2013 Marching Band Thread

[marcyinPA]

We had States last weekend at Rutgers University. What an opportunity for the kids to march in a real stadium. Our competitions are usually at high school football stadiums. And we got to see the Rutgers University marching band (all 200 of them!) do their show. It was a great day although very long. Up at 3:30 a.m., at school by 4:45, performed about 9:30 and awards were at 3:30 p.m. Did I mention I had 5 girls sleep over the night before. We all went to bed around 1 a.m. and the alarm went off at 3:30. They were great though.

Last year we didn't go to States because of Hurricane Sandy. Anyway, we came in 6th of 14 which isn't bad at all. We've only been to one other competition this year prior to States and the show is still being worked out. I was glad the director gave them all a pep speech afterwards. While they were thrilled they came in 6th (personally I was hoping for top 5), he reminded them that most of the other bands had perfected their routines back in August or September. We are still an evolving show.

They had practice last night and they're still changing the show. We have a show this weekend, one next weekend and then Nationals in Allentown, PA in November 9. I'm sure it is going to be freezing!!!! Which stinks for the kids. Don't know how they play or toss those flags/rifles when their hands are numb. Last year we had a kid whose hands actually turned blue at a football game. Went out and bought my daughter hand warmers. Hope they'll let her hang onto them as long as possible before they go on.

And now that marching band season is almost over, they're beginning to mull over ideas for indoor season! I love indoor because it's warmer.

Is your competition in Allentown at J. Birney Crum? What is the name of the competition? Just curious!

 

[PrincessKsMom]

Is your competition in Allentown at J. Birney Crum? What is the name of the competition? Just curious!

Yep. USBands A Class National Championships. Our day is Groups 1A and 2A. Of course everyone else gets to march in MetLife Stadium which is about 20-25 minutes from my house instead of the 1 hr+ to get to Allentown. And I never get to see the larger bands because they always stick the 1As and 2As together, although at States we were able to see 3As as well.

 

[Pembo]

Southern Band Friends - Remember when you were all jealous of our lovely summer temps? Payback time is here. Competition tonight and it is only 46 and very windy, feels more like arctic north pole out there. I'll be wearing 7 layers of clothes tonight and I'll still be cold. My poor kids FROZE at the local TV show yesterday morning and again at the football game last night!

Why do I live where it gets cold????


Good luck to all the competing bands today! We are undefeated this season and the director keeps saying we can win tonight....somehow I think he has jinxed us. He is usually very negative in saying we may not win and we do. We will see....

 

[momof1princess]

Southern Band Friends - Remember when you were all jealous of our lovely summer temps? Payback time is here. Competition tonight and it is only 46 and very windy, feels more like arctic north pole out there. I'll be wearing 7 layers of clothes tonight and I'll still be cold. My poor kids FROZE at the local TV show yesterday morning and again at the football game last night!

Why do I live where it gets cold????

Good luck to all the competing bands today! We are undefeated this season and the director keeps saying we can win tonight....somehow I think he has jinxed us. He is usually very negative in saying we may not win and we do. We will see....

I'm in NE Alabama, and we FROZE at last Friday night's football game! It was much colder last night, low 30s, but I was lucky I was working concessions, and we were pretty warm until the popcorn machine was turned off in the 3rd quarter. We ran out of hot chocolate by first quarter (it was senior night, so everyone came early)!

 

[marcyinPA]

Cold here too. Parade tomorrow. Brrrr. But I'm not complaining. Last year at this time- no power and parade was postponed. Actually, two years in a row. Two years ago, we had SNOW on Halloween weekend!

 

[Octoberbeauty]

We has a contest Wednesday. Got all 1s! This is the only contest of this type that we do. All of the others are Preliminaries/Finals.

Home football game tonight! Senior night for Band. Nothing Saturday or Sunday!!! We need a break. Thurs and Friday nights will be rehearsals, then State, then one away game and we are finished. Will miss it!

Katy Belle, where do you live? We must be very close. Our schedules are very similar, but we are competing in Mustang today.

 

[Octoberbeauty]

Class 5A State Champions! Very exciting day and I didn't even get to go to the competition.

Updating to say that we came in second overall. Very proud of our kids. I'm sad to see this season end though. Looking forward to next year already.

