First competition down

Our school performed in a 3A class yesterday. It was a prelim/final competition, meaning the top band in each class plus four other top scoring bands would compete in the finals. Eighteen bands total competed, four in 1A, five in 2A, four in 3A, and five in 4A. The first performance started at like 12:30 in the afternoon. I didn't make it to see the 1A or 2A bands but did make it to see all the 3A and 4A bands perform. We performed last in out class with a show called "Time Warp". In the preliminaries we received best drumline, best colorguard, best horn line in the 3A class and took first place. This automatically put us in the finals.

In the finals, we were up against a 1A, 2A and all five 4A bands and placed 5th. I think they did a stellar job considering at last week's football game I didn't feel they stood a chance of making it past upper state this year. I think they have a chance to go to state again. I'll keep you posted every week. Next week's competition is one we are hosting, so even though we will be scored, we are not "competing" with any other bands, since we will only do an exhibition. See you next week - E :)

SCWW Conference time is here

It's that time of year again. I will be heading to the beach (Myrtle) for the SCWW Muse Writer's conference. I will be attending as a volunteer again this year (I can't afford the conference plus the hotel and travel, so volunteer status it is). Maybe when my series takes off the group will ask me to be a guest speaker (I can hope, can't I?).

This weekend is also state competition which I will miss again. But I will be there in spirit and hoping that they do well.

Updates from the conference upon my return. See you all in the postings. E :)

State band competition

This is my third year involved in marching band stuff and this is the third year we have made it to state since I've become involved (I'm sure we have made it to state many years prior to that). We placed second at upper state last weekend (the weekend of the 20th) being edged out by Blue Ridge (who seems to always take first regardless of their performance). This is the first competition I've missed in the three years since starting to be a band parent. I couldn't help it since I had to be at the conference as a volunteer (see next posting for more details). I left my kids in good hands (not bear's for the most part - lol) and left instructions with the lady who looks like me kind of - we could be twins except I think I'm an inch taller than she is - lol which isn't saying much since I'm only 5'2" (or 5'1-1/2" depending on who measures me). Anyway, I was proctoring a class and it was getting near the end of the workshop and she called me - I stepped out onto the veranda which was ocean front and found out the good news.

No we didn't win first (that's Blue Ridge - they got first for the whole state), but we did take 3rd place (this is a big deal because third place is medal winners as well as the first and second place teams). My kids were so excited that they medaled that they have been wearing their medals constantly.

I think one of them even said this was the first time in the school's history of competing and making it to state that they have medaled - so go Bears - we love that band -

I hope to have pictures posted later this week of upper state competition and state competition. I just got the link yesterday for the upper state competition pictures - and he hopes to have the ones from Saturday posted soon. So be on the lookout for those later this week - E :)

Two band competitions in one day

Yesterday we had two band competitions. I didn't make it to the first one (due to funds being a bit low and all). So I went to the second one and while we were geting awards from the second competition, our band director was on the phone with someone who had stayed at the first competition to receive the awards from there. At the second competition, our band took best drum line, best horn line, overall best soloist of the day (trumpet solo in our production), and 1st place in class 4A (only two bands competed so it was going to be either first or second place).

After we got to the field we found out that it was a very close score for us and the gold champion (class 4A and 5A bands that competed - which were only four of them) but we were like 0.06 points behind them so we got second overall for the day at the second competition. We also found out that we took nothing at the first competition - no drum line, no horn line, no drum major, and no colorguard or front, but took 1st place in class (I think they competed in 4A again but will double check and post correction when the results are posted either tomorrow or Tuesday). Will also post some pictures from both when I get them - see you all in the postings

Competition results and pics

Not going to do a video or slide show since there are only a couple of pics that I would put up right now. Seems our photographer didn't take as many pics as the two previous competitiosn but that's okay - I'll be getting a CD of the competition at the next meeting which is the 1st of November.

We had one accident when we were closing up everything and getting the stadium closed down. One of our band parents who was working with the funnel cake stand knocked the grease over and burned her hand and both feet. The last I heard today was that she was doing much better; they had taken her to the hospital Saturday night and transferred her to the burn center in Augusta today and told her that she has to come back tomororw and if she blisters up they may have to do skin grafts but if she doesn't then she should be okay. They removed several blistered areas from her hand the other day but they need to keep an eye on her for a few days. According to the kids when I picked them up this afternoon, she is doing very well. She was probably in pain but still showing her usual disposition of happy to be there and all. She admitted it was her fault - she was turning off the burner and just bumped the grease - but thankfully she didn't get it worse - all over.

