Our first weekend out of the gate, and it's been a few years since we have played the entire show at the first competition, or so I've been told. This year's show is titled A Gaelic Fanfare. And I have been assured by the band department that this year's show theme has absolutely nothing to do with the fact that our band is combining with the other two public high schools in our school district in order to perform in the Saint Patrick's Day Parade in Dublin, Ireland this year.
Our first weekend began with Johnston High School Marching Band competition. We had to be at school at 7:30 am ( I actually got to sleep in!!!!) and we practiced for about half an hour. We signed up for what charter buses we would be on. Then we loaded up the uniforms and the pit and drums in order to get on the road. However, things rarely roll that smoothly, our bell set case cover, which we always prop up against the trash can near our percussion equipment when not in use, was missing and is believed to have been picked up and thrown away, even though we had just the day before put the case cover on. We were assured that we now have a dumpster dive in our near future as a result of our error.
On a lighter note, once we got rolling, we are within reason, allowed to do what we want on the bus ride. We cannot walk around while the bus is moving, unless it to walk up and get your hair done for the show, or to go back to the bathroom. During the day, we are allowed to have coed setting.
Bus number three this trip didn't have outlets, although most buses do. This allows us easier and more sustained use our various electronic devices. Our buses also have DVD systems, so we bring movies, and as long as they are approved by the band staff, we watch them on our long drives. Of course the movies and their order is based on a democratic vote, so if you do not like the selections, there is always your iPod to watch; my boyfriend and I watched his favorite movie together on his iPod because we had both had already seen the selected movie for our bus.
When we got to Johnston, a two hour bus ride away, we unloaded the trailer and got our uniforms on. We warmed up a bit, and the pit got set up to go on the field. After we performed at shortly after noon, we went to critique and we watched our performance and listened to the speaker's feedback while we cooled off. Then we changed out of our uniforms and went and ate a late lunch out of the concession stand. Then we practiced for two hours on one of their practice fields, while getting quite sunburnt across the ranks. We took a short break, rehydrated and had a snack, and went back to an extended practice. We, almost forty five minutes later loaded the trailer and set off for Mount Pleasant...... ( part II forthcoming)
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