Calling all Band Geeks

Since we’re all friends here I feel I can confess…

I was a band geek.

There, I said it.  It feels so good to get that off of my chest.  However, I should also admit that in fact my husband was a band geek too.

I played the Clarinet, he played the Tuba in concert band or Sousaphone in marching band.  And there you have it boys and girls, we were band geeks.  But that’s ok, I had good times in band, in fact it gave me a chance to go to Disney World and get to know my husband even better, you know, before he fell off the face of the earth or at least out of my life.

What’s really odd and strange is we went to a fairly good sized high school, our graduating class was 214.  That’s good sized for around here anyway.  But I think I was one of the few Band students who was also in the FFA.  Just food for thought.

Anyway moving on.  Saturday was the Maple Leaf Parade and we went and watched the parade.  Both of us being drilled sooooo much on how to march and march in step and in straight lines while keeping diagonals really makes you sit there and watch the bands going through the parade and critique them.  And what’s really funny is things we used to complain about, why do we have to do it this way or why can’t we do it that way, when you see bands doing those things, you realize why the band teachers said no.  Crazy how the world works.

On top of the parade they also have a huge field show competition out on the football field.  We decided Saturday night that we were going to go watch the finals.

Holy cow, sitting there in that stadium brought back all those early morning practices, all that yelling and being drilled, all the counting, marching in step while playing a song, and even more.  It was GREAT!

When I was a senior I decided not to be in the band.  I was tired of the constant struggle between band functions and FFA functions and truth be told, I hated 7am practices in the cold.  I had a few people tell me I would miss it and I shouldn’t quit, not before my last year.  Silly me though, I didn’t listen.  Dumbest mistake of my life.  Ok maybe not dumbest but it wasn’t a smart one either.  Being there Saturday night I kind of really wanted to be out on that field with those bands.  Just sayin.

So the first band up we saw I saw this guy walking around in khaki’s and a jacket on the field.  At first I thought it was the band director and I really wondered what he was doing.  Then I realized it was a judge.  Now, I’m not sure I ever remember a judge walking around on the field while we were competing, if they did, wow I was sure focused, but I have to admit, I think that would have bothered me.  He doesn’t KNOW their routine’s so how did he know he wasn’t going to cause them to run over him or have to get out of formation.  I think that is actually kind of rude…  He wasn’t always paying attention to everyone around him and he did almost get run over a few times.  I kind of wish they had but maybe that’s the vindictive side of me…

Which one of these is not like the other?!?!

 And then, we were always told, keep going.  Don’t let anything distract you.  Well look out on the field, what is that?  Is that…. a Shoe?  Why yes, yes it is a shoe.  One of the band members lost their shoe while in competition.  I must commend them for continuing on!

Wow this brought back such fond memories.

And then came time for the results of the competition.  All drum majors line up on the track.  One of the cool things is when the drum majors do their little “We’re ready” routine.  And during the ceremony they do it every time their name is called.  Very awesome!

Results:
Best Auxillary – Lebenon High School
Best Drum Major – Marionville High school
Best Precussion – Lebanon High School
Best Horn Line – Lebanon High School

8th place – Joplin High School
7th Place – Seneca High School
6th Place – Marionville High School
5th Place – Buffalo High School
4th Place – Hutchinson High School
3rd Place – Ava High School
2nd Place – Glendale High School
and 1st Place – Lebanon High School

Then they have a Sweepstakes round.  It is the best overall combined score between the parade and the field show with 30% weighed on the parade scores and 70% weighted on the field competition scores.

Sweepstakes Winners: Lebanon High School