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December 05, 2004
ALHS Band update
Note all pics are thumbnails, please click for larger image. Pics are from Heather's digital. Hubby's film pics have to be developed and scanned.
It took hubby and I about two hours to drive to Mira Mesa HS in San Diego. We had driven down the 15 freeway, into and out of rainstorms, keeping fingers crossed we'd find sunshine at our destination.
We did. Dark clouds were still in evidence, but the streets were drying. We slipped on heavy coats (our thin California blood deems the 50's *freezing* weather). I grabbed a stadium blanket for the metal bleachers and hubby toted his trusty Canon SLR camera. The air was crisp and the breeze off the ocean not too strong. The front of MMHS is a wide expanse of grass and pine trees and knots of young band members were scattered across it, playing snippets of music, practicing moves, tucking stray hairs under caps, listening to band directors. Waves of sound washed over us as we walked into the school ... the high breathiness of flutes, the pulse of drumlines, the brightness of brass. The excitement and tenseness that radiated off these kids physically overwhelmed me.
We paid for our tickets for the 3A division, spread the blanket and waited.
Field shows are choreographed even in how the bands enter and exit. When the announcer gives the band the permission to "Enter the field" a band has four minutes to get into place...including all props and pit equipment. This is where booster parents earn their stripes. They have to hustle the stuff into place and be off the field by the time the announcer says "The judges are ready."
Shows are to be between 7 and 11 minutes in length. No more, no less.
Siobhan's school, Alta Loma HS, was 4th in the program, stepping off at 2:15. They had a musically challenging show, music of Leonard Bernstein. And as Heather observed (she and Jenn also came to watch), this was some "hardcore" conducting by Siobhan, with lots of time changes.
Ten schools competed in the division. During a break after the 5th band, hubby and I slipped out to a local coffee shop to sit in comfy chairs and warm up with hot chocolate.
All the bands we saw had great shows. It was going to be a tough competition.
Prior to the awards you look across the field into the bleachers where the band members sit. They are laughing and doing call and response cheers with their competitors. Then comes the time where all the drum majors with the drumline and guard leaders gather at the end of the field while the judges meet with the band directors to give them the score sheets. A moment of final pagentry as the Drum Major groups are introduced and they march down the 50 yard line to stand and salute the audience.
Finally, the time came. Alta Loma placed 4th. I know at first the band was disappointed. They had put on a difficult show and performed beautifully. The score spread between 1st place (Santa Margarita Catholic HS) and 4th was only two points. And as with any subjective competition, one judge had put ALHS second and another had placed them sixth (this judge, it is reported, had a particular distaste for Bernstein music). However, their initial disappointment would give way, to the congrats and hugs from parents and friends ...
and a few words of "you was robbed" by members of other bands who watched!
Nothing like that peer reinforcement.
Of course, I figure that the MMHS announcer of the event was, or had been, a band parent. He acknowledged something we all knew (and chuckles and nods of agreement rippled through the audience) ... come Sunday these kids no longer had any excuse not to clean their rooms.
Posted by Darleen at December 5, 2004 01:07 AM
Comments
- You guys were here within two miles of our abode and you didn't call to say "Merry Christmas" ....Oh the humanities....congrats on the band showing.....
Posted by: Hunter at December 5, 2004 12:49 PM
Hunter!
I didn't know. :-(
Thanks for the congrats and hope life is treating your and your offspring well!
Posted by: Darleen at December 5, 2004 02:13 PM
Hey there! I think Siobahn and Heather still remember me, I've been at ur house a few times! remember Will running through the window? That was ridiculous. Well, if you don't remember, I used to be drum captain when Heather was drum major, and the year after that. Those were good times, I found this on google looking back for memories and glad to see that somebody is keeping up with the marching band tradition :-). I miss the good old days. Recently, I was marching for RCC, but after 2 seasons and drum corps in New york i decided drumming had to go, since I have school and stuff. Tell Heather and Siobahn I said hi. Great to see ALHS band is still running strong!
Posted by: Alex Wang at March 5, 2005 05:30 AM