Wind Symphony

Wind Symphony is the top band at Kennedy and it is very hard to get into. You have to physically audition for it. But there are a few different ways you can do your audition, you can do it in person with either Mrs. Fleer or Mr. Wacker, depending on what instrument you play, for example if you are a wood wind player or are in percussion you would do your audition with Mrs. Fleer, and if you are a brass player you would do your audition with Mr. Wacker. You can also do it on a recorder that one of the directors give you, or you can do it the way everyone prefers to, on Charms, which you can do at home as many times as you want.

The auditions are usually difficult, there are several scales you have to play, for example this year we had to play (all in concert key) the flat scales of: Bb, Eb, and Ab; the sharp scales of: G and D; and of course our C scale and Chromatic, and all of them have to be done with as many octaves as your instrument allows. So for flutes all of them have two octaves except the C and chromatic which have three.

The next part of the audition is the etude, every year it comes from a part of one of the All- State etudes. This year it happened to be the fast etude, which was very difficult. An example of the flute one is at the bottom, it went from the beginning to the first note in the fourth line.

A couple things that made this piece every difficult was that it is very fast plus it has a lot of sharps, and it also has double sharps, which makes it even more confusing. It also jumps octaves while slurring which is a very hard thing to do.

Even though the audition music is hard, being in Wind Symphony, or even just trying out to be in Wind Symphony pays off. And it shows Mrs. Fleer and Mr. Wacker that you really care about being in band and about becoming a better player.

Concert band

As marching band starts to come to an end, concert band is just beginning. Band kids don’t have an “off season” we always have something going on. Such as last year during concert band season our wind symphony made IBA which is Iowa Band Masters Association. Which is such a great honor. They had to put in a lot of work and practice time to prepare for the performance.

Also the symphonic band has to prepare for Large Group contest, it isn’t very strict but our music has to be correct. We just go, play our music, and get a score and then leave. It is very laid back and easy. Nothing to stress over, Right?

Most of the things that happen during our year we are very well prepared for. Mrs. Fleer and Mr. Wacker make sure everyone is prepared for everything that is happening. Because they want us to be the best players we can be. They push us to do well and excel in music.

There are some people who are just in band for the grade, because it’s a easy A if you just show up. But there are many people who are there because they want to be and because music is very important to them.

Different judges

For marching band there are different kind of judges. You have the ones on the field and you also have the ones who are in the press box. The ones on the field do a couple different things. And the ones who are in the press box do sort of the same things but they judge in a different way.

For example the ones who are on the field watch step style, they make sure every person who is on the field is playing when they are supposed to be, and they especially watch to make sure every one is in step. Which means every one is taking a step with the same foot at the same time. They also listen for right notes and watch the form.

The judges who are in the press box do similar things, they watch how the music fits the drill, how the music sounds, and watches the form to see if everyone knows where they are supposed to be at what time and playing the right notes. Also upper body is a huge one.

Anyone can tell when some bodys upper body posture is off. Since our uniforms are half white and half black it makes it very easy to tell. You just have to look at the colors. But with other schools like Washington or Jefferson it is a little harder to tell since their uniforms are all blue.

Judges have to judge by what they see and hear. They don’t have drill or music so they have to go by opinions so not every judge thinks the same thing.

The press box

The press box is a key point for marching bands all around the country and everywhere for that matter. There are some judges who sit in the press box, there are also some on the field. Since the ones who go around on the field watching us are so close to us, it is usually pretty hard, and rare for them to miss stuff that we mess up on, but in the press box it is a little easier since they are so far away.

 

Now I’m not saying they really judge, I’m saying that the judges in there need to hear you play!! In many of the John F. Kennedys marching band show every year, at least one time every year we have a visual where we either face the press box or lean back so we are playing right to it.

The judges in the press box or no lesser or better than the judges on the field. It just is a matter of where the hosting school places them, or wants them to be. One weekend, at one competition a judge could be on the field, as a marching style and technic judge and the next weekend at a completely different competition the exact same judge could be in the press box as a music general effect judge, or vice versa.

 

Facing the press box gives more of a musical impact to the music general effect judge who is sitting in the press box. Facing the press box during a big hit in a song, gives it an even bigger sound and makes it sound bigger than when we are just playing and facing the side line, like usual, because the sound goes up higher and spreads more.

So all in all, almost every good marching band director uses this in their bands favor. Some bigger bands might not need it as much because they have more people, and sometimes have more people playing so they might already have a lot of sound. But you got to remember, not every one on that field is playing all the time during the whole show.

I feel like smaller marching bands would use this a lot to their advantage, since they are already down on the amount of people and players on the field they might have the marcher face towards the press box more often to make their sound, sound bigger. Which sound is a big part of the score of a marching band.

Results

Valley being our biggest competition, is the most important placement. This year we placed 4^th!! We were placed over several very good bands. Such as Washington High school and Dowling. Even though I love band and we did a really great job and we had a really great marching band season compared to past years. I’m still not sure how we did that well and placed that high. It was a shocker when I found out.

 

Personally I had to leave as soon as we were done preforming so I was not able to watch any other bands to see how well they did, or to see bands from out of state that I’ve never even heard of before. Also I missed the awards and the bus ride home, band kids usually aren’t very crazy after we do that well. But since it was Valley, I can only imagine how insane everybody was on the bus.

 

We also had state in the same day; it is a performance but it is way more laid back compared to Valley. Such as we don’t actually get placed we just get a division. For example you either get a I II or III. For band kids or parents you know what those mean and how they divvy up but for those who don’t. Division 1 is the best you can get. Division 2 is like an okay rating; it is not good or band. And division 3 is the worst you can get. It isn’t saying that your band sucks but it says that you need more practice or just had a bad day of marching.

 

The score you get at State doesn’t matter all that much, yes it is another competition, but it isn’t like a super huge one like Pella or Valley. Such as state is at Kingston every year, and it can’t hold all that many people, whereas Valley is in West Des Moines and it is huge. It can hold like at least twice as many