So now on to the results. I looked up the recap and saw the scores for the bands that performed. The one that took Gold Championship (which was the 3A and 4A bands) scored a total of 92. Our score was not on there (even though we were not competing we asked that we be scored so we would know what to work on for this week before the double competition day) but the kids informed me that our band scored a 91.925 (talk about close scores). The director told them that the school that won with that 92 their music was good but their show wasn't that good at all. So he was rather surprised they took the championship. So goes subjectiveness on the judges' part. Anyway, the next band down scored an 89.150. The scores don't seem very high and especially looking at the 1A and 2A scores, but the SCBDA changed the scoring system this year and so this we are having to work much harder to get decent scores.

Here are a few pictures from the events on Saturday. The first one is of the lady who got burned. She is in the middle.


Next we have Benjamin and the rest of the pit doing their thing.

And this last one is so you can see where I was stationed for the water tent which is behind the stadium and down - you can't really see where I am but you get the idea. I was in the land of the lost - lol -


When you look towards the seating to the left where the light is where I was - below that fence line and there is a good drop off behind those seats - but basically that is where I had been all day long - the competitions started at 3 pm and I left there right before the awards ceremony was supposed to start at 10 pm - Next year I am definitely going to suggest they put the water tent elsewhere and at least give us an opportunity to see the bands compete if only from the backside - lol -

There you have the scores and a couple of pics - enjoy - E :)

Video from end of September competition

The video above is of the band practicing and doing their show from September 29. This is the competition that the bus driver hit the deer coming back from. I know I'm a little late posting on this but I have to go through over 200 photos that are sent to me and decide which ones to put in the video. I have fun making the videos and like to play around with them, so they are little time consuming. Anyway - hope you enjoy.

(I did try to put more than my own kids in the pictures but you know I am a proud mamam and have to get my kids there.) Enjoy - see you all in the postings - E :)

Hosted Band Competition (first one)

Wow - I was so worn out yesterday I forgot to post about the competition that we hosted at the school.

Here is the thing, being a host school for a competition, all the adults are volunteers and I was on the water station (handing the kids water from the other bands as they came off from their performance). I had a great time and saw some pretty interesting costumes and lots of beautiful colors. But I didn't get to see the bands perform and didn't get to see our group do their performance because of where we were.

Our stadium is built with a walking track on the outside of the field inside the stadium area and then a drive area that basically runs from the bus parking lot to the bus maintenance lot and out to the streets. So anyone could walk or drive or be on that track without being seen and distracting the events on the field. I didn't mind being on water but when it got dark, it was lonely back there with only one light and not in a very helpful position for our water station.

But the kids were very appreciative of us having the water station regardless of where we were. They were really good from all the other bands. One band came through and were all dolled up like Chinese women and found out that their program is called Journey to China and they are one of 10 American bands going to China next summer for the Summer Olympics. They also won several awards in their class. Now how cool is that - to be selected to participate in the Summer Olympics in China? I wish them well.

As soon as the results are posted on the band link directory, I will post how our band actually scored. Even though we were the exhibition band, we asked to be scored like we were competing so we knew what to work on for this week since we have two competitions in one day.

Anyway, must get some work done - will post later - E :)

First Band Competition

Saturday was the first band competition of the season and we did very good. I used Hailie's digital camera to video record the program but I don't know how to edit it. It is lengthy - over 15 minutes because I got them coming on to the field and the whole show.

We were all shocked at the end about who took grand champion in the gold division (the group we were in - 3As and 4As are in the gold and 1As and 2As are in the silver). From what we heard after the competition, the scores were not very high at all (SCBDA has changed the scoring system and therefore making it harder for the bands to score superior. All the 3A and 4A bands scored excellent.) BHP's score was an 83.5; the overall gold champion only scored an 84. We did take best horn line, best drum line and 1st place in the 3A division.

So way to go BHP band.

On the way home, one of the buses (the first bus) hit a deer. Some of the guys actually went back and picked up the deer - guess they are hunters and took it home to clean it and use the meat. The deer wasn't that big really so may not make good meat. So the three trophies from the competition and a deer came back to the school - lol.


Here is a pic of Benjamin and our solo piccolo player (she's my adopted second daughter; such a sweetheart - always comes up to give me a hug when she can and just likes me lol - she's a good kid) and the deer.




The other one is the 1st place trophy with the person who substitutes for the drum major if she isn't there. These were taken by Hailie after I had done the video. The video won't load but will play around with it and maybe make it shorter - two pieces and see if I can get them to load. enjoy - E :)