band reminiscing
15 April 2002 10:49![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
juldeaBecause I'm on the subject of marching band, and because it's possible that some of you haven't heard this yet (I think I told Nick quite a few times, but I haven't talked about it in a while), I want to tell you all about the Homecoming Light Show at Del Oro High School, Loomis, CA.
I was at that school and in the marching band for my freshman and sophomore years. It was the greatest time of my life. We were a small ensemble (<100, around 80 I believe) and yet competed in state-wide tournaments and kicked the asses of schools with 150-200 marchers and unlimited budgets. We were clean and simple and good. The direct, Ms. Winnett, insured that all the students that were signed up for band were there because they wanted to be, not because their parents made them, because we worked long and hard.
Anyway, we competed a lot. Did you know that marching bands compete? There was a competition almost every Saturday. I still have a button that says, "It's Saturday, where's the competition?" with a flag line standing behind the words.
I keep getting off track. You can tell how much I like this subject. :)
When we started the year off, we'd learn a simple drill (that's the field routine) for a set of 3-4 songs and perform that at the first football game, kind of as a warm-up. After that, we'd learn our competition drill, and that's all we'd do for the rest of the semester. Back in California, you not only do a field show but also a parade march. It's incredibly awesome to see musicians marching ROUTINES in rows of 6 while playing. And it's fun to do. :)
By homecoming time, we'd know our competition show pretty well. Which is why we'd do the light show. I'm not sure how it ever got started, but damn it's great. At the homecoming football game, these little rigged lights would be passed out. The blue light attached to the top of your hat, the red light atop one shoe and the yellow light atop the other. The band would go out for halftime, take the field, and ALL of the lights in the ENTIRE stadium would be turned off. Then we marched our show.
It was so great.
One of the years the moon was full and we could see perfectly well to march. I don't know what it looked like from the crowd though.
If anyone is interested, there's a picture taken from my sophomore year show printed in the front of my yearbook from then. Kind of a 'star trails' picture, but with band kids instead. ;) I can point out which trail is me, I'm easy to find! :)
I was at that school and in the marching band for my freshman and sophomore years. It was the greatest time of my life. We were a small ensemble (<100, around 80 I believe) and yet competed in state-wide tournaments and kicked the asses of schools with 150-200 marchers and unlimited budgets. We were clean and simple and good. The direct, Ms. Winnett, insured that all the students that were signed up for band were there because they wanted to be, not because their parents made them, because we worked long and hard.
Anyway, we competed a lot. Did you know that marching bands compete? There was a competition almost every Saturday. I still have a button that says, "It's Saturday, where's the competition?" with a flag line standing behind the words.
I keep getting off track. You can tell how much I like this subject. :)
When we started the year off, we'd learn a simple drill (that's the field routine) for a set of 3-4 songs and perform that at the first football game, kind of as a warm-up. After that, we'd learn our competition drill, and that's all we'd do for the rest of the semester. Back in California, you not only do a field show but also a parade march. It's incredibly awesome to see musicians marching ROUTINES in rows of 6 while playing. And it's fun to do. :)
By homecoming time, we'd know our competition show pretty well. Which is why we'd do the light show. I'm not sure how it ever got started, but damn it's great. At the homecoming football game, these little rigged lights would be passed out. The blue light attached to the top of your hat, the red light atop one shoe and the yellow light atop the other. The band would go out for halftime, take the field, and ALL of the lights in the ENTIRE stadium would be turned off. Then we marched our show.
It was so great.
One of the years the moon was full and we could see perfectly well to march. I don't know what it looked like from the crowd though.
If anyone is interested, there's a picture taken from my sophomore year show printed in the front of my yearbook from then. Kind of a 'star trails' picture, but with band kids instead. ;) I can point out which trail is me, I'm easy to find! :)