What I do when the World Series, Election and Local Marching Band season is over

Now that pesky presidential election is all out of the way except for the wailing and wringing of hands, it's time to get on to the most important event of the week: the Bands of America Grand National Championships.  This spectacular competition kicks off in Indy bright an early Thursday morning, starting a process to whittle the approximately 100 entries down to a single band who earns the right to proclaim itself as the best in the nation for the next 363 days.

For me, the best of 2016 may alway have an asterisk behind it - at least in my own head - because two true power houses won't be on hand vying for the title.  The defending national champion - Broken Arrow, OK - is skipping in Indy in favor of a trip to the 2017 Rose Parade in just a few short weeks. Flower Mound, TX - although winner of the tough San Antonio super regional and ranked at the top by HornRank.com - won't be competing in Indy either.  

Still, there will be no shortage of truly fantastic bands.  As a distraction from the 2016 U.S. presidential election results and the resulting hateful commentary that has filled my social media feeds today, I've chosen to focus on work today as much as possible.I'd be lying, however, if I didn't admit that the prospect of tomorrow's band championship kick-off has been calling my name.  

So, it's time for me to get my predictions in order.  This is my personal equivalent of a March Madness bracket or following the World Series My predictions are little more than my personal yearly challenge for myself to see if I know anything at all about marching bands on the national level.  Last year, 11 of my 12 finalist predictions made semi-finals and seven made finals.  I am not always that prescient. Otherwise, I'd be lying on a beach drinking a frozen beverage courtesy of my lottery winnings! No .... wait ... I mean I'd be having dinner in Indy before getting a good night's sleep at a hotel near Lucas Oil Stadium, dreaming of 3 more days of marching competition!

The top five bands in 2016 I believe most likely will be: 

Avon, IN

Tarpon Springs, FL

Leander, TX

Carmel, IN
Ronald Reagan

At this point, my money would be on Avon to take it all, but you can never ever count out Texas, especially The Woodlands. Both Tarpon Springs and Carmel have won the big title in the last few years, so they are perennial threats. At the end of the day, it's a band competition which means anything could happen.  

The Illinois band most likely to make finals is Marian Catholic. The dominant band in Illinois for more than 30 years, MC has the longest tenured finals appearance record of all high school bands in the nation, making finals more than 30 years in a row! They slipped into the bottom third of finals' placings last year, but, after a slow start this year, they are finishing strong. Although I am still not a fan of what Marian Catholic does, I can't deny their vaunted place in history. They can clean and finish like no other band in Illinois.  

The list of other Illinois bands providing the Grand Nationals experience for their members reads like a who's who for the best ensembles in the state. Most finished well in finals at ISU .... Morton, Lake Park, Lincoln Way, and Lockport.  And, tiny Herscher is going (someone please tell me still how they are marching 1A in Illinois) and so is Murphsyboro and Limestone - a band I think is outstanding and pretty underrated.

But, if I had to pick just one Illinois band other than Marian Catholic to make the semi finals in Indy, I'd go with O'Fallon Township. In fact, I'd go out on a limb to say OTHS is THE best band in Illinois over Marian Catholic right now.  But I have no doubt I am in a tiny minority on that opinion.

I am happy to see New Philadelphia, OH marching in Indy.  In a time when marching band has progressed far afield from the early days of BOA, it's nice to see bands like the Marching Quakers or Marian Catholic still hanging around from the early 1980s.

I am also curious about the high school from Fort Mill, SC and wonder is that a growing program courtesy of sharing a hometown with Carolina Crown?

No matter my list of favorites or my love of an underdog, the list of bands I am going to go out on a limb to say will make semi finals.....

Avon, IN

Tarpon Springs, FL

Leander, TX

Carmel, IN

Blue Springs, MO

Vista Murietta, CA

Wm Mason, OH

Marian Catholic, IL

O'Fallon Twp, IL

Vandergrift, TX

Ronald Reagan, TX

Wando, SC

Franklin, TN

Hebron, TX

Owasso, OK

Union, OK

Ben Davis, IN

Lake Central, IN

Homestead, IN

Claudia Taylor, TX

Am also going to add these couple, although I think they could be hurt by their very early initial go on Thursday morning....

