Here's my review of the first field band show. I have a problem. I have been around this band for five years, this season being my sixth. Let's see if I can name the shows:
- Normandy
- Rain
- Raging Rivers
- Spirit of St. Louis
- Gold Rush
Ha! Pretty good. Not in order, but whatever. So Normandy was my "WOW" show as a parent, the first show I got to see. And of course I was at most of the rehearsals and all the shows. We drove to Detroit to see them in the Pontiac Silver Dome. And I started in deep with the boosters by the end of the season. The first show of the year for Normandy was shortened a bit I think because the band wasn't quite done with drill. Maybe I'm wrong but I don't think so.
Then comes Rain (order is coming back to me now). It is a step up in difficulty. I think Wednesday nights in the summer were added. The first show was pretty good!
No Raging Rivers. I don't remember the first show. But I know I took a couple hundred pictures.
Gold Rush was a tough show. The kids took a long time to be successful.
And last year with Spirit of St. Louis, the kids won the first show beating Orchard Park, I think. There was some big upset with other parents grumbling.
So I have seen 5 years of shows, a couple state championships, national competitions, etc. Let's say I have seen about 50 competition shows for my kids, and 250 rehearsals. There is no more WOW factor. No, the WOW factor is harder to trigger. Yes that is a better way to put it.
So we go to the show last weekend. Now there is another factor here. We have both kids in the band, one as a Drum Major, and one as a soloist. So there is the built in proud parent factor. The bands before Victor were ... challenging to watch, that's the right word. Webster is also National class but they were flat. Then Victor comes out.
Now I have seen the show probably 20 times this year. The last time was the night before. They did very well at the football halftime. But I was seeing issues.
This time they come across the field in front of a show crowd that is appreciative. My daughter and her friend lead the band out in dresses my wife and mother in law made. Two things hit me. My daughter is a Senior and almost gone. My son is a Freshman and seems like he is one of the most disciplined and mature people out there. My kids are getting old. And the other thing that hits me is that the band looks different. They look ready. They look like they know how good they are.
During the show I see arcs that flatten, I hear tears in the music, I see drops and stumbles, out of step, and lots of things that make me cringe. But as I'm snapping away with the camera and peeking around it with the other eye, I start to lose myself into the show. The closer has its flaws but I still get goose bumps. The Victor group around us is all full of pride.
I sit back and start to put it in perspective. Each year I am far more critical. Each year I see more "mistakes" that in yeas before I would not even know what I was seeing. In reality they did great. They did probably their best first show ever.
As the scores were announced, I started the over/under calculations I do. To place well at yea end they need to start the season well. Anything over 80 is good. Even high 70's can be winning shows by year end. Webster scores something like a 74. OK, that's about right. Victor scores 82.7. Well all right, I say to myself. I guess the judges aren't as hard on them as I am. What I hope is that the judges are rewarding complexity and difficulty more than in the past.
Regardless, the band was stoked. They partied on the bus all the way home. In fact they partied all night in the Lock-In...that I chaperoned...all night. The score was the highest of the weekend outscoring rival West Genessee by 2 points.
Personally my kids were fabulous, as they always are. Parental pride plus just plain pride is swelling. I certainly don't really want to go to the dinner at the regatta this Saturday night. I am seriously contemplating driving to Syracuse to see the band play.
I probably won't.
So next post will be FLACE regatta results and commentary - back to sailing. The band portion of the post will have to be just score comments since I won't be there.
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