Last First Competition

Our directors said that we accomplished a lot and improved a lot this week, although our performance and work ethic didn't match.  So many people sat out and watched or didn't come due to either real or imaginary ailments   That wouldn't have been accepted all my first year.  It just frustrates me how the band gets less and less disciplined every year. 

Yesterday's show was horrible.  One kid's reed flew off.  We couldn't hear the cue to start part 4: we all just stood there for a little while until someone went and then everyone followed suit. 

So,last year marching band members get awards and do a salute that requires synchronization and therefore a beat.  The percussionists all want to do a salute together, although I don't think that's a very good idea because it may be better to have a percussionist each time to keep time.  Well, the two percussionists I mentioned this to said in an haughty tone that we should be able to keep a beat.  I'm used to playing to a steady beat, not choosing the tempo and clapping the beat.  I'm used to matching a tempo to how fast I can go, not the other way.  I really must think and count carefully as I attempt to clap the beat as we warm up.  Whatever, I wouldn't be a very good drum major for this reason.

we got second of two: we have never gotten last at a competition. It surprised me because the band that beat us got 9th or 10th at championships last year, although they've competed twice this season.

With another band member and two guard members, I went down to salute and accept the award. We got high percussion and high guard. I accept the percussion award much to my dismay because a percussionist who earned the honor should have accepted the award instead of me. I felt so self conscious in the spot light, especially because we didn't have much time to prepare and therefore didn't exactly know what we were doing. It was cool to accept the award on behalf of our screaming, cheering band.

Our show went fairly well, I talked to two baritones about some new members who either don't understand marching band or don't care.  It frustrated me.

We've endured a lot this season: one trumpet quit after missing most of the season, an athlete quit because she couldn't manage her sport and band, a small new member couldn't manage the heavy tenor drums.  We have holes on the field where they would have been. 

When I got home, I sent a Facebook message to my marching band member who really helped me learn to march.  She wrote a book her last year specifically for drum majors, although she recommended that I look in to it because she talks about leadership too.  She told me that I've improved a lot in four years and that I'm the epitome of success in marching band.  I had such poor posture that I marched like a duck and didn't know how to process the music, the marching, the visuals.  I had better have improved since then.  With her advice, I guess I must remember that I can encourage and try to help, but one must ultimately make the decision to want to improve   It just frustrates me that some fellow leadership team members don't care either.

Marching Band Frustration

It was nice to have a day off from a football game, although we had the game Saturday.  

I don't particularly love football games because I feel alienated in the stands some times as my friends are all in different sections and because I don't particularly enjoy football itself.  Though I remind myself that I must soak up every moment because I have so few days left in marching band. 

With our first competition coming up soon, our directors have put the pressure on seniors and section leaders to pressure the band.  Some new members just don't "get" marching band: Neither I nor anyone else knows how to help them.  We try telling them, yelling at them, correcting them and it doesn't work. I just try to encourage them when they do something well. 

Band Consumes My Life

We're riding the bus home from a far away football game.  We have a relatively early morning practice tomorrow.  Wonderful: I'll probably be exhausted.

Aside from that, our band isn't very good.  The tempo pulled all over the place.  On the positive side, we didn't pull apart as much as we did last week: last week's performance was horrible.

During yesterday's practice, we practiced on a different parking lot without a lift or microphones for our directors; however, we got much done because we really had to listen because we couldn't hear our directors otherwise.

I've started to burn out from band.  I just get so tired and worn going home from school, doing my homework, eating dinner, and then running out the door for band.

Before we boarded the bus to travel to the football game tonight, some trumpet players tried to help the new piccolo player who reminds me of me because marching band hasn't come quite as easily for her.  I told her not to be too hard on herself but to try because everyone understands marching band at different rates.  I remember what it was like to have older marching band members yelling at me and correcting me constantly: some more kindly than others.  I really don't want to yell and scream or be unkind to her because I remember how it felt and it's not her fault that marching band hasn't clicked yet.

I set a countdown timer for the date of Championships: 56 short more days until marching band is over forever. :/  I have mixed feelings about marching band: no more stress about juggling band with school work, but not so much time with my friends as most participate in marching band too.  Soak.it.up.

Awkward Senior Circle

I actually had energy during rehearsals this week.  It was wonderful.  I really tried to set a better example as a section leader by staying set after we finished running a chunk of the show and by saying,"Still set."  I feel like such a poor example of a leader when I unintentionally give bad advice or when I don't have energy. 

Our performance at last night's game didn't go well at all.  Our director didn't even comment at all as he usually does.  Every movement, different instrumental sections played at different tempos.  I couldn't focus at all.  During a body movement during a hold, I accidentally moved at the wrong time.  Oh well.  No one probably noticed/remembers and I'm not perfect. 

During the anthem, our director conducted the second strain differently than he ever had.  He didn't give us a prep breath or something like that.  We all stopped playing while he conducted a few beats more and then entered as he quietly said "Come on" or something like that.  It was really bad.  After the game, he said that we will talk about the anthem on Tuesday: I really think that that one was his fault.  I'm just really glad that we all stopped together and that it wasn't just one person going along with our director. 

Bands have a tradition at football games where the home senior marching band members go and visit the away seniors at the away stands to talk.  Our director dubbed it "awkward senior circle" because it can be awkward.  It was hilarious.  One girl from my school said that everyone would say his or her name, instrument, and favorite Disney character.  We answered straightforwardly, the other school answered ridiculously.  "Yeah, I play the marching harpsichord..."  One guy from my school towards the end said that he played the marching double base.  So a guy from the other school went up to him, hugged him, and said that they have a new bromance.  They had their arms around each others' waists.  So the guy from the other school felt something in the guy from my school's pocket and asked (as if they were really close friends) what he had in his pants.  Everyone died laughing.  It was hilarious.