2013 Marching Band Thread

[lovegrumpy]

Mine started precamp today. He is all excited.

 

[m&m's mom]

I really hope none of the Texas band kids are reading this thread! These super cool temps will have them packing their bags and moving north. It is not yet 8am here and already 80 degrees, heading to 102 before the day is over. Who knows what the heat index will be.

Hope everyone is off to a great start. We are waiting to get our marching placements this week, then things really get exciting.

It's 104 here next 2 days- that is just insane.

Joining in here with y'all.......I've got a freshman trombone player this year. They started band camp last week. It's been hot but my daughter is loving it. I don't know how she's going to feel this afternoon when she comes home since the heat index is supposed to get up to 110 today! Our kids practice from 7am - 1pm M-F until the week before school starts and they'll add in evening rehearsals also. We get off easy compared to some of y'all when it comes to fees. I think we have to pay around $65 this year.

Gosh, the kids go here 7am-9pm with a cumulative 3 hours for lunch and dinner together and we pay a whole lot more than $65. It is so interesting how different band is even within Texas.

 

[beavismom]

Joining in here with y'all.......I've got a freshman trombone player this year. They started band camp last week. It's been hot but my daughter is loving it. I don't know how she's going to feel this afternoon when she comes home since the heat index is supposed to get up to 110 today! Our kids practice from 7am - 1pm M-F until the week before school starts and they'll add in evening rehearsals also. We get off easy compared to some of y'all when it comes to fees. I think we have to pay around $65 this year.

Welcome!

I can't even imagine only $65 in fees. We were more than 10 times that and happy it was that low.

I think pretty much all of Texas is under a heat advisory for the next few days with a heat index of 105-110 degrees. I hope everyone makes it through all this ok and that the directors are keeping a close eye on everyone. Our kids get lots of water and cold fruit breaks, but sometimes that is not enough.

 

[Kat77]

DS said the show is called something like "The Rooms Behind Our Eyes" and that the music so far is really awesome. I only know that one of the pieces is Mozart's "Requiem" which is one of my faves -- so powerful and haunting. I am so excited to see it translated into a marching movement! Will be very interesting to see what sort of props and flash they incorporate this year, since we seem to be venturing into the BOA circuit instead of strictly UIL. Can't wait to see the show!

Our band is using Requiem as their opener too! Do you know the ballad yet?

 

[Gina]

Our band is using Requiem as their opener too! Do you know the ballad yet?

Cool! No, I sure don't... I haven't seen much of DS lately! He's been trying to get in as many hours at work as he can before school starts, so he didn't get home last night until right at bedtime. =/ Miraculously he doesn't work today though, so I'm hoping to grill him for more show info tonight. Can't wait until the 22nd when they do a parent preview and we get to see what they have down so far!

Which is y'alls band again?

 

[Katy Belle]

Just home from fitting Band kids in shoes, polos, shakos and gloves. I LOVE band kids! So fun to meet the Freshmen and see the oldies but goodies! Funny to see which groups hang around inside as long as possible and which hurry right back out to rehearse!

I still know zero about the drill and the music. I will watch Thursday nights rehearsal, that will catch me up!

Tomorrow DS16 is bringing home some friends from band for lunch. I love having them here! Can't wait! Need to figure out the menu and get the fridge stocked with drinks! Think I will grill burgers and dogs...the rest should be easy.

Tonight we have a mandatory meeting. We pay our fees and sign up for our Volunteer duties. Our fees for returning students are about $230 this year. The two trips, a mandatory trip to St. Louis and an optional trip to
Chicago, will be extra.

Go Band!

 

[jen0610]

About half the band got fitted yesterday and assigned their cart. My kid asked to be in my cart. If he thought I was going to take of his uniform for him, he as informed otherwise last night. Just like every other kid, if it's not hung up right when they try and return it, it's being handed right back to him and being told to fix it.

 

[Pembo]

Well, maybe southwest... 2 hours south of me, or even 30-ish minutes, would be out in the Gulf of Mexico.

I love that your daughter plays trombone -- that's one of those instruments you don't see many girls playing, and it just seems cool! What circuit do y'all compete in?

I played trombone as did my sister in law and now my daughter. LOL Not a lot of girls around here play it either. But that's what the cool girls do.

It's a lovely 75 and cloudy today...just wanted to brag to my TX friends.

Picture day is tomorrow. Uniforms and a group picture, individual senior pics, section pics and optional individual underclassmen pics. That happens in the am and then rehearsal from 1-3. I hope it doesn't rain.

 

[beavismom]

It's a lovely 75 and cloudy today...just wanted to brag to my TX friends.

You are killing us here...

 

[jen0610]

I played trombone as did my sister in law and now my daughter. LOL Not a lot of girls around here play it either. But that's what the cool girls do.

It's a lovely 75 and cloudy today...just wanted to brag to my TX friends.

Picture day is tomorrow. Uniforms and a group picture, individual senior pics, section pics and optional individual underclassmen pics. That happens in the am and then rehearsal from 1-3. I hope it doesn't rain.

