zone. In other words, I
could have been focused. I stopped too soon for a hold, and I stepped
off too soon during a hold. Those are mistakes I shouldn't have made.
Oh well, I'll never march the perfect show. It's frustrating because
I'm a perfectionist sometimes. My other band members felt good about
their performance.
I've learned that the memories are the joy of performance and the
feeling of community. I honestly wouldn't remember the mistakes I made
my first year in marching band. I do remember working hard and enjoying
the company of the band, especially during the award ceremony.
Life is good.
Our score went up two points. I love the cheering wars the different
bands do. Basically, each school has cheers they traditionally do, and
each band tries to be as loud as possible. I love it. That's one of my
biggest band memories.
