The Beginning of The End

In eight days, I will never suit up for my high school marching band ever again.  I will never put this uniform on again or march another show.  We marched our final show on our home football stadium last nigh.  Sigh.  I'll miss marching band. 

I don't have my countdowns for mean reasons: I have countdowns to remind myself that I don't have much time left at all.  I'll give my senior speech in 8 short days.  Four more practices. That's it.

We probably won't place well tonight.  This season hasn't been good at all for placings.  Oh well, I've enjoyed other aspects of band.  This year may not have been good for placings, but I've enjoyed it.

I'll remember untaping sticks on the way to competitions for one of my closest friends, yelling stupid things at award ceremonies, laughing with the piccolo section, making new friends through band.  This is what matters.  Soak.it.up.  

We performed.  Our directors kept reiterating that we raised our own standards and our bar, even from last week.  Although we didn't quite have the performance quality and feeling from this show.  My marching band mentor's mom personally told me that the show's music and forms were better than last week.

As tradition, our director did the piccolo cheer with us.  I was in the middle of telling a my first year story about that set in the opener I couldn't make.  We all told a MY first year story, even our director.  I'll miss marching band.  I wouldn't have thought so my first year.

I realized that, as I grow older, I make less and less major mistakes.  I just tend to go on autopilot more often. 

Post Awards:
Ahh!  We got second of five!  I'm so excited and so glad that we didn't get last.  Before they began to announce our division, I said that I'd be happy with fourth because I didn't want to get last.  As they announced fifth, then fourth, then third my sense of excitement and anticipation grew.  We placed well at this competition.  We haven't experienced the sense of anticipation as the announcers call the lower placings and work their way up for a long this feeling's amazing.  Wonderful. 

Our overall score has improved by 18 points.  Wow.  Perhaps we'll win most improved.

Sitting in front of us was our BIGGEST local rival band from the past two years.  It really got me that that band acted so rudely to us at championships last year.  We instigated a voluntary cheering war with that band.  "We've got spirit, yes we do.  We've got spirit, how 'bout you?" Back and forth a few times.  I'm SO GLAD that this band isn't in the same size division as us.  Even though we don't compete against them, I'm still frustrated with them.  Oh well.  A different local band that beat us twice because they don't move during more difficult musical passages wasn't at this competition, fortunately.  I'm tired of that band.