So happy right now

Just got some fantastic news!! Just found out from our athletics director that sports are back on! That means marching band is back on! This Friday night will be our first home game this year so excited. They’re not going to allow fans in the stadiums so it’ll just be cheerleaders, football teams, and the band(s). Everyone has to wear face masks. But that’s ok. The band will just have to take them down for the field show. I just told the band they’re so excited.

 

I realized in a sheer panic about thirty minutes ago firstly we never even issued freaking uniforms!? So between Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday we now have to issue over 400 uniforms. And while we’ve been having practices we now have to polish a half time show for Friday night.

Here we go again!

 

Today has been such a crazy hectic busy day. My fiancé, our drill master, one of the parents from the BPA and myself were at school last night until two in the morning frantically unpacking pieces of uniforms and staging them so we could issue uniforms today. We had a six hour rehearsal starting at 3p. It was really great. Had to have a quick relearn of how to March and everything. And after a brief remember period the drill for halftime came back. In the middle of all this, we issued 400 uniforms. 427 to be exact. And we still have a few more to issue.

 

It’s a well control chaos. We got the rest of uniforms insured at practice tonight. Logistically, moving this many people it’s the same as the military trying to move a company of soldiers here or there. It has to be organized. Thankfully though I have an amazing team and we adapt to change quickly. We’re talking about 513 marching band students. If we’re talking army wise, we’re the size of a large company, half of a battalion. So from a logistics stand point, this is an absolute BEAST to move. That’s part of the reason we have student leadership: 3 drum majors, 4 captains, and 20 section leaders. They are part of the solution thank goodness.

 

Last night was a great game. We won 7-0. The band was absolutely great. It starting raining and I mean pouring rain a few minutes before half time. They didn’t care. They went out and performed right in the rain with make shift ponchos I made from clear trash bags from the concession stand. Even had one trumpet player as he was moving to his next spot slipped and slid into his spot.

 

Definitely!! I was a little unsure about how the broadcasting thing was going to be. One of the local tv stations always puts the game on tv for anybody that can’t go. So they had two crews covering the game itself (which is normal) and one covering the band. I was so worried about this poor camera man getting run over by this column of marching band. As it turns out his kid is a band kid! So he knew to get out of the way. It was great though. I texts shortly after halftime from our principal and superintendent saying the band did great. That made me really happy.

 

It makes me like extra happy because there has been some questions about if the band was still up to par. I’m very glad to report that the Pride of the Brigade is alive and well.

 

We had a great time last Friday night. The mayor said the band sounded fantastic, which is always nice to hear. Football team won 13-0 which is also great. It always makes me really happy when people tell the band they looked and sounded amazing.

 

So this week is homecoming/spirit week. Ever since at least I’ve been here the band staff and myself have tried to have a really great relationship with the football staff. And in turn, we love that the football team and the band have a great relationship too. One of our traditions is during the week of homecoming (this week) we switch.

So on Monday night, the band crashed part of the football teams practice and the band was participating like they were on the team. Then Tuesday night (last night) they came over and crashed part of our rehearsal. Tonight I sent them my three drum majors, and they sent us their three captains. Tomorrow night myself and the coach (head football coach/athletics director) are switching and are going to run each other’s practices. We always have such a great laugh and so much fun.

Shockingly I actually know enough about football I can survive. I run into trouble when it comes to the plays. “Just run the ball!” In contrast he comes over and knows a bit about the band, but his instructions are usually unclear on what he wants them to do. It’s so much fun and the students really love it too. The great thing is that our student leadership on either side can and does run the practice. But you still have to give them clear instructions. Like with the football team you can tell them “run that play again” and you’ll be fine. The band you have to give more specific instructions. You want a train wreck? Give the band unclear instructions on where to start again. You’ll have a whole bunch of chaos.

Lastly at the home coming game and this is my favorite part myself and coach swap for pregame warm ups. So I’m down on the field warming the football team up and he’s up close to the band room getting the band warmed up. Football team gets a pep talk from me, band gets one from him.

