The half-time show at the football game on Friday was good last-minute practice for the competition yesterday afternoon. My knees were knocking, my heart was pounding in my head, and I felt like I was about to be sick. But to make it worse, colorguard's temporary instructor from band camp was there, and her general presence just made me uneasy. She wasn't a very good instructor for band camp, and she had just graduated from that school, so all she and the captain would do was chat, say how bad us freshmen were spinning, mention something completely random about spinning that we've never even heard about, (like pitch. It's basically how your hand looks during a toss, and Kelsey laughed at another freshman's pitch and totally ruined her confidence) but that didn't actually matter that much, or change things around. So yesterday, we also had my mom and a drum pit student's mother around to help out (like they usually do... this week, me and the other freshmen had practices every day after school to work on stuff. And who was supervising/giving tips? My mom, and occasionally the pit guy's {Billy's} mother.)
Anyway, even though everyone in the band was tense, nervous, and had short tempters so early in the morning, we eventually practiced, warmed up, and got in our uniforms/got our hair and make-up done. Then we had a big pep talk with the rest of the band, discussed the meaning of our phrase "Pride unified," and then got onto the buses. I went on the "quiet" bus, which was pretty cool because it was just me, the freshmen guard, a few other freshmen, the drum line, and most of the drum pit.
And since nothing really eventful happened until we lined up to march onto the field, I'll skip to that.
Drum Major Swizz (that's her nickname. Her real name is Elizabeth and her last name starts with an S, so that's how she became Swizz) called us to attention, we lined up, guard in front, Kelsey right behind Swizz, Laura and me behind her, and then Amber and Tory behind us. Since the field was so far away, we had to march about a mile, all in step and stuff, to get there. Thoughts were buzzing through my mind like flies around a horse. I could hardly keep in step or in line; Amber had to whisper a little reminder to me every time I wasn't in front of her. My meditation phrase “relaxation concentration” didn’t even enter my thoughts once.
Eventually, we got to the field and it wasn't what I had expected; the field was made entirely of turf. I was nervous; it looked slippery. Good thing that it hadn't rained in the area too recently. It would be a lot different than marching on blacktop or real grass. We would have to be careful.
All of the marching onto the field was a blur, yet some parts were as clear as glass. We ended up at the front of the field before we got into our first set and Kelsey was telling us a few things.
"We're supposed to look like we're having a pep talk right now, but we don't have one, so just pretend we are. Uh... don't be nervous, do your best, and yeah... Looks like everyone's making a break for it, so go to your spots."
Yeah, I know, not very "peppy." But I went to my spot and placed my flag down, but Lexi, a flute I was dancing near, had set up on the wrong part of the field, and so while the flutes all fixed it, they ended up being a little too near my flag, so I had to be extra careful.
I took my place for the dance, froze, and waited for the signal. It came right after the drum roll, and I began to dance. The show had started.
Little black things from the turf got into my shoes and made it uncomfortable to walk, but i kept my smile pasted onto my face and kept going. Then my dance ended, I went to my flag, picked it up at right-slam position (it's a guard thing) and moved up a bit, very subtly, and then waited for Swizz to give another signal, the signal we were waiting for.
Ricky, a trumpet player, finished his solo, and then, at Swizz's signal, we began to march.
Speed spins, a flourish, oh, son of a - ! I was out of step and behind in the flagwork by a count. Unable to get back in, in time to do the first toss, I just did a little pop to get it in the right position. My smile faltered slightly, but we came to a hold and some easy flagwork, so my smile came back brightly. More marching, simple work, a bright smile, the saxophones blaring next to me. More holds, more flagwork, more smiling. Luckily, my drill was all in order.
But it was windy. At another crucial point, a semi-small toss, I only did a pop, because the wind was angry at me today and tried to blow my flag away. Big flourish, a pretty pose, and hold until Swizz gives another signal. It came with the climax of the song and we continued marching, holding for flags, and then some pole-hits, and then a toss, which I had to shrink because of the wind, and then some fancy flag-around-the-body type of stuff. Again, I was a count off, but when I tried to get back in, I missed the last toss, and my hands were all wrong, so I faked it. I ended in almost the same position, and it looked similar to the way I always toss it, but it was more like a wrist twirl, and I didn't try to adjust it, for the song had ended. If I adjusted anything, then the judges would take points off.
Next song; we almost half of the routine, but since Kelsey hadn't learned it, we only did it to a certain point, which was mostly all improvisation. This was a swing tune, which was very fun to spin to, since there wasn’t much “spinning” at all. After we came to a hold position, we had our flags parallel to the ground and did a little improvised dance. Then we put the flag in a position to show we were at attention, and finished marching out the rest of that song and the one after. My smile was stuck to my face like rubber cement.
So, during the last song, much of the marching was difficult. I mean, you try being five feet three inches tall and carrying a six-foot tall pole at attention (one hand on the pole at your shoulder, elbow up, other hand at your hip, holding the pole, making sure the flag silk doesn’t go all weird) and then jazz-running backwards, while avoiding a clarinet player, and looking forward and slightly up at your drum major, all with some weird stuff in your shoes and on slippery-plastic-looking turf! Not fun. Not fun at all. But I still kept in step and with the smile on my face.
When the end of the song came, the entire band, except for the pit, or course, and except for the drumline and colorguard, came up to the front line and played the last note as loud as they could, horns facing the sky, leaning back slightly, all with pride. The drums were echoing in my ears, for they were right behind me, but I just smiled brighter, even though I wasn’t spinning my flag or dancing or playing any instrument.
Right after we performed, Swizz led us off the field and into the parking lot outside the area. We marched into the curvy-figure thing that we always do after a performance and quietly cheered. Our band director came up to us and told us that the people around had told her that we were the best performing band so far that day. Everyone was proud of us, including ourselves. The first day of band camp, we thought that this season would be a bust. And I mean EVERYONE. My brother the brass captain since we have only nine people in the brass line, Kelsey since we had no instructor and we only have five guard including her, the band director, just.... everyone. But it was because of everyone’s determination to try to NOT make this season a bust that we’ve pretty much finished the show and that on Saturday, September 29th, 2007, we received second place in our division in Cranston East, Rhode Island.
Next week; a semi-local show! We’re going to NFA!! Wish me luck for next Saturday!
~Horse
Katie Sea Community Member 
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