Go Penns Grove!

What a great day of band yesterday for the Penns Grove HS Marching Red Devil Band!  It was our first performance day of the year, and you never know how teenagers are going to handle that stuff.  We had a football game in the afternoon, and the band was okay.  We had some ensemble timing issues and some other things, but the important thing wasn't having a clean performance...but just getting all the nerves out and performing in front of a crowd for the first time.  We did it, no one got hurt too bad, and it was over with.  The kids handled it well, though, and were enthusiastic and even nervous a little bit for that first performance of the year.

At night we made the long trek to Pennsville (just right down the road) and performed in exhibition at the USSBA show they were hosting.  We had no real interest in competing this weekend.  We don't have the 3rd number on the field (at least performable) yet, and this was supposed to be all about working out the kinks in front of a crowd that actually cares, as opposed to a football crowd, without putting the extra stress of competition on the kids. 

What a great warm up and show.  From the moment the kids got off the bus it was "go time."  We had a great warm up/rehearsal block before the show, then marched over and took the field confidently and with energy.  Many of the ensemble issues from the football game were gone.  The kids put more energy into their performance, and the crowd was quite receptive.  I'll definitely take that for our first performances of the year.

Since we were in exhibition our scores weren't announced, but let's just say that we would have done really, really well.  :)

Friday night I finally was able to hook up with Jay Morlot, the director of the Bushwackers, and talk about the 2010 season.  Honestly, I really had no idea what I wanted to do next season.  2009 was way harder than it needed to be for a billion reasons.  I was frustrated and I needed to hear that the organization was as committed as my members, my staff, and myself to having a top notch, championship-caliber drum corps...and then would do what is necessary to make that happen.  I definitely got that impression from Jay.  There is a lot in the works, and I'm excited to announce that I'll be back on board as the brass caption head in 2010.  Now, it's time for full speed ahead on planning, recruiting, and all the things that it's going to take to make this thing happen.

We came in 9th place this year.  I simply can't have that.  It's time for a Bushwacker Revolution.

Today I'm off to participate in the 2nd annual Bushwackers Hall of Fame vote.  I helped start the Bushwackers HOF last year to honor our Bushwacker heroes and to help give Bush Alumni a way to get involved and remember their days as a Bushwacker and the people who influenced them.  I'm excited. 

Thanks for reading.  More tomorrow.