Marching and Concert Band

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Silence
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Marching and Concert Band

Post by Silence » Sun Sep 10, 2006 1:13 am

Is anybody here part of a band, middle school, high school, or other? I'm a member of the CHS Band, which is perhaps one of the best in the state. We play at all the home football games on Friday nights (Varsity), and we go to a few contests; we also host two shows here.

Anyway, it was funny how last year, one of the best bands in the state played for one of the worst football teams in our state. Home advantage? You'd think so. The team didn't win a single home game--we almost won one, and we were leading 21-14 when the band left at 5:00 left, but the next week we heard that AHS had gotten a touchdown and the 2-point conversion. We rarely get first down, and the touchdowns and first downs that we do get are usually from great playmakers.

This is the year, though. Last week, at the first game of the season (an away-game), we tied STAB (St. Annes-Belfield, a fancy private school) and they probably lost some sleep over it. Last night's game against Turner Ashby was simply incredible--every minute of it.

We start off by returning the kickoff (some crazy jumping and dodging there) for an immediate touchdown, and we're all elated. TA slowly gets first downs until they get a touchdown, and then later they run it to the endzone for another, and we're down 7-14. At some point we get in a long field goal to make it 10-14.

But from there, things kinda fall apart...TA gets touchdown after touchdown, and it looks like things will be a replica of last year when once we're down 10-28. But then we get in some good plays--from crazy 60-yard runs and deep passes, everything was there. Also, the defense did well (even though they intercepted a few times), and the score was 24-28.

Little time was left, so the band headed back with a long walk to the school; but my dad was there, so I stayed the last few minutes. Our offense suddenly got the ball with even less time on the clock and worked its way forward; and from 40 yards out, a long lob connected to a wide reciever in the endzone--with only 15 seconds left!

We kicked it off to TA, who managed to pull the ball to about the 30 yard line, I believe--3 seconds left! They made a play but didn't do much, with only 1 second left! Then, in their last play, they attempt a 40-yard field goal that would give them victory, but kick wide to the left.

You could never imagine how excited everybody was, and now I'll actually look forward to football games here. The 140-member band cheered and broke into the school anthem and various rifts at touchdowns and the like, and everybody rushed into the field at the end. Even the halftime show was decent, which is strange since some of the freshmen don't stay in step or remember the drill sets 100%.

Anyway, it was well worth it to stay at the performance last night, even though I had an early XC meet the next day. Amazing.

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m15399
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Post by m15399 » Sun Sep 10, 2006 6:14 pm

I'm first clarinet in band at school (which sucks horribly), but no marching band.

Edit: short post... sorry. Hmm...

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Drenchenator
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Post by Drenchenator » Sun Sep 10, 2006 10:47 pm

I used to play cello in my elementary school orchestra a long time ago. Other than that I have not really done anything like that since. But I do play guitar and occasionally the piano now.
The Drenchenator, also known as Lt. Col. Drench.

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C-A_99
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Post by C-A_99 » Mon Sep 11, 2006 1:03 am

I'm not in marching band but I play percussion. I have had my set for about 3 years.

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CROC
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Post by CROC » Mon Sep 11, 2006 1:05 am

I'm part of the Grade 9 Band at my school. I play Tenor Sax, and have been for 2 years. No marching band yet...
-Croc
It's been a while guys, and its good to be back

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Silence
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Post by Silence » Sun Sep 17, 2006 5:58 pm

Friday's football game was okay...we were winning 20-14 (off of two field goals) when the band left on the walk back to school with 5 minutes left, but the other team got a touchdown and won afterwards. Apparently this team was the second best last year, and Turner Ashby was the best!

Anyway, we had a band competition yesterday, which is why I couldn't post from 11:45 AM to 11:45 PM. It was up at C.D. Hylton High School, where we were class 4A and got second place overall--no grand champions. Perhaps it would have been better if the music section hadn't been 60% of the overall score and if the marching category had been more than 20%. Definitely an unconventional ratio.

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Silence
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Post by Silence » Sun Oct 08, 2006 4:36 pm

Yesterday's Cavalcade was canceled, which is plain annoying. I just love the event (32 bands, all day long), and we wanted to have it, but the sports directors wouldn't let us use the football field due to rain. Of course, we also host the State Marching Festival in two weeks...

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Silence
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Post by Silence » Tue Dec 05, 2006 9:52 pm

Well, the fall band season is over. We did the annual holiday parade at a shopping mall two Fridays ago--open up the shopping season with a parade the morning after Thanksgiving. That went well--last year, we waited an hour in 15-degree weather before trying to play. This year, we had 65-degree weather and it ruled. Actually felt good, and we were able to look around and enjoy everything. But we outpaced all the dancers and everything, even for a small route it took a few minutes for the others to catch up. Went great.

On Sunday, we had the winter concert. Pretty good too, nice music, but the program was a bit long and everybody got tired by the end.

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Monsoon
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Post by Monsoon » Sun Jan 07, 2007 5:07 am

I'm in my high school's senior band. I played bass clarinet, but my teacher asked me to play bass guitar (probably to cover up mistakes made by the bass brass intruments). It's been a good semester, we got to play at all the elementary schools around my high school and we got free lunch (boston pizza). I had to pull double duty at every school, bass clarinet in senior band and bass guitar in guitar club, where I played some surf tunes by the Ventures and the Pixies, and a blues song Whippin Post by the Allman Brothers. Sweet stuff
Do not underestimate the power of stupidity in large groups

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Yakkers
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Post by Yakkers » Mon Jun 11, 2007 1:05 am

I'm in the KP band, I've heard that it's pretty well known. I started to joing marching band, but I just couldn't keep up with it.

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