2009-2010 Marching Band Season is here!!

[golfgal]

okay, I know I am a little out of it as I only know how the Colorado Bandmasters Association does it. But what is the reason behind travelling to other states for competitions??

Our band does it for a couple reasons but mainly to get competition. Our choices for next weekend for a show would be on in the area where we would most likely win by 20 points or go to South Dakota where there are some quality bands from all over along with better judges so their critiques of our show will help us get better. For some of the bands that come to our area it is the competition but also it is a fun trip for the kids-they generally get to go to the Mall of America when they are in the area. The bands that came from Wisconsin didn't drive all that far-less than an hour.

Our band also goes to a Bands of America Super Regional competition that brings bands in from all over the country. Our goal is to win that so we go to competitions that will help us get there.

For the parents, we like going to the different competitions because you see new shows instead of the same ones over and over again. .

For us personally, all of our out of town trips work great-2 of our out of town trips happen to be places we have lived (like the South Dakota one this weekend) and the St. Louis trip we go on is where my Dad and Step-Mom live so we get to visit them .

 

[mickeymo]

Our first competition is this weekend at BOA Houston. Hopefully, the storms will hold off during practice this week so they can hold their practices outside.

 

[Simba's Mom]

Our first competition is this weekend at BOA Houston. Hopefully, the storms will hold off during practice this week so they can hold their practices outside.

BOA Houston is a great one! Good luck to your band!

 

[golfgal]

So, how was everyone's weekend? Ours was cold and wet . We won again-swept captions.

We have next weekend off for homecoming then off to St. Louis for the BOA Super Regional.

Has anyone seen Broken Arrow yet? I hear they have new uniforms. I liked their old ones so I am curious to see the new ones.

 

[rcraw45425]

I finally heard the official breakdown from last Saturday's competition:

"straight superior ratings at the Yellow Jacket Classic Marching Festival in Rockmart last Saturday. The Percussion and Color Guard earned superior and excellent ratings, with the Percussion winning 1st place in class A."

We had one student perform while sick and two come across state to perform in the competition part after being in a track meet that morning. All in all they did great for their first one of the season.

This coming weekend we're back up around Atlanta for another long day, especially for the kids that have to take the SAT first that morning!

 

[golfgal]

I finally heard the official breakdown from last Saturday's competition:

"straight superior ratings at the Yellow Jacket Classic Marching Festival in Rockmart last Saturday. The Percussion and Color Guard earned superior and excellent ratings, with the Percussion winning 1st place in class A."

We had one student perform while sick and two come across state to perform in the competition part after being in a track meet that morning. All in all they did great for their first one of the season.

This coming weekend we're back up around Atlanta for another long day, especially for the kids that have to take the SAT first that morning!

We don't have rating systems at our competitions. The bands are scored out of 100 points and the band that ends up with the most points wins. They usually judge bands on the general effect, general music performance, overall visual performance.

 

[rcraw45425]

ARGH! I hate school buses. We took two buses to North GA yesterday for a competition north of Atlanta. With SATs and traffic they were delayed and performed almost an hour late. The field was muddy and had hidden holes from the football game the night before. We had a female trombone player slip and turn her ankle (not to mention probably ruin her white bibber) during the beginning. In spite of that we scored superior in our class. We (DH, younger DD and I) stayed to the end to see an ehibition by the Marching Southerners from Jacksonville State Univ. in Jacksonville AL. Awesome, inspiring salute to the armed forces through the years ending with a reinactment of the flag raising at Iwo Jima. We left around 10PM, stopping for fast food before leaving Calhoun GA. Via texting I knew taht the band buses also stopped for food around midnight in Calhoun. Our family vehicle arrived home around 12:45 and I fell into bed knowing I had to be at the school around 2:30 to pick up. At 12:58 I received the text every parent hates: BUS BROKE DOWN! After going back ad forth with her I found out it was the other bus and they were only about 20 miles past where they stopped for food They finally moved kids to the "good" bus, three to a seat. The other bus, along with some parent chaparones and their kids, remained behind for the replacement. DD and I hit the bed at 5:30AM. Memorable end to our first competitive marching season.

 

[golfgal]

Was anyone at Valleyfest is Des Moines, IA last night. I am curious to see the results.

We have/had the weekend off except the band was asked to play at the Twins/Yankee game tonight so they accepted that-the kids get to stay and watch the game!!

 

[babytrees]

We had a competition yesterday....where less than half the bands performed....it was bitter cold and snowy. We made it into finals but declined because it was only going to get colder. The percussion teacher was a Debbie Downer on Facebook last night about the scores being inflated....so what?? all the scores were inflated, the kids did the best they could and were happy that they got through it!!

They didn't have finals...I do feel bad for the other bands....even though it wasn't hosted by us it was held at our stadium (it's the district stadium...just in our backyard) so we were able to come in from the cold.