 

[sm4987]

State was last night and we came in 3rd place class 4A. Not bad. Only one football game left and two parades. I'm glad that's it's almost over. It's been a long season! Sad though for my son who's a senior. I still have three more years as my daughter is a freshman, but by January I'll probably be wondering what next years show is going to be.

 

[Duchie]

Class 5A State Champions! Very exciting day and I didn't even get to go to the competition.

Updating to say that we came in second overall. Very proud of our kids. I'm sad to see this season end though. Looking forward to next year already.

State was last night and we came in 3rd place class 4A. Not bad. Only one football game left and two parades. I'm glad that's it's almost over. It's been a long season! Sad though for my son who's a senior. I still have three more years as my daughter is a freshman, but by January I'll probably be wondering what next years show is going to be.

Congratulations to both bands! It's great to see a season's worth of hard work paying off for everyone. The season is ending so soon - only 8 days left for us.

We competed in Area over the weekend and advanced to the State competition next Tuesday. It's going to be a tough competition! After that we won't march the show again, so it'll be sad when it ends. I love our show this year - I think of all of the years this is my favorite.

 

[Pembo]

Today is the LAST marching band rehearsal of the season and my boys are so happy!!!! I went to the field yesterday to take pics as there is a good chance it will be raining today. 1 rehearsal, 1 game, 1 competition and it is finished!

 

[Katy Belle]

Today is the LAST marching band rehearsal of the season and my boys are so happy!!!! I went to the field yesterday to take pics as there is a good chance it will be raining today. 1 rehearsal, 1 game, 1 competition and it is finished!

Yay! I know the feeling. We aren't quite as close as you are, but close.

When I dropped my youngest off at school, I could see the band rehearsing in the rain. Ugh. Tonight is rehearsal from 5-8, on Halloween. Some parents are organizing a last minute "trunk or treat" so the Bandies will get some treats and have a bit of fun. Tomorrow morning rehearsal, 6:45-8:30. Tomorrow night rehearsal, 5:30-8:30 , followed by "Candle Light" from 9-10. At Candle Light the band kids all tell what their band family means to them, etc. Its nice, but we are getting tired! Saturday they have to report at 6:30 a.m. to go to their FINAL contest! The next week, one more football game and then a parade in December. Then we can pack up those uniforms! Oh, and the Band Banquet in late November, that is always fantastic!

DS16 is getting WORN OUT. He will miss it in a few weeks, but right now, its wearing all of us out.

Good luck to all this weekend!

 

[beavismom]

The end of the season is always bittersweet. Our kids are worn out and will be even more so by the end of the weekend. The last rehearsal of our show is tonight followed by a prelim contest performance in San Antonio tomorrow, back for the football game tomorrow night and then back to San Antonio on Saturday. Hopefully they will be marching the show for the last time on the field for Finals so they can leave it all there. We have one more football game and possibly playoffs so there will be more band, but not this show. I don't think I can stand to be around for the senior goodbyes and I don't even have a senior.

 

[Gina]

I am waaayyy past bittersweet... I'll get to see DS march the show at this week's game and next week's, then that's it. For playoffs they just make some shape and stand there, and play non-show stuff. So I'll get to see my son actually march two more times, then that's IT. And Senior Night is next Friday... we cross the field before the game with our Seniors, and they announce our names, where the Senior is headed to college, and what their major will be. They present us with a flower and take our picture. I will be wearing the waterproof mascara.

Where my son is headed to school next year, they don't have a marching band... Just a small concert-type band, made up of students and faculty alike. Marching instruments - not orchestral - but they don't actually march. They do perform at big festivals and parades, so I'll get to see him play for things like that, but it is going to be so weird to not be a "band mom" anymore!!

/whine off


Freshmen band parents, I know it feels like a lot of marching season is a big pain in the rear, especially if your kids aren't driving yet and you get to chauffeur them in the middle of the night for competitions and whatnot... but it goes SO fast. Even when you're exhausted and just over all of it, try to stop and savor it anyway! Make those memories.

 

[lovegrumpy]

We have state this Saturday. We have won are class the last three years so there is some pressure on the kids.

 

[FlightlessDuck]

We have one more divisional game this Friday, and either a scrimmage game next week or a playoff game depending how things go.

