Hello Deviants,

On Thursday, November 12, 2009 was the Talawanda High School Marching Band's first year making it into B.O.A.'s (Bands Of America) Grand Nationals. Playing at the Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, Indiana, was something totally unexpected to all marchers in the band. Let's start at the very beginning of the day.

I personally woke up at 5:45 A.M. to get dressed and pack everything such as; marching gloves, shoes, hair ties, bobby pins, food,and of course my instrument. Knowing that everyone doesn't have the same distance away from the school. The marching band members HAD to be at the High School all together at 7:00 A.M. meaning that we had to be there sometime 10 minutes before 7. Everyone arrived and we all huddled in the band room, which is small because we have an old school (with no A/C). The band directors were talking through the schedule of the day and then told us to load the truck with our instruments and head towards the buses.

On the way there: On bus one, the girls bus (which I'm on), there were a few people chatting and a lot of people sleeping or just relaxing before we get the the Stadium. We had to sit two people to a seat because we had the staff and some of the parents on the bus. The buses stopped at a rest stop and of course they have signs that say, "No Pets Allowed" and I made a joke saying that I was surprised that they let one of our band directors in there. I wanted him to hear it and what happened is that he took my Ipod and I was just yelling at him to "give it back" and "please" constantly. The girls in the back of the bus were yelling at me to stop but with my smart ass remark I screamed, "You guys bitch all the time, why can't I?" It's the truth, there are three people that bitch constantly and its time that someone steps up there game. Soon after the arguments my band director gave me my Ipod back and everyone was feeling better.

We arrived at the Stadium and everyone had their mouth open. Knowing that our little country town school was about to march in a professional stadium! WE unloaded the truck and got into our uniforms. As we were waiting to head under the stadium, we had sectional time. My clarinet group, did our cheers with the clarinet shots (not actual shots just the bell acting like a shot) and did the toaster dance. Time was going fast and we lined up in our sectional two's and headed under the Stadium. We had a 15 minute physical warm up, meaning no laying just body movements and marching. After the physical warm up we had another 15 minutes to have a musical warm up. Towards the end of the 15 minute warm up, my director told us that this would be the last time that the THIS group of the band will ever perform together. Of course, I started to cry because this is my fifth year with the band and the fact that I've known these seniors when I was in the band in the eighth grade.

It was time, we performed at 1:00 P.M., we lined up and headed towards the en-zone or the entrance of were we would be. Once we got there we told everyone to notice where "the box" is. (The box is the press box and it means that when we have a part in our music/drill were we put a "horns to the box" thats where we have to be.) I almost pissed my uniform once I found out where the box was. For me, I am a clarinet player and us woodwinds aren't holding our instruments at a certain height and the fact that we had to look up to the point of pulling our heads to our backs wasn't pleasant. We were setting up on the field and I was whispering to the marchers beside me," its just like the other competitions" and it really wasn't but we've had the same drill and music since July. During our performance, my mouth went dry and I almost cried knowing that some of the clarinet players don't play at all in the show and I had to save them by playing. I tried to do my best and at the end everyone felt great. We got our band photo's together and then we went somewhere inside the stadium to get sectional pictures. I had to use the restroom for personal reasons and I mean, I HAD to go. I got the sectional pictures done and then headed towards the restroom. I got in there and put all my things on the floor forgetting that I had to be unzipped from the back of my uniform. I run out and Have a color guard unzip me and run back in.

After my restroom experience, we lined up in two's and got undressed. We go back into the stadium to watch a few more bands and then we were going home. My mom was there to cheer on the band and so we went and got something to eat afterwards. Oh, I forgot that I had this horrible muscle spasm on my right thigh the whole day, even while marching the show. Anyways, we got something to eat and we talked to a band who was from Alabama and it was also their first time making it to Grand Nationals. I love talking to other bands, I'm hoping to make marching band a reality show. Anyways, we ate and talked, watched a few bands, then went home.

Today, we got the results. In AA (pronounced double A), our class, out of 28 AA bands we were 12th. Over all, out of 93 bands, we were 44th!!! Holy crap, I told everyone that I didn't care if we made it to semifinals, I just didn't want to be the Ass end of every band there. This was our first time at B.O.A. Grand Nationals and we did fabulous! Hopefully next year we would be going back because its such a great experience to have.



Wow, sorry for the long story but you have to know everything, if not then who's going to understand? Okay, now that the story is over, I also have some photos that I have to upload and I will soon maybe this weekend. Also, thank you all for adding my work to your favorites and commenting, I really appreciate it.

Thanks!,
Chloë

"Excellence can be attained if you Care more than others think is wise, Risk more than others think is safe, Dream more than others think is practical, and Expect more than others think is possible."
Unknown

"Situations come to pass, they never come to stay. And when we allow them to pass and disappear into the past like shadows, our vibrant spiritual selves remain, powerful in the present moment. That is the constant, the unchanging, in an ever changing world.
Gail Pursell Elliott

(I believe that these quotes fit well with my long rant/story)