Had fun last night

I went to a small town about 50 miles away to take pics of the band contest being held there for a marching band site. I had called the president of the band boosters, both to find out what time to be there and ask if the wheelchair would be a problem for them. Yes, I know, it's not supposed to be a problem. Now let's talk about the world I live in LOL.

He was very, very nice on the phone and assured me that it would not be an issue, and to my delight it honestly wasn't. This was this community's first band contest, and all in all they really did a nice job. They have a very nice facility and even had arrangements made to move everything to the school gym in case of rain, something I've never seen before.  The fact that it was a small competition, I think, made that more feasible than if there were forty bands there, of course. Thankfully the rain held off long enough for all the bands to perform, have the awards ceremony, and load their equipment back into the buses.

The amount of work and dedication that is required of a band director and the band boosters to put on a contest, even a small one, is HUGE, far larger than you would ever think unless you've ever been involved. Making it all come together and actually work is like juggling twenty balls at one time, blindfolded!

There is no parent more dedicated than a band parent. Even if they're not an active band booster, there is a constant list of things to do/get/have for your band member kid, endless practices that often start so early that they have to turn the lights on for the field or parking lot wherever they practice, bag lunches, and a million other things, all of which funnel into eight or nine frenzied competitions into which your child pours their heart and all their energy where as little as one tenth of a point can mean the difference between tears of joy and tears of sorrow on the bus home. In that respect, it's a lot like life, I suppose.

At any rate, there were nice people, a nice facility, and a fun competition last night. Corydon Central High School in Corydon, IN, you did a GREAT job! Thanks for having me! Your band boosters as well as your community deserve a big pat on the back!