North Hardin, KY

Clovis West, CA

Dobyns-Bennet, TN

Some small schools will make semi-finals because of class placement but I can't even begin to really predict them.... maybe Archbishop Alter ....very likely Adair out of KY. I just don't know the small schools that well and their scoring is always, always, always a crap shoot.

Who will final? Part of this is easy-peasy and part of it's a gamble for me to predict. Once you narrow things down to the top 15-20 bands in the country, figuring out the top 5 seems easy enough (although positions within the top 5 could easily shift) but predicting  #6-12 is tough.  So ... my finalist predictions in no particular order are:

Avon, IN

Tarpon Springs, FL

Leander, TX

Carmel, IN

Wm Mason, OH

Marian Catholic, IL

Blue Springs, MO

Vista Murietta, CA

Owasso, OK

Hebron, TX

Homestead, IN
Wando, SC
Ronald Reagan, TX

Who will win?  I'd be most likely to put my money on Avon.  But, I don't think you can count out some of the top Texas bands or Tarpon Springs.

We will find out late Saturday night.

And, then, it's time to be depressed until the indoor season starts early in 2017. Only Macy's and the Tournament of Roses Parade can keep any marching band fan from sinking into total depression come Sunday morning.  

Only 123 days until I get to head to Ireland to watch my current favorite high school marching band make some appearances on an international stage. And .... only about 32 weeks until the 2017 Drum Corps season kicks off!

Making Sense of the U of I Competition

Here are some handy things to know if you plan to travel to U of I to watch the DHS Marching Barbs perform at Memorial Stadium. Most importantly, read info about BAGS and CAMERAS near the bottom.

Admission - $10 adults / $5 seniors & students (under 5 free)

Ticket booths located along Kirby Avenue near the South Tunnel 

DeKalb marches at 4:30p.m.

You can find the full schedule at illinoismarchingonline.com .... click festivals .... look for the Illinois Marching Band Championship large band division.

For info on the competition....

https://bands.illinois.edu/content/illinois-marching-band-championships-event-logistics-2015

Parking... Free the day of the event. 

The Northeast and Northwest of the State Farm Center will be available for spectators to park. Lot 31, west of Memorial Stadium will be open for spectators as long as there is no rain! If there is rain, all spectators will need to park along the streets near the stadium and any available and open lots around the stadium Parking is free the day of the event! 

Souvie program - $5

Event Tshirts are available - $10 for short-sleeved / $15 for long-sleeved.

You can order an official DVD. Will add the form in the Facebook comments. NOTE: You may not take your own video. FYI ... because of licensing, this is super standard at big competitions from high school marching band to drum corps. 

The Barbs should take an official band photo after the kids perform.  Will post more links & info after the competition. The company doing these photos is the same one that shoots DCI Finals in Indy. 

ABOUT BAGS .....

Large bags, backpacks, book bags, duffle bags, and other large bags are not allowed in Memorial Stadium • Small bags such as purses and diaper bags are allowed • All permitted bags are subject to search

ABOUT CAMERAS....

Video cameras are prohibited in the stadium • The use of any video or audio devices are strictly prohibited from being used in Memorial Stadium.

Pit crew should note .... you may not take video OR even still photos at the field level.  Still photos are okay from seating levels. 

Taking to the Street in Cortland and to the Field in Marengo

The Marching Barbs will make their first official competitive run with this year’s field show this coming Sunday in Marengo.

The high school marching band competition at Marengo is part of the town’s Settlers’ Days festival. There is a competitive parade prior to the field show competition, but DHS does not participate. Instead, the Marching Barbs support the non-competitive Cortland Parade as part of their dedication to community outreach within their own school district. This community support is especially important this year given Cortland’s recent donation to Ireland fundraising.