 

[golfgal]

We had a competition yesterday....where less than half the bands performed....it was bitter cold and snowy. We made it into finals but declined because it was only going to get colder. The percussion teacher was a Debbie Downer on Facebook last night about the scores being inflated....so what?? all the scores were inflated, the kids did the best they could and were happy that they got through it!!

They didn't have finals...I do feel bad for the other bands....even though it wasn't hosted by us it was held at our stadium (it's the district stadium...just in our backyard) so we were able to come in from the cold.

I don't blame them for not performing, it is a killer on the instruments-not worth the chance of ruining hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of instruments. I don't like contests where they inflate scores either, it doesn't really give you a good idea what you really did well or not. We scored 97. something points in our last competition-there is no way are show was that close to perfect.

 

[babytrees]

I don't blame them for not performing, it is a killer on the instruments-not worth the chance of ruining hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of instruments. I don't like contests where they inflate scores either, it doesn't really give you a good idea what you really did well or not. We scored 97. something points in our last competition-there is no way are show was that close to perfect.

I understand that but he complained multiple times on multiple peoples statuses...when the people had only put things like "I am so proud the band made it through the cold" and the one that ticked me off most was the one he commented on the color guard coaches....she said "was proud of the girls...they did their best." Our color guard has stunk so if she said they had marked improvement...I am sure they did...he commented multiple times on her status about the band as a whole. I get he isn't happy but to take it out on the color guard coach and the color guard (of which there are only 4) is ridiculous. Our poor seniors....this may be the only year in their careers that they haven't made it out of regionals and it's because of other band members who are there and that's it...no commitment, no loyalty at all to the band.

 

[Marla Hellwig]

Performing in bad/cold/wet weather is not fun couple of times my daughter made a tent with a newspaper baggie (long and skinny type) for her clarinet for games - we lucked out with competitions over the years

Anyway - what do graduated band members do, they come back for alumni night and perform with current band

 

[rcraw45425]

Performing in bad/cold/wet weather is not fun couple of times my daughter made a tent with a newspaper baggie (long and skinny type) for her clarinet for games - we lucked out with competitions over the years

Anyway - what do graduated band members do, they come back for alumni night and perform with current band

OMG, Marla, I am so glad to see these pictures! We have had so many former "bandies" come back for the last few football games, we almost had an extra drumline! The most fun is when they "sit in" on songs and cadences they remember. I like the newspaper bag idea.

 

[Marla Hellwig]

Your welcome Robin

She had a blast and has been waiting 4 years to do this

They perform 2/3 songs with band and then they do their special alumni 'swan song' - they perform a dance number to Long Train Running - which always rocks the house as they say

 

[Simba's Mom]

OMG, Marla, I am so glad to see these pictures! We have had so many former "bandies" come back for the last few football games, we almost had an extra drumline! The most fun is when they "sit in" on songs and cadences they remember. I like the newspaper bag idea.

And I think they love it too. After DS graduated from HS, for years he and his fellow ex-HS band members would return to football games, etc. to perform with the band. They always loved coming back, especially the ones taking music in college because they could show off what they'd learned.

 

[Amy]

And I think they love it too. After DS graduated from HS, for years he and his fellow ex-HS band members would return to football games, etc. to perform with the band. They always loved coming back, especially the ones taking music in college because they could show off what they'd learned.

Anyway - what do graduated band members do, they come back for alumni night and perform with current band

Our HS band director has been doing this for the past couple of years - he invites all the alumni to come back and march with the band for the 4th of July parade. Our band doesn't bother with uniforms for the 4th of July - they just wear black shorts and band t-shirts. So the alumni come on July 3 for a picnic and rehearsal, and on the 4th of July, they march with the current band members. Kind of neat, esp. when former drum majors are leading the way! It's kind of a neat tradition! (And it's also how I met juligrl from here on the DIS boards - she's one of our alumnae!)

 

[golfgal]

Here is a picture of our band at the Twins/Yankee Game last night. The kids had a blast and learned that marching without the line markers isn't all that easy .

 

[rcraw45425]

Here is a picture of our band at the Twins/Yankee Game last night. The kids had a blast and learned that marching without the line markers isn't all that easy .

They look great! I know what you mean about the line markers, last weeks festival was pretty windy and the markers they used kept blowing over.

 

[MushyMushy]

I love those alumni pics!

The HS band director never lets anybody know about it. I bet he could get tons of alumni showing up if he'd get the word out. We had an informal reunion at homecoming this year and never heard a word about alumni band, and then they ended up doing it for pre-game instead of halftime, so none of us even knew that.

 

[golfgal]

Marla--do you miss band? Miss going to the shows, etc.? We have 2 weeks left in our season-I can't believe how fast it goes and then we will only have 3 years left of a kid in the band (and worse yet, they will all be in college ). Your DD looks like she is having a great time. Is she swimming in college?