They are going to kick us outta the group, here real soon, we keep talking about our wonderful weather. It's the same conditions here. We are all hoping the 40% of storms either moves thru this afternoon or holds til later tonight. The kids have the ball game performance today with our minor league baseball team.

They get to perform before the game, the seniors get to play the national anthem and one of them gets to toss out the first pitch. Also during the innings, they do silly games and they always have 2 or 3 of our kids selected to participate.

 

[Pembo]

You are killing us here...

You can brag to me at the end of the season when it's 30 and rain/sleet/snow here and still nice in TX.
Last year, the last game it POURED rain and was cold. (I stayed home). However this year the last game is senior night. I've already told DS that if it is raining, I'll let his friend carry an ipad and facetime me in from home.

 

[Gina]

It's a lovely 75 and cloudy today...just wanted to brag to my TX friends.

I have half a mind to drive all the way up there, just to punch you in the head. But that would mean going outside and combusting, so I guess you're safe for now.

 

[momof1princess]

Guys, I'll be honest...a full day of uniform fittings almost did me in. When I got home about 3:30pm Friday afternoon, I could barely walk. I work a desk job, so being on my feet and running all day long, while hefting a hundred heavy uniforms, almost put me in traction. However, everyone has the correct size uniform and hat now, and all of the uniforms and pants are arranged in the storage room by uniform number. About 20 minutes on an ice pack, a short back massage, and 2 muscle relaxers got me walking upright again.

 

[jen0610]

Guys, I'll be honest...a full day of uniform fittings almost did me in. When I got home about 3:30pm Friday afternoon, I could barely walk. I work a desk job, so being on my feet and running all day long, while hefting a hundred heavy uniforms, almost put me in traction. However, everyone has the correct size uniform and hat now, and all of the uniforms and pants are arranged in the storage room by uniform number. About 20 minutes on an ice pack, a short back massage, and 2 muscle relaxers got me walking upright again.

Unifrom fittings are not for the faint of heart. I helped for 1/2 a day 4 years ago. Not my cup of tea. I will run the concession stands before I will fit uniforms. All I can say, is we have some wonderful moms who are more than able and willing to take on this job and we them for that!!!

 

[momof1princess]

Unifrom fittings are not for the faint of heart. I helped for 1/2 a day 4 years ago. Not my cup of tea. I will run the concession stands before I will fit uniforms. All I can say, is we have some wonderful moms who are more than able and willing to take on this job and we them for that!!!

I know what you mean now! Lol! I'll work concessions anytime, but I don't EVER want to do uniform fittings again! I actually enjoy working concessions, because our football team stinks...lol.

 

[bittybabygrower]

If I had to tell one more kid to stand straight or to get their bucks on not flip flops I was gonna go postal!

And if course the upperclassmen telling them the horrors of getting caught hanging their uniform wrong after a game....5 laps and a tongue lashing from the uniform mom on that night lol

 

[marcyinPA]

We are very blessed that we have a volunteer seamstress who takes care of our uniforms and fittings. She is a retired woman who has a long history with our band. Her own grown kids were in the band. She attends every game, parade, concert and trip and does repairs on the spot. She is truly the most important person in the band!! She arranges all dry cleaning, hems the pants and sleeves of over 300 kids, makes kilts for the bagpipers, sews jumpers for the majorettes.... I could go on and on. She is amazing!! Our local paper actually did a story on her last year

 

[elbigvato]

Aw, thanks, I'm glad I could help! Maybe you can help me with a mystery... On our event list there is a competition on Oct. 26 in San Antonio. We have never gone to San Antonio except for State. I don't see anything on the UIL calendar, and we already have some regional BOA thing on the 5th. I know y'all are in a different part of the state, but S.A. is far from us too -- do you know anything about a competition that day?? DS and I are really scratching our heads.

I'm with you on the heat -- I don't know how these kids do it either. And with the High Pressure of Death secured over most of the state, it's supposed to be even hotter this week. I feel for them!!

Oct. 26 is usually the weekend for Area contests around the state. Good luck to all the students and directors that have to practice in all of this heat.

 

[Gina]

Oct. 26 is usually the weekend for Area contests around the state. Good luck to all the students and directors that have to practice in all of this heat.

I think you might be right... On the area 17 UIL page it has the Area contest showing for that date, but it says it's for 4A. Must be just a typo on the page. And on our events list I see the Region contest, but not Area. I think you solved the mystery for us! Thanks!

 

[camreesmom]

You can brag to me at the end of the season when it's 30 and rain/sleet/snow here and still nice in TX.
Last year, the last game it POURED rain and was cold. (I stayed home). However this year the last game is senior night. I've already told DS that if it is raining, I'll let his friend carry an ipad and facetime me in from home.

That sounds like a good idea! Our last home game is parents/senior night also. My DH is the diehard who is out there even when it is raining sideways! We rarely miss a game, have had the same season tickets for over 15 years now but I won't get to miss ANY games this year with one in band and one cheering.