The band is also at the USBands national competition at MetLife stadium next Saturday. Currently, it looks like they will get home at 2AM Sunday.

Originally we were going to be playing at J. Birney Crum stadium in Allentown, PA for the USBands National competetion, but they had to move our division to MetLfe Stadium. That would have been nice, since it's the next town over. (So the opposite problem from PrincessKsMom).

Senior night was last week, and we made it through the introduction (but not the whole night) without crying. . The football team won 53-7.

 

[PrincessKsMom]

We have one more divisional game this Friday, and either a scrimmage game next week or a playoff game depending how things go.

The band is also at the USBands national competition at MetLife stadium next Saturday. Currently, it looks like they will get home at 2AM Sunday.

Originally we were going to be playing at J. Birney Crum stadium in Allentown, PA for the USBands National competetion, but they had to move our division to MetLfe Stadium. That would have been nice, since it's the next town over. (So the opposite problem from PrincessKsMom).

Senior night was last week, and we made it through the introduction (but not the whole night) without crying. . The football team won 53-7.

USBands really seems to have made a mess of the National Championships this year. Did you read the latest that awards will NOT be announced at the field at MetLife Stadium?

We came in first last week at that show (although truth be told there were only 2 other bands in our division, and not the one that always beats us) but it put the kids in the right frame of mind and they're pumped now. And, of course, it's the one show I did not attend in two years. However, we have one more show this weekend, where there is only one other band in our division and guess who it is? The band that always beats us. Then November 9 we have Nationals in FlightlessDuck's neighborhood where we march against 18-19 other bands. It would be nice to come in top 10 but who knows. While I am sad to see marching band come to an end forever (senior DD), I am excited about indoor season starting. Since DD is color guard, there is another whole competition season for color guard and percussion. This year our percussion (who won every competition they were in last year) are changing divisions. Last year they were standstill; this year they're marching/moving so it will be interesting.

 

[FlightlessDuck]

USBands really seems to have made a mess of the National Championships this year. Did you read the latest that awards will NOT be announced at the field at MetLife Stadium?

Maybe it has to do with the fact that some divisions have bands play on different days? We will be there the last day and as far as I know we are staying for awards (starting at 11-friggin'-30 PM)

 

[marcyinPA]

It's funny to read that band is over or almost over for a lot of you. Band here NEVER ENDS. When you join band here, it is a year-long commitment. When parade and football season is over, they start working on concert band season. After the Spring concert (usually the end of March or beginning of April), things slow down, unless it is our turn to march in the Memorial Day parade (they rotate that between the three HS bands in the city). Generally, by April, band slows down, but they still have the class 1st block every other day, and they still play.

 

[PrincessKsMom]

Maybe it has to do with the fact that some divisions have bands play on different days? We will be there the last day and as far as I know we are staying for awards (starting at 11-friggin'-30 PM)

From USBands re: November 2 awards

Important Awards Ceremony Information

In a twist on the traditional announcing of results, the Awards Ceremonies at the 2013 USBands National Championships to be held at MetLife Stadium on Sat., Nov. 2 will have a new location on the MetLife Central Stage near the main entrance to the magnificent venue.

Relocating the Award Ceremonies to MetLife Central enables USBands to conduct additional ceremonies throughout the day, shortening the day for some bands and to adequately recognize and celebrate the accomplishments of the talented students in their final USBands performance of the year.

Award Ceremonies will be held at:
2 p.m. - Groups I Open & II Open
6 p.m. - Group IV A
10 p.m. - Groups V Open & VI Open
12:30 a.m. - Groups V A and IV AA

 

[Pembo]

It's funny to read that band is over or almost over for a lot of you. Band here NEVER ENDS. When you join band here, it is a year-long commitment. When parade and football season is over, they start working on concert band season. After the Spring concert (usually the end of March or beginning of April), things slow down, unless it is our turn to march in the Memorial Day parade (they rotate that between the three HS bands in the city). Generally, by April, band slows down, but they still have the class 1st block every other day, and they still play.

Band never ends here too BUT Marching Band with the after school rehearsals is finished!!!! Concert season starts next week and it is a class during the day. During marching season all the band kids are together in class but concert season they split into two concert bands and also add 2 jazz bands to the mix.

However the bulk of time is marching season and I am SO glad it is almost over! One game, one competition. The rest of the year is easy!