My last day of Band Camp 2010 was yesterday. I have a very good feeling about this season.
Every day, everything was positive. We went for jogs and runs, led by the very athletic drum major. For the first few runs, I held back to provide moral support for one of the slower guard girls. But then the next day, I thought, "Screw running in line, I'm going to go at my pace." I ended up keeping up with the rest of the band. My back didn't hurt at all.
As for basic marching techniques, the new people caught on surprisingly fast. Even the instructors were impressed.
Color guard also did very well for the week we were there, especially in comparison to last year (when I was spending time inside getting fatter and paler). We got new, padded, nude-colored gloves, and the uniforms came in. We have nude-colored long-sleeved unitards to wear under the uniform, and black cami-unitards with flared pants, as well as a black sleeveless tunic with a half-skirt. There's sparkles all over the tunic and we'll be getting sparkly belts too.
That was one of the secrets we found out. We also learned some other secrets. Turns out that myself and two other guard girls (as well as two flute players) are going into the pit for the third song, "Jet Song." And during "Cool" one of the five of us gets to die. Thursday, Jen, our instructor, said that one of the pit people would die, go play the third song, and then miraculously come back to life for the closer.
Then Friday I learned that I get to die. So I practiced my death scene a few times on Saturday during rehearsal (the band was playing "Cool" at a stand-still and I collapsed at the right moment). It was fun. I get to die and then the two other guard girls get to drag/carry me off the field.
I mean, it really makes sense now that I would be the dying one. It would have to be someone who would be off the field for a while (hence a pit person), and everyone is more paranoid about my back problem than I am, so I wouldn't be allowed to carry anyone off the field, so by process of elimination, I'm the only logical choice.
Also, we learned who would be on rifle for the show. It's the six of us who picked up rifles during the first color guard sectional this summer. So we have six rifles and three flags (one of the freshmen quit after the first sectional because she preferred crew).
As for getting work done, color guard has learned the first movement with marching (but we still need to do a lot of practice to get it down). The band has memorized the first movement with marching and memorized the music for the second movement. On Tuesday we're working on memorizing the third movement (and the pit people will finally get music) and learning how to march the second movement. Color guard will be cleaning the end of the first movement as well as learning the second one.
Friday, I also learned who would be playing what in the pit. Amber is playing mallets (xylophone or marimba, probably) and cymbal, Heather is playing cowbell and two other things that she can't remember, and I get a mad solo on the bongos and I get to play cymbals. I'm really looking forward to playing bongos. Last year I didn't get to play anything interesting except for timpani.
Gosh, I hope we don't need a timpani for the third movement. Those things are a b***h to lug around.
I also hope that we get to march on to the field at competitions with the rest of the band, as well as off. That's part of the experience. I'd hate to wait around like a pit. That's what I hated most; getting the stuff off the field and missing it when the band went around in a circle, going faster and faster, ending in a tight circle while everyone cheers and yells because of a job well done.
All in all, this is going to be a good season. And I think that my senior memory for band will be this past week, when I finally learned what marching band was all about.
This is Horse lady, wishing it wasn't raining so I could practice my rifle and death scene, signing out. And counting. And grinning until my face hurts. Five... Six... Five six seven eight!
Katie Sea Community Member 
|
|
