Saturday morning at O:dark:thirty, we will be heading for Indianapolis to watch our nieces compete in the Indiana State Music Association high school marching band competition. Dear Husband, Elegante Mother and I will roll out early to make the trip. It's down to crunch time.
I know that kids will look at you squirrelly if you tell them that it's an honor to be selected to go to state competition. They feel that you are preparing them for a bad score, but that's really NOT the case. Only ten bands in Class C will have the chance to go to Indianapolis tomorrow to compete in the Marching Band competition. The kids in those ten bands, and the parents, and the band directors and the staff worked their BUTTS off to get there. It's not an insignificant achievement.
Trying to convince the kids that going is reward enough is made more difficult because their band earned sixth place three years ago, fifth place two years ago and third last year. Every single one of those kids are wondering: "Will we be second this year? First??"
There's no way to predict what will happen. At Regionals they were one of five bands chosen to go to State despite the fact that their sound board died just as the band took the field. They must have done something right to overcome the difficulties. With attitude like that, anything could happen. I don't think this band is going to be overconfident. They've watched their competition, and they know it's going to be tough.
When the competition is over, you'll be likely to see one band scored higher than the others, and then several will be clumped together, with scores that are hundredths of a point apart. Part of the band director's job is to help the kids understand the honor of going. He has to validate the effort they put into the past four months regardless of their score.
He won't have to make any effort on my part. I'm blown away by what these kids have done, and wish I could have been there for every performance. All I can say is:
CONGRATULATIONS, KIDS! KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK!!