Cowfeathers Farm to Foxcroft Farm: I understand they're Superior!

A break from Horse Hunters, to focus on Band Success!

Yesterday evening was the first band contest of our high school band's season. Now, I can't quite claim, year 4, that the idea of marching band is a new one to me, anymore. But, I am still a newbie.

Marching Band is BIG in mid-America. It has import and gravitas and identity- as much as anything at my old Alma mater. Perhaps that is a poor example, as I don't remember much import being given to any of the sports teams, or the orchestra- we had no marching band. In any case, Marching Band is somewhat of an institution here.
And, you don't just march around for parades and football half-time, if you are in a "competition band"you participate in Contests. These are usually held on Saturday evenings, in a high school football stadium, and bands come to perform their show for a panel of "adjudicators". (That means judges). There are other types of high school marching bands, exhibition bands and dance bands that are great fun to watch, but concentrate more on the fun and less on the precision.
Bands are also put into a class, according to the size of their high school. The largest schools- with 901 or greater students in grades 10-12 are given a class of "AA", and the smallest schools, 300 or fewer students in grades 10-12, are a class "C". Our high school is a "A", so 501-900 students in grades 10-12.

The big prize in these competitions is the score at the end. Each Band will receive a "1", "2" or "3", depending on the judges opinions of their excellence. A "1" is the coveted award of a Superior Rating. This, during the contest season is also the score that earns you an invitation to the State Finals, in which the best bands compete for the Superior Rating score. It isn't easy, and they don't just give the best score away.
During the competition season, the contests will also award trophies to the bands that excel in certain categories. Last night the awards were presented for each class, "C", "B", "A" and "AA". Then there were overall awards for Best Auxiliary (that is the color guard, or flag corps that dances and dashes about the field, tossing and spinning flags or rifles), Best Percussion, Best Visual Effect (that is how well the marching formations interpret the music being played, as well as all the other visual aspects of the show), Best General Effect (which is the best visual and best music together), Best Marching, and Best Music.
After the overall awards, the special awards of the Esprit de Corps, and Grand Champion awards were named. Lastly, the bands who earn the Superior Rating of a "1" and qualify for State Competition are announced.
Our band marched at 7:30 in the evening (and these shows are on-time..it is part of the score) with their program "24601" the music from Les Miserables. Eldest is the Field Commander, or head Drum Major. Middlest has just commenced her first year marching as a saxophone. The music begins kind of softly, and then builds to this fantastic sound. Brings tears to your eyes- well, you have to be there. I tried to get Huz to film it on our little video camera, but as usual, the battery was dead. Maybe next time.

These are pictures of Eldest doing her thing at the show. She salutes at the beginning with her hat on, then takes it off (there are rules for how even that is done) and then conducts the show, ending with another salute- this one hatless.

When all the bands have played, the host band gets to play as well. They play only for a score, and the hopes of qualifying for the State Finals. The host band doesn't get considered in the awards. Then the Field Commanders from each band are asked to the sidelines for the awards ceremony. Our band has a lot of wonderful traditions, and one of them is their professionalism, every moment of the competition, including awards. They march in, and they march out. No smiling, everything precise. It makes them look like they are in a class by themselves.

Here is Eldest in the foreground and her Assistant Drum Major, flanked by some of the student leaders in the band. They are marching to the sidelines for the awards.

This is the first award they received, for Class "A" Best Auxiliary.

This is towards the end of the award ceremony. They have accumulated...and I see a few smiles.

The haul included 8 awards. Class "A" Best Auxiliary, and First place, then for Overall Awards, They earned Best Auxiliary, Best Visual, Best Marching, Best General Effect, the Esprit de Corps Award, and Grand Champion! That left few awards for the other bands.
And, the icing on the cake was earning a Superior Rating and a early berth in the State Finals! The only band in the entire competition to be rated thus. Quite an accomplishment!