Pella Competition

....When we left Linn Mar (high school in Marion, IA) , we traveled for over 2 hours to Pella, IA. We watched Transformers 2 on the way. Now any movie we watch has to be pre-approved by the band directors for appropriate content and language. I'm not sure how the Transformers 2 is more appropriate than the Hunger Games, however nobody complained, it was a good movie.

When we got to Pella, we stopped at the local Pizza Ranch and ate supper at about 6:30. They had been preparing since about 3:00 for us and it took less than 20 minutes for us to demolish all of the food they had waiting for us in the separate room. We had to go out into the public area in order to get more food. The other customers were shocked to see the swarms of kids coming from the other wing. We were asked how we managed to fit everyone in the back room. When we all descended on the ice cream machine, there were two little girls that were waiting in our line for the ice cream machine. They seemed a little overwhelmed, so we let them cut in line and helped them get their ice cream.

After we cleaned out the restaurant, we loaded up on the buses and headed to Pella High School and got the trailer unloaded. It was nice not having to constantly be going and going; we had an hour to kill before we had to perform. When the hour was up, we had to push up all of the pit equipment because their trailer to help transport the equipment was only 7'x 10' large and it had no ramp. It would have been more work than it was worth trying to get it onto the trailer. We had to wait until the band got there to enter the field.

I don’t know if we just were more focused this week then we were last week, but we got A LOT better over the week. We all even improved in between shows; our confidence and the overall percentage of people actually playing rose, our dynamics improved immensely, and our color guard had some timing issues at Linn-mar but came back to win best color guard at Pella!! Great job girls!!!! Once they learn all of their drill ( the last of which I was told was taught only at the end of this week, which is a very tough turnaround), Kennedy's color guard is actually one of the best ones in the area. It is not uncommon for us to place about in the middle of the bands, of not slightly below yet win the overall best color guard. Our show still has much to work on for sure, but overall we are doing very well. We got second out of three in the division 4A marching bands. Dowling Catholic got first, which wasn't surprising; they are a large private catholic school in central Iowa whose students have to audition to make their rather large marching band.

After we loaded up the trailer, we headed home, and I fell asleep, and my friends had perhaps too much fun trying to wake up she-who-sleeps-through-tornado-sirens when we got to school at 1:30 am. Once they got me up, we joined everyone who unloaded the trailer for the last time this weekend, and headed home to try to get some sleep.

The Ten Commandments of Band

I am the Almighty Band Director who brought you through rookie camp and onto this field that we do march on. Thou shalt obey my commandments.

. Thou shalt have no other gods before the director.

. Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven noises or any sounds unlikeness to the music that hath come before thee, or that shall come after thee.

. Thou shalt not take the name of thy band in vain.

. Six days shalt thou labor, and do all thy practicing, but the seventh day is the sabbath of the band life: In it thou shalt have a concert.[rest?!?!?! If anything we are told to practice more because a concert is coming up ]

. Honor thy section leader and thy band director: That thy days many be long in the band, which the Lord thy God giveth thee.

. Thou shalt not damage thy instrument, nor conspire to murder a player whom is thy superior.

. Thou shalt not commit to other activities nor put any other task before thy band.

. Thou shalt not steal sheet music, instruments, or any other item possessed by another member of thy band.

. Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy stand partner.

. Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's instrument, thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's reed, nor his ligature, nor his mouthpiece, nor anything that is thy neighbor's.

Linn-Mar Competition

Week two: This week we got all of the drill on the field. Today we are practicing at Kennedy, then we are heading to Linn Mar, and then to Pella.

Now normally this week we would be going to Irondale, MN. However they moved their competition to this coming week, which is the same week we host our Five Seasons marching band competition and is also our homecoming weekend. Obviously we aren't going to be going to Irondale then. This is highly disappointing to our seniors because Irondale is a highly anticipated competition. Not because of our chances of winning( actually we are usually 7th out of 9, because most of the bands are bigger than us and audition to be in the bands, and you don't audition usually, if you don't want to make the group) , but because we get to stay overnight and then on Sunday go to the Mall of America as a band after eating all the food at one of the local Country Buffets as a band . I turned 16 during last year's Irondale trip, and being surrounded by my band friends on a band trip the same weekend as my first homecoming dance with a date was something very special indeed for my sweet sixteenth birthday.
-------------------------------------------

We had a practice starting at nine am before we headed out. The girls needing their hair done were to get there early so the moms could do our hair beforehand instead of in the buses. I thought we had to get there at 7:30, when it was actually 8:30. Colorguard had to get there at 7:30. So I show up at 7:30 to find that only guard is there, so I got my hair done and spent some time just relaxing and eventually everyone else got there. We were planning to have a practice on the main field, however we(the band) weren't told that the JV football B team was playing a game at Kennedy's field at nine am. So we had to lug all of our equipment and instruments out to the north field to practice and then pushed the equipment by the trailer in the parking lot and then ate walking tacos made by the band moms for lunch and signed up for our buses. An advantage of braiding our hair beforehand is that we don't have to have all the braided ones on one bus, and the cliques can spread out onto our own buses. However it takes 25 minutes to load the trailer and we were told that we were leaving 10 minutes prior to departure. If people don't want to have to wait for trailer to load, we should be told in time.

