Often times in my career, by October 20 we were ready for the end and to transition into concert season. The grind is real for everyone and it beats you down. Marching band season fatigue is real and it’s exhausting. While that still may be the case for some, especially the band moms and dads who are STILL working tirelessly moving equipment on Tuesday nights to the stadium or worried sick that they are going to get stuck in the concession stands on Friday nights without enough help. The Fatigue is real and it’s understandable.
But, in 2021, this band director is not ready yet. I haven’t reached that point that has almost become normal by this time. Maybe it’s because we had so much taken away last year. Maybe it’s because I appreciate the grind a little more after not being able to do it. Maybe this group of kids is different. Maybe it’s all of these things.
Honestly, we have more to do. We haven’t peaked yet. We have time to still improve and to take this show to another level. We have people to perform for and to entertain. We have two contest left. WE STILL HAVE BUSINESS TO TAKE CARE OF!
Finish Strong! If you come to a rehearsal you will hear this from the tower. Finish musical phrases, finish visual phrases, don’t give up and don’t give in to your fatigue. Push through and stop giving in so quickly. Life lessons taught in band rehearsal daily. More than other year, we are going to finish strong and not sit back and coast across the finish line. We have business to take care of.
I want to share two things with you. Additions to the show that have meaning.
- We have ordered 150 “Tibetan Prayer Flags”. When you make the decision to climb Everest or K2, at base camp you can purchase flags to place at different levels of your ascent. These are very popular and the levels of these mountains are filled with these flags hanging everywhere. The flags we have purchased are Tibetan prayer flags, but they are blank. We will have each student write on one flag whatever phrase or prayer they wish. I plan to write some special words myself. They will be hung on the sides of the props for Championships.
- The show is really about our students surviving the past two years with a warrior like mentality. They have fought viscously to get their lives back, to get band back, to be reunited with their band family on the field once again in competition. They literally have been through it all…….and back again. Warriors! The guard and majorette uniforms resemble ancient warrior look from that region of the world. We plan to take our warrior character to another level on the next two Saturdays. To help students feel more in character and to finish strong, we plan to paint the faces of the performers with war paint. While it will not make a giant visual impact from the press box, it will make a difference in their mentality and their ability to stay in character and be the warriors on the field the show needs them to be.
NO REGRETS! After our performance next Saturday at Championships, I do not want anyone associated with this band program to have any regrets about anything. I personally will not to look back and be able to find any moment and feel “I wish I had……”. We will, as a team, as an army of warriors, finish strong without regret. Literally maxing out every note, every step, every phrase, every drop spin, every toss, every moment we have on that field next Saturday. It will be our finest moment of 2021.
We have only minutes left in the season. Make it count.