I love that we do this. It’s a reminder that both the band and the football team are skilled and talented and that they work their butts off.

 

I’m actually originally from Texas! I just try to be a positive influence and put good vibes out into the world. Even when the band has stuff to work on it’s never a negative thing. It’s always we’re under construction. We’re going to build it up.

Actually we’re on the bus to an away game right now and it’s so nice to have the band buzzing with excitement again. They going to be lit on the bus on the way there, but it’s let’s make a serious impression when we get there. Got to have a good first impression then we can be silly again.

Our director of Athletics was interviewed by a local tv station on Wednesday. Talking about yanno what are some of the challenges we’re facing this year, how’re we overcoming them, etc.

Interviewer: So I know we’ve been talking about student athletics, tell me about the marching band. What’s going on with them?
DoA: Well firstly our marching band students are student athletes. They don’t get enough credit for that and they deserve that recognition. Yanno since [my name] actually joined our school, he took the band from a pretty decent group of performers to this massive beast. One of the things I always preach is to surround yourself with people who raise the bar, hold you to a higher standard, and help you achieve that higher standard and [my name] does that everyday. He demands excellence out of our marching band and more importantly they deliver . It becomes a cycle that feeds on itself. Then they in turn push our football team to new heights. I mean it’sa logistical nightmare to move all of those students at one time and yet this Friday night when we play [other school] our marching band will get there before we do. We’ll pull up in the parking lot and they’re either already getting warmed up or about to be.

There’s been several days where we had a late football game on Friday night then on Saturday night I come out to the fields to run some laps and the band is out there practicing for competition. I mean I’m talking 7 or 8 in the morning and they’re already out there practicing. And here’s the thing about that — they have to unpack. So if i show up at 7 am and they’re already out there practicing it means they had to be there even earlier to have already gotten their equipment unpacked.

And I got to tell you when you see the band at football games they’re always phenomenal. Last couple of home games they were outstanding. That week before the first game when we found out it was going to happen I remember asking is the band going to be ready. [my name] wasn’t sure. I mean I know he’s not going to let them perform if they’re not ready. So I had to wait and find out. And they went out and absolutely beasted it.

[interviewer] They were really amazing.

[DoA] Yeah they were but that’s what they bring to the table. Even in times like these they bring that level of excellence to the table. I got the opportunity to go last year with the band to the finals to one of their competition circuits. And I got to tell you, that atmosphere is completely different. Take what you see at our football games and take it up a few notches.

[interviewer] Okay so obviously you’re a fan of the marching band. I feel you on that, I love watching them. How’s your relationship with [my name]?

[DoA] He’s a great guy. He brings this level of energy that I’ve not seen anywhere else. I love inviting him to staff meetings but there’s also this level of being called out. And it goes back to setting that bar higher and making you achieve it. He holds us to a standard, and in return we hold him to a standard. I’ve gotten to know him the last few years since he’s been here and I’m glad to consider him a friend.

[interviewer] How bad does he stress you out?

[DoA] *laughing * To no end. As the athletics director you know it’s my job to maintain our athletics department and there’s a lot going on. [my name] is meanwhile in the background just either causing chaos or in the middle of it. But I’ve learned to just let him go. He’s the band director so hun and I are equal levels it’s just our realms over lap a lot. Some of what they do effects us so we have to work together. But I also know just to step back and watch it happen. Because somehow it works out in the end.

 

Tonight’s game was a tight game. I actually haven’t been home very long. Had to make sure all the instruments got unpacked in the band room so they could dry out. It poured rain for most of the game, and it’s supposed to snow today. It makes me unmeasurably happy when the band director and drum majors from the home band come over and they’re excited that we’re there. They’re still new to playing against us in football — we played them last year but it was a home game for us. Their band came to see us. They even got their halftime extended so both bands could do their full shows.

They asked if the band was up for it and I yelled “hey band!” Which that’s one of our triggers. Whole band stopped what they were doing (trying to get into the stands) turned and shouted back “hey what?” Looks on their faces was priceless.