2012 Marching Band Season -- it's almost here!

[PrincessKsMom]

No State Championships for us this year. Was supposed to be last weekend, but thanks to Hurricane Sandy it was postponed until this weekend. Band Director pulled us out because the kids have been out of school since before the hurricane, have had no practice, some are still without power/heat, and a few were going to be away on vacation this week because in NJ it's Teacher Convention Week. School was to be closed Tuesday (election day) and Thursday and Friday (for teacher convention). I feel for the seniors who will not have a last State Championship experience. Do I think we had a shot of winning? No, but it's the experience, not the winning.

 

[klj27]

We perform on Friday, and I am very thankful that they will get a full day in Indy to get some rest (hopefully) and get settled.

What time? We will be there Friday too.

 

[beavismom]

What time? We will be there Friday too.

10:15

How about you guys?

 

[beavismom]

No State Championships for us this year. Was supposed to be last weekend, but thanks to Hurricane Sandy it was postponed until this weekend. Band Director pulled us out because the kids have been out of school since before the hurricane, have had no practice, some are still without power/heat, and a few were going to be away on vacation this week because in NJ it's Teacher Convention Week. School was to be closed Tuesday (election day) and Thursday and Friday (for teacher convention). I feel for the seniors who will not have a last State Championship experience. Do I think we had a shot of winning? No, but it's the experience, not the winning.

I am really sorry for you guys. It is tough when you know how hard the kids have worked. At least the seniors can take pride in the fact that they made it even if they didn't end up at the event.

 

[luvmyfam444]

Ha! I know some shows I am like..what? I stole this from a posting one of our students did on another discussion board about or show...

There are a lot of underlying themes for Avon's show, but mainly, it's an ironic view on the battle between rich and poor. The opener, Belshazzar's Feast, tells the story of Belshazzar, the king of Babylon, who was eventually killed by Persian armies for being so extravagant and greedy. In more of a literal sense, it's a feast of speed, volume, and athleticism. The second piece, Heroes, creates a scene of French Revolution peasants who have no food to eat, yet their royalty throw their food away because they simply don't like the looks of it. Basically, the peasants get so angry that they revolt and end up beheading King Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette. They wished to be heroes, but it really only lasted "just for one day". Slava! serves as the comic relief, and is the literal "food fight" of the show. The goal is to throw everything in the audience's face. Plates, rubber chickens, volume, craziness- anything you could think of! It kind of resembles the party the peasants would throw if they could be heroes just for one day. The waiters all play a role in this, and this is still being worked on! Oasis displays a scene of the entire band dying in a desert, and the circle of guard being the hallucinated "oasis" they see. The closer, Bacchanale, tells the story of Samson and Delilah, and how Delilah seduces Samson in to cutting off his hair, which gave him such godly powers- a feast of temptation and anger.

OH MY!!!! I would have never in a million years figured THAT out...even if i read the desription beforehand. Did the audience have an explanation?

 

[klj27]

10:15

How about you guys?

We will just be arriving then. We perform at 12:15.

 

[beavismom]

We will just be arriving then. We perform at 12:15.

Well, I can watch you on the stream! Hopefully we will both make it to semis on Saturday.

 

[klj27]

Well, I can watch you on the stream! Hopefully we will both make it to semis on Saturday.

Hopefully!! We are a class A band. Typically we would only make it to semifinals if we are one of the two top A bands in prelims for our day. We have a final band booster meeting tonight and the kids are doing a community show at 8pm in full uniform/costume with BOA timing and announcements as their final send off. My daughter found out that her school is doing a pep rally today for all the girls in guard and band. (We perform with an all boys school and she goes to an all girls school.)

 

[beavismom]

Hopefully!! We are a class A band. Typically we would only make it to semifinals if we are one of the two top A bands in prelims for our day. We have a final band booster meeting tonight and the kids are doing a community show at 8pm in full uniform/costume with BOA timing and announcements as their final send off. My daughter found out that her school is doing a pep rally today for all the girls in guard and band. (We perform with an all boys school and she goes to an all girls school.)

That is really awesome that they are giving them so much support! Our school is huge, so I doubt that would ever happen. We wouldn't have had time for it anyway this week. They do support us, but since the gym is not big enough for everyone, our pep rallies for the football team are even optional for the students.

We have a few elements to our show that were never shown at football games so I hope, if we make the playoffs next week, that they will perform the full show for the halftime. Traditionally they don't, but they also usually get a chance to do the whole show before the end of the season.

I hope that you get to advance. We are "expected" to make it to finals, but that always makes me really nervous. I don't like counting my chickens before they hatch.

 

[beavismom]

Here is a link to our performance on Tuesday.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bflar_M2oGI&feature=channel&list=UL

 

[PrincessKsMom]

Here is a link to our performance on Tuesday.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bflar_M2oGI&feature=channel&list=UL

Wow! I think you have more kids in color guard than we have in our entire band. Phenomenal performance! Thanks for sharing.

 

[beavismom]

Wow! I think you have more kids in color guard than we have in our entire band. Phenomenal performance! Thanks for sharing.

Thank you! We are on the smaller side for Texas 5A bands actually. There were a couple of schools marching 350 on Tuesday and several others in the 300 range.

 

[PrincessKsMom]

Thank you! We are on the smaller side for Texas 5A bands actually. There were a couple of schools marching 350 on Tuesday and several others in the 300 range.

We may have 60 kids total, including color guard. Hard to be impressive when you don't cover much of the field.

 

[beavismom]

Hopefully!! We are a class A band. Typically we would only make it to semifinals if we are one of the two top A bands in prelims for our day.

Semis for both of us! Woohoo! Congratulations and I hope you guys have a great day tomorrow.

 

[klj27]

Semis for both of us! Woohoo! Congratulations and I hope you guys have a great day tomorrow.

Yeah!!! I tried to snap some pics for you during awards. We perform at 8 am. Tomorrow will be exhausting.

 

[beavismom]

Yeah!!! I tried to snap some pics for you during awards. We perform at 8 am. Tomorrow will be exhausting.

Ouch, that is really early. Our director altered the kid's schedule today to give them some downtime to rest. I really appreciate that she looks out for the kids and isn't a slave to someone else's schedule.

Best of luck tomorrow! I won't get to watch anything live during the day, but am hoping I will have a wifi connection where I am to at least be able to watch the video on demand.

It worked well before, so here is to hoping we both make the finals.

 

[basketrn]

Semis for both of us! Woohoo! Congratulations and I hope you guys have a great day tomorrow.

Congrats to the both of you. We advanced to Semi's too. We preform at noon. Gonna be a very long day!

 

[beavismom]

Congrats to the both of you. We advanced to Semi's too. We preform at noon. Gonna be a very long day!

I have heard great things about your band! Good luck tomorrow to you guys as well. I won't be able to stream the semis, but will be anxiously awaiting the results.

 

[mickeymo]

Cograts to all of your bands making semis!

 

[lovegrumpy]

Well today at noon it is for the band. They are defending national 2A champs. This year we are 3 A open so well see how it goes. Go Cox Falcons!!!!!