The Marengo band competition is a fundraiser for Marengo HS music/band and is held at the high school’s football stadium (110 Franks Rd, Marengo, IL 60152).

The price of admission is not yet listed on the Marengo band page or in the Settlers’ Days marketing materials. However, last year it was $6/adult to get in.  Parking has traditionally been free.

Please consider supporting the concession stand, but you might want to be sure to go BEFORE DHS arrives as our students can overwhelm the Marengo Band Boosters.  Concession offerings are typical fare … hot dogs, walking tacos, snacks & such. The apple cider donuts are always a big hit in Marengo! Send some money or consider packing a hearty snack for your student as Sunday is a long day.  

Call time for the Cortland parade will be at 11 a.m. The members of the Marching Barbs should gather at DHS to dress & prep. The parade itself is at 1 p.m. in Cortland. For more info, visit the town’s posted info at:

http://www.cortlandil.org/index.asp?SEC=48AF31D9-8EA8-47DA-A8B9-EF971F79114E&DE=25162639-8CED-4DF7-8BE3-79F91EDB5880&Type=B_EV

Following the parade in Cortland, band students will grab a hot dog meal from the parade organizers. Then, the ensemble will return to DHS for a bit of practicing before they load the trailer and head to Marengo. REMEMBER ….students should wear shorts & this year’s official band t-shirt under their uni.  NO eating in the uniform jackets.  Encourage your student to take a blanket and a jacket.  (If you need an affordable spirit blanket, the Band Parents still have a limited number of marching band and general DHS stadium blankets perfectly sized for individuals available for $20. Email dekalbbandparents@gmail.com if you’d like to purchase one before Sunday).   

The Marengo competition offers a limited number of “shout-outs.”  For a small fee (in previous years $3 each or 2 for $5), you can write a message to your student or the band. These messages are read as DHS takes the field to set up or as the band comes off the field after their performance.  These shout-outs are a great opportunity to wish your student good luck, thank instructors, cheer on the band, etc. Again, this offering is a fundraiser for the Marengo band program. You will find the table where you can purchase these between the entrance to the field and the stairs to the stadium.

Local competitions such as the one in Marengo provide an opportunity to take in the world of the marching arts beyond what you experience with your student’s involvement in the Marching Barbs. Make the most of your admission fee and arrive early enough to see other bands.  To be considerate of the bands performing, you will only be allowed to enter and exit the stadium during the brief periods between band performances.

For many, marching band competition is part art and part sport. For good bands with supportive crowds who appreciate hits - or impact points - within a show, you can expect cheering and such.  Cowbells, horns, etc., are not unheard of before a performance begins or after a band finishes. Cheering as the band performs can be fine during a show as this is not an indoor concert. For some bands, the more the crowd responds, the better the band will do. Especially cheer your heart out as soon as the Barbs finish and don’t be afraid to give them a standing ovation!

If you are focused on specifically seeing your student, sit lower in the stadium. If your goal is to enjoy the full performance and general effect of the Barbs’ run, sit as high as you can and as close to the 50 yard line as you can.   

The schedule for Marengo is pasted below.

If you’d like a bit of info on judging for marching band field show competitions, check out this article on Illinoismarchingonline.com:

http://ilmarching.com/?p=1375

Field

Class 1A 4:00 PM: Oregon 4:15 PM: Morris Community 4:30 PM: Dwight Township 4:45 PM: Marmion-Rosary 5:00 PM: Genoa-Kingston 5:15 PM: Sandwich 5:30 PM: Break Class 2A 5:45 PM: Evergreen Park 6:00 PM: Grayslake Central 6:15 PM: Kaneland 6:30 PM: Sycamore 6:45 PM: Prairie Ridge 7:00 PM: Break Class 3A 7:15 PM: Rockford 7:30 PM: DeKalb 7:45 PM: Evanston 8:00 PM: Wheeling Exb 8:15 PM: Marengo

Sweet 16th

When K. came in to our lives bright and early the morning of June 22nd back in 1999, one of the first feelings was simply thankfulness. But I wasn't just thankful for what most new parents are - health baby, 10 fingers, etc. Instead, I was thankful she was a girl so maybe... just maybe... I'd have someone who would go with me to do the things her dad didn't enjoy: horse shows, musicals, drum corps.

