Playing Ketchup

Ok - catch-up - LOL.

I finally have time to write! A lot has happened.

Thursday: It actually rained! On the right is a pic at band practice at about 5:00pm. It doesn't look like much right there, but it poured on us about 15 minutes later.

Friday night, we had a video session and pizza party for the kids. We showed them videos of years past (three of my years as well... I loved that time of my life!) and some DCI stuff. They seemed to have a pretty good time.

Saturday (all day), we had our first competition of the season. I went to the bank early that morning to cash my band checks (my first card is too bent to go into the ATM and I didn't know that my replacement card was given a different pin #), and I didn't know the branch closer to the school didn't do the Saturday 1/2 day thing, so I had NO $$ at all until a parent just coincidentally paid me back for buying their child a clarinet reed - Thanks!

In all, their first judged performance was decent. They did forget things, actually- major things, but it's not like they fell completely apart. The drumline was really good. Every part needs improvement, but we got a good start. Total trophies: Excellent rating (B minus average, if you think about it like that, on an A-B-C-D scale), Best Drumline in Class I, Best Hornline in Class I, and 2nd Place in Class I. Our football rival school really racked up (not band rivals FYI), though. They joined the competition late, so the officials told them that they had to compete in the only un-filled class, which was a class or two higher than they should have been in. Wouldn't you know - they went home with the grand champion trophy - good for them! They beat a couple of bands much bigger than them, which says a lot down here. As much as we try not to admit it, many of the competitions down here are size-biased. All-in-all, though, a good day!

More on another post.