At Linn Mar we had to unload, get uniforms on and equipment set up, load the equipment on the trailer to transport to the other side of the campus, unload it, perform, load it, take it back to home base, unload it to disassemble it and load uniforms and load it all again. The trailer crew was NOT happy. After we watched awards, we loaded onto the buses and drove off to Pella, over two hours away...

Johnston / Mount Pleasant Part I

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)

Breakdown of a Marching Band Show

For those of you are not familiar with marching band, we have 10 minutes from the time the first foot steps on the field until everyone is off the field to get set up, perform our show, and to get off. Our shows are usually then about 7 minutes in order to meet the time requirement. You are allowed to continue if you run over the time limit, however you are severely penalized in your points for the awards.

We have three movements(musical pieces) this year in the show. Normally we have four, but since our opener and closer are about two to three minutes each,( which is really long for a marching band piece) you only have room for one more movement in the show. The typical order for a marching band show is the opener at the beginning(duh), then another song and the ballad ( which may be flipped ) and then the closer at the, you guessed it: the end.

The opener is the first thing your judges and your audience will hear. So first impressions are critical to your success. If you produce a good first sound, you will definitely be noticed and your score will certainly be more favorable.

Your ballad must be soft and pretty. If you can't convey emotion in your ballad, you aren't really playing. You must be sensitive to the changes in the music, not only the dynamics, but also the phrasing and the blend. The whole point of the ballad, and music in general, it to create emotion in it's audience. Your ballad should build and build up to an emotional zenith and then softly float down from it until it, like the morning mist, disappears without you realizing it.

The closer is the last impression that your audience has of you. This is usually the biggest sound and marching effect that you will have. This is when you are tired of marching and your sound is not as strong. This is when you bring out all of your energy and put everything you have into this show.

While your show is extremely important, your presentation on and off the field is just as important. You are always in set position (at attention) when you are blocked up and ready to take the field. It is important that everyone is as still as possible because at any time, someone is always looking at you, and any movement is very visible. So if you aren't supposed to be moving, you shouldn't be.

In essence, the show should tell a story or convey a message and a feeling. And each movement is a different flavor in the meal. So is every story set to music tells.

Johnston / Mount Pleasant Part II

( If you haven't already read part I, it is suggested that you do so)

......After we got on the road, it was about six already. We had over an hour and a half drive ahead of us at this point, and before we head to the competition, we have to feed almost one hundred forty people with almost an hour less than we had planned. Nevertheless we did our best, however with only a quarter-staffed McDonald's and a combined KFC and Taco Bell to feed us all, the lines were long, but nothing we aren't used to. It was at this point I realized that my iPod had not charged overnight as I had planned, so I couldn't begin to write my posts and to listen to music on the ride home. Man was I frustrated!

As we got our food, at about eight thirty pm now, we ate what we could, and took what was left on the bus with us. The most entertaining meal was five or six of our guy seniors, all low brass guys all chipping in to get a bucket of chicken, four sides, a cake and one or two half gallon "cups"(although it could hardly be called anything but a jug) of pop and they passed around a plastic bag for chicken bones and passed the food around and ate out of the containers. And of course, everything had gravy smothered on it. I was talking to one of their moms while I was waiting for my food and she at one point commented, "I would not be surprised if they did this regularly in college too" I wouldn't be surprised either.

Since this took as long as we had planned for originally, we were later getting to the school than we had originally planned. We got there at nine and we had to be ready to load the pit tractor to transport in 30 minutes from us pulling up outside the school, including uniforms, unloading and setting up and fixing hair malfunctions.

Mount Pleasant is by far my favorite for pit loading, they bring a tractor-pulled cart for us to load our stuff on that we ride on to the marching field, and we can just pull it off and put the pit right where it needs to be, and they do the same thing for the way back, another perk is that the pit gets to watch the performance before us, which in this case was awesome because the band in front of us had a Zelda theme and they played it very well. Our performance was alright, and then we all came back and changed and left pit to go load the trailer while they watched the drum majors receive the awards for the band. We don't know how we did at Johnston, but last year at Mt Pleasant we got 6th out of 8 and this year we got 5th out of 8. We got everything loaded, forgot drum majors were still in uniform so we had to improvise with getting their uniforms on the truck.

On the way home, we finished our movies in the typical after dark seating of boys-with-boys, and girls-with-girls. I was lucky enough that I got to sit by myself on the way back. You were welcome to fall asleep if you wanted.

When we got back to school at one thirty in the morning, we had to unload the trailer and all of the uniforms. Since only about half of the pit plus maybe 4 or 5 other people actually helped unload the pit and drumline equipment. It took a long time to accomplish that. Some people got mad because we were running into them with the instruments, but as we few see it, if they aren't working when they should be, and when we are obviously coming toward them and they don't bother to get out of the way, then they deserve to get run into. Everyone is required to at least help unload the uniforms, and nobody is to leave before the trailer is unloaded. However, there are some that are under the impression, mostly new marchers, that "everybody" somehow doesn't apply to them. This is why we have section leaders, to straighten out people as a layer before the directors. They will soon learn.