 

K. probably doesn't remember, but I tried to convince her to love drum corps when she was still a preschooler. I'd take her to watch evening ensemble run-throughs when she was 4 or 5 and the Madison Scouts were in town. They practiced at what was then the high school and evening run throughs were free.

K was much interested then. Something must have stuck though because Madison would be the corps she loved best the first year she actually began enjoying drum corps.

Although she wasn't interested at all when I tried to introduce her to drum corps back 12 years ago, something caught my eye at a souvenir stand as I came out of a stadium one night by myself after a local competition. It was a light-weight, kid-sized flag. I bought it.  K spent a bit of time being what she called a "flag runner" but then that flag spent a lot more time getting "planted" at the tops of "mountains" around here than it did getting spun or tossed to music. Poor ol' flag has had a hard life (see the photo above). 

But, maybe those trips to watch practice and that flag planted a seed that rooted and simply needed time to grow.

In elementary school, K had no interest in learning an instrument or taking lessons.  In 2010, she was NOT interested in joining middle school band.  Fortunately, many of her friends were all joining so she had a change of heart. As late as 2012 she didn't think she'd go on to join band in high school, because ... get this ... she didn't want to MARCH.

In December 2012, she attended a memorial for a beloved high school band director in another town. She heard touching stories from two strong decades of marching band history. She saw dozens of trophies put on display one last time before they were tossed in the dumpster. K couldn't believe that so many middle aged adults filled a gym just to reminisce about marching band.  I wouldn't fully understand until later that this one event actually made a difference in her thoughts about band and essentially changed her life.

We aren't spending the day with our daughter who turns 16 today. There is no over-the-top sweet 16th party like you see on TV. In fact, there's no party at all. There is no driver's license in her immediate future because she isn't even in town.  There's not likely even her own car any time soon. Why?  Her money (and some of ours, as well as some from generous friends and family, even) go somewhere else today.

Today, she is marching. K will spend seven & a half hours working with 84 other kids perfecting a show that only fits well on a football field. It's a show those kids will continue perfecting 'til the beginning of August. Tonight, she'll sleep once again on the concrete floor of the Armory in another town in another state.

Why?

Because ... at some point in time, the kid who didn't want to march fell in love with it enough to pursue it at the highest levels, despite her own physical limitations. Not only did she come to love playing her instrument, she realized she loved marching. And, then, she realized she could march AND perform at the same time by joining color guard.

Perhaps that sad flag served more of a purpose that I thought.  That sad flag still lives in our back entry way. We are not allowed to throw it away.

Who knew it was a portent of things to come? Although they aren't the same volunteers who will feed my kid today and stay with her at the Armory tonight, it was volunteers from the very same organization she marches with who made & sold that flag 12 years ago.

Turns out ...they knew what they were doing.

Who needs a birthday party when you can spend your birthday pursuing your dreams?

Marching Beyond the Pain

This is the face of chronic illness.

This is the body of constant, every-day pain.

This is what a hero looks like.

Imagine waking up every single day, knowing you’ll hurt today. Imagine staring up from the bottom of every single flight of stairs knowing there will be pain involved in climbing them. Imagine if every single thing you loved to do – especially those things you call your reason for existing - caused pain.

Imagine facing that as 15 years old.

I can’t.  But, then again, I’m lazy.  And, I’m a coward.

My daughter is neither of those. She has polyarticular juvenile idiopathic arthritis.  She’s 15. Did I mention she’s a hero?

She has JIA. But, it doesn’t define her.

Marching band is her passion. Standing at attention for long periods of time is debilitating. So, she has little patience for those with healthy bodies who complain about how tired they are from a week of marching.  March a mile in my daughter’s shoes, I think.

