Anxiously waiting.........

Well, here I am sitting here waiting on a text or call from my son. The high school band he plays and marches in (Richland High School, North Richland Hills) is in the RCA Dome in Indianapolis competing in the Bands of America Grand National Marching Championship. The competition began Thursday with around 100 of the best high school marching bands in the United States competing. Richland marched in preliminaries at 11:30 Friday morning and found out last night about 9 pm that they made it to the semi-finals with the top 24 bands. They marched in the semi's this morning and found out this afternoon that they made it into the finals, made up of the top 12 bands. Another band from this area is also in the top 12 as it usually is. L.D. Bell is competing tonight also.

If any of you have ever had the experience of marching in a band you would appreciate the work involved. Most marching shows march at around 120 beats per minute (two steps per second) for eight minutes. The Richland show marches at 180 to 210 beats per minute (3 to almost 4 steps per second) for over 10 minutes and about 30% of the time marching blind backwards. The title of the show is iShow and is centered around the Y Generation. All of the music was written after 1990 and fits the part well.

Can you tell I am nervous for them. He will text me as soon as they come out of the Retreat Block (all the finals bands return to the field in formation for the awards ceremony). They competed two years ago at the Grand Nationals and finished as 7th best high school marching band in the US. L.D. Bell finished in 2nd that year. This is my sons senior year and I would love for him to be able to finish his high school time with a National Championship.

He only began playing his instrument in the 8th grade so he was two years behind the other band members who began as they entered middle school in the 6th grade. By the 9th grade he was 1st chair all-region band, his sophomore year he progressed to all-region, all-area and in his junior year was all-region, all-area and Texas All-State. We will see how he finishes up this year. He is getting a lot of interest from a lot of different colleges.................

Oh well, pin and needles I am on.............Don't mean to brag for them but these kids have really worked hard all summer all this whole school year to get to where they are. It would be nice for them to finish in front............But whatever, they are still one of the top 12 high school marching bands in the US as they begin finals tonight.

Why is this second post of the same thread here?????????????How did that happen???????

 

Well, word came down.

Richland placed 9th overall (in the USA). Kind of disappointed for the kids as they really worked very hard and put on a very good show. It is nice to say you are in the top ten in the US but our neighbor four miles east on Airport Freeway won the National Championship. Congratulations to L.D.Bell High School, 2007 BOA Grand National Champions. And congratulations to the Richland Rebel Band for representing North Richland Hills and Texas to a high placement.

There were six bands from Texas at the Championships. I know that Ronald Reagan HS from San Antonio did not make the finals and they are perenially a finalist. Just not this year. I do not know about the other Texas schools yet. But to have even two in the top nine and one win the overall championship is a pretty good accomplishment.

 

And all of them are going in the 1st round of the NFL draft next year..........Wow, great accomplishment.



Three Texas schools finished in the top 9. L.D.Bell 1st, Grand National Champion, Stephen F. Austin, Sugarland 8th, Richland HS, North Richland Hills 9th.

J.J. lost 40 lbs during marching season this year. It was really grueling. In June they did two weeks of 3 a days that started at 8am and ended at 8:30 pm. And they practiced on an asphalt parking lot. Really go through the shoes marching on that stuff. And then they had another week in August. Plus attended the summer band camp at Texas Tech in July along with about 1500 other students from all over the US. He got the award for outstanding musician at the Tech bandcamp.

And remember, he got his first ride in a McLaren F1 for three days when he was only 8. Still talks about it like I do......

Nah, I am not a proud dad,,,,,,,,not me!!!!!!!