All in all, this was a very good trip. For the next 3-4 weeks we have marching competitions every Saturday and homecoming is in 2 weeks, so we will be very busy.

Who Does Halftime Belong To????

I was watching the Cy-Hawk game this Saturday. ( Congrats Iowa State for winning the Cy-Hawk trophy again 9-6. Go Cyclones!!!!!!)

I noticed, though, that during the football games on TV that the football games are shown in near entirety, however you see maybe 2 minutes of the marching band of you are lucky. I understand that the sports channels don't consider marching band to be a sport ( although it totally is, but that is another post). But the marching bands put in too much time and effort putting shows together each week to only get two minutes of time. I don't know about anyone else, but I would be much more interested in watching the matching bands perform at halftime than some middle-aged men in suits recap plays that WE JUST GOT DONE WATCHING!!!!

Don't get me wrong; I love watching football, and the players make some really amazing plays that deserve some recognition, but doesn't the marching band deserve some too????

A Hair-Raising Dilemma

One of the stipulations of marching uniform code is that your hair cannot touch your collar. This rule has been put in place to create a more disciplined and professional looking group. So if you have long hair, you either have to tie your hair up, put it under your helmet, or get it cut. My boyfriend has almost shoulder length hair, so he had to get his hair pulled up and slicked back for the performance. He wasn't too happy about it, but it actually looked really good. Even the guys aren't exempt from the hair up rule. Several guys have gotten their hair cut short for marching band, *tears* and those who haven't have to tie their hair up in ponytails( sometimes multiple ones ) to fit under their helmets. Guys with curly hair can't do that as easily. A baritone player in my band actually has a special hairnet he uses for band to solve this problem. Which ever way you choose, it may not be the latest fashion yet, but hey, our pure awesomeness on the field is enough to blind you, even without our beautiful flowing locks of hair for you to admire 😉

Lesson #1- What is C4?

Reading sheet music is like reading a foreign language. There are rules and patterns that must be followed for the music to sound pleasing to the ear and so the musician can interpret the music correctly in order to perform it.

Before we get to the music, we must first know how to write it correctly.

When most people think of C4, they think of the explosive. C4 or Composition C4 is a plastic explosive that can be detonated with a blasting cap, or burned using a flame that is mold-able, and fairly stable without a means of detonation. However, this is not the C4 I am referring to in the title. In music theory C4 is the pitch C in the fourth octave, otherwise known as middle C.(highlighted in blue)

Every note has a similar label. A4 (highlighted in yellow) is the pitch A in the fourth octave. Octaves are numbered from lowest to highest, starting with 0. The first note on a piano is A0, and the last is C8. Every octave starts on C and ends on the B above, then the next octave starts on the C one half-step(the very next key on a piano) up. From this post on, when I am referring to a note, I will try to use this method of identifying the pitch to make it clear which octave I'm in.

A Little Marching Band Humor

 As we are in Marching Band season (which may I remind you is different than hunting season ) I thought that a practical definition of actual marching band terms was needed. If you have any questions, please ask your local marching band member. Thanks to The Canonical List of Band Jokes!!

What Marching Band Terms REALLY Means

Band, Atten-hut!": Bring your instrument to attention position and bring your head back at a slight angle (supposed to be executed by the entire band at the same time, but is it ever?)
"Horns-up": Snap your instrument into playing position, cracking your mouthpiece off of your teeth, or splintering your lip with your reed.
"Band, Parade Rest!": A time of stress relief after a particularly long or lousy performance, as you get to shout "HUH!" at the top of your lungs.
"Left Face, Ready MOVE!": Turn over your left shoulder on count four, promptly smacking into the person next to you who was confused and did a "Right Face". (Similar to "Right Face" and "To the REAR, MOVE!")
Company Front: A giant squiggly line across the field (usually on or near a hash) that causes hours of aggravation while one side of the field argues with the other trying to decide who's in the right place.
Drum Major(s): People you liked a whole lot better before they became drum major.
Triplet Step(s): Really fast, stupid looking steps in which you scamper across the field like rabbits on a sugar high.
Cadence: A place for the drummers to show off during parades, etc. A perfect time to get off step as the tempo changes constantly.
Back March: Marching backwards, a ballet-like move. You stay up on your toes, lose your balance, and fall on your butt.
Horn Flash: Tip your head back and point the bell of your instrument into the air. Effective dynamically for trumpets, trombones, and horns. Pretty much useless and a waste of energy for saxes, clarinets, flutes, baritones, etc.
Uniform: A sweaty, stinky piece of clothing that takes several minutes to put on. Also known as "A Full Bladder's Worst Nightmare!"
Color Guard: Girls with metal poles, rifles, and sabers...Everything you don't want them to have.

      (Here is the link to the website I found these on) http://canonicalbandjokes.webs.com/bandterminology.htm