Color guard is her dream. Spinning and performing on the world-class level is her goal.  It’s lofty. I can’t imagine spending all day every day in the rigors of drum corps with a healthy body. She can’t imagine a world where she might never actually be able to pursue her dream because of her body’s limits, damn the pain.

Tossing a fixed wooden projectile high into the air only to have it come crashing back into your hands moments later hurts normal people. Tossing that rifle into the air and catching it hurts even more when you have the joints of an old person.

She loves it any way.

Being blessed with friends who joyfully embrace her humor has helped. Being called a liar and being bullied by a teacher who supposedly suffers a similar malady has not. Finding outstanding medical support has helped. Knowing you are constantly judged because you might LOOK healthy since you are too strong-willed to sit on the sidelines and opt instead to embrace your passion with arms wide open is challenging.

Still she soldiers on. When you are given a life sentence but have big dreams, really, what other choice do you have?

Luckily, this hero has her own heroes. We appreciate the folks who have helped make this journey bearable: the church groups that pray ... the fantastic pediatric rheumatologist and pediatric orthopedic surgeon ... the outstanding physical therapist who has helped make the summer marching dream seem possible again ... the color guard instructor who modified routines to make them do-able ... the friends and family who have supported her ... the people who get her sense of humor and her phenomenal passion.

Now that we’ve learned to navigate the JIA journey, she is taking the first steps of her drum corps journey.  She’s been given a contract to march with an open class drum corps out of Dubuque, IA.  Already, she’s been going to practice twice a month. Already, her knowledge, skill set and confidence have grown.  In just two short months, she’ll leave for the summer. She can’t wait to end the season on the biggest marching stage in the world ... Lucas Oil Stadium in Indy.

Getting there won’t be easy. Summer days will be filled with 8 hours of practice, followed by nights sleeping on a gym floor. When she’s not sleeping on a gym floor, she’ll be sleeping on a bus as the corps travels more than 5,000 miles to give more than 25 performances.

For sure, she’ll need a lot of support. If you see her ... ask her how you can help.  But, most of all, keep her in your thoughts an prayers.

This will be a tough summer, but she’s ready.  It won’t be easy.  And, there’s still a ways to go. But, she’s already proving that, with passion, determination and support, anything is possible.

Advance Planning Keeps The Christmas Beat Merry!

 

Heading out for New Year’s Eve? Taking down your holiday decorations? Planning to wrap up your holiday celebrations soon?

While winding up the 2014 holiday season, take time for a little reflection of your recent holiday experiences. Then, combining the lessons learned with a bit of forwarding thinking can help make your 2015 Christmas a little merrier ... or at least a bit less stressful. Here are some tips and suggestions of steps to take now to better prepare for next Christmas.

Organize and de-clutter your decorations...

As you take down your holiday decorations, take time to thoroughly inspect them. Toss out anything that isn’t working or that has seen better days. Make a note of what you have to replace. Then, repack and organize your decorations to make unpacking next year easier. Be sure to label boxes.

Take advantage of after-Christmas sales ...

If you discarded worn-out decorations, be sure to check the after Christmas sales for any deals to help you replace them. Also, take advantage of the deep discounts on wrapping paper and other Christmas supplies that year-end sales offer.  Just don’t over do it and end up with a wrapping paper hoard!

Review and take notes ...

Do you have trouble remembering from one year to the next how much you made or bought or ordered of something? Make a note or two of the important things you need to remember and put them some where you can find them ... perhaps a notebook stored with your Christmas decorations or in the “notes” of your planner.  The reference will come in handy when trying to remember whether you gave the school bus driver a gift or how many plates of Christmas cookies you need to bake. Need another example of how making such notes can reduce stress? Our extended family often orders specialty pizzas for our after-Christmas get together and gift exchange. Rather than struggle to remember what we ordered and what everyone actually ate next time around, I noted what we ordered, what was most popular and what we had left over.

Note anything you need to replace next year but couldn’t find in this year’s after-holiday sales. 

Make a list of gifts that were really well received. Or, if you learned some things about gift preferences during this year’s exchanges, note those for next year, too.

Do a holiday review .....

What went really well this Christmas? What didn’t really work at all? What are the things that caused the most stress or arguments?  What things were most important to your family?  Gather all of your family members together and find out what they’d love to do again next year and what they’d be okay skipping in the future. This may help you reduce the stress of over committing during the busy holidays.

Consider a Christmas planner....

About the recommendation for notes and finding them later that I mentioned earlier? Put all of your notes in a single notebook or binder.  You could store your new “Christmas Planner” with your decorations, but for year-round access, consider putting this planner in your desk or where you keep your address book or bills or such.

Plan ahead ...

Think of things you can do a little along and try to take care of those things once a month throughout the year. For example, mark one day each month in your new yearly planner to make notes for your holiday letter or to sort some of your photos that you might want for a Christmas card. 

Start saving now....

Help take a bite out of the financial sting of Christmas shopping by planning ahead. Consider opening a Christmas savings account if your financial institution offers those.  Total what you spent this year and come up with a plan to save at least that much. Financial guru Dave Ramsey recommends calculating this year’s spending total and then dividing that total by the number 10. Then, put that smaller figure aside every month from January through October (10 months of smaller payments) so you are ready to Christmas shop late next fall.

Winning strides start in the heart

It’s a game of superlatives:  The longest race ... the deepest dirt ... the biggest odds ... the fastest time ... the most impressive pedigree. 

It’s a game of numbers:  Of the approximately 26,000 possible contestants born annually to do this, only 20 of them in any given year will even receive the chance to try. 

Over all of the years and from among all of those eligible, only 11 others have actually done it. Since 1978, 12 others have tried only to fail in their third and final attempt. 

Thirty-six years. That’s two and half centuries in dog years. In the horse world, it’s a lifetime. In fact, 36 years is two or three lifetimes in the horse world.

Thirty-six years. That’s how long it’s been since we’ve rejoiced over a Triple Crown winner in horse racing. That’s a couple of lifetimes full of anticipation. That’s a couple of lifetimes in which an entire industry has begun to fade ... in which the fantasy and appeal of the sport of kings has dimmed.

However, in a world where winners are determined by fractions of a second, five weeks seems to be all the time we need to simply believe again.

Five weeks.  That’s how long it’s been since hope was rekindled. Five weeks since California Chrome, a horse whose backstory defies all the odds, began doing what no horse has done in decades. 

He’s made the nation pay attention. He’s made us want to believe.

Sure. There have been 12 others that have given horse racing fans pause in the last 36 years. But, few – if any - have had a story worthy of a made-for-TV movie. None have given rise to rap videos by school kids. None have inspired us with the one thing this unlikely hero actually seems to have going for him...

His heart. A tremendous, tremendous heart. And the ability to run on nothing but that heart.

California Chrome’s heart doesn’t know any of the following:

.... That winning the Triple Crown is an uber long shot even with the best of pedigrees and utmost planning. A shot most would have said this horse never had.

... That his mom was considered unspectacular at best and a dumbass investment of $8,000 at worst.

... That his dad is an unknown in which few have put much stock.

.... That his owners are neither sheiks nor billionaires and were considered stupid for taking the chance.

.... That he hails from a state not known for producing big-name stakes winners.

.... That his trainer isn’t an industry golden boy but rather is an unassuming man, long in the tooth, whose last real Derby experience was nearly 60 years ago as an exercise rider.

.... That his jockey has a dismal record at Belmont.

.... That history says the odds simply are not in his favor.

California Chrome doesn’t know any of that.  None of it is in his heart.

He doesn’t know that what he’s being asked to do is akin to catching lightning in a bottle.  Some might say he doesn’t know that an entire nation will be pulling for him to do just that ... capture that lightning.  Not me.  I say that a horse running on that much heart absolutely will feel what is in the nation’s heart.

Will that be enough?

Only time will tell. 

But I think that, if we all believe, the time just might be now. The horse just might be California Chrome.

And whose heart won’t sing with the addition of a just little more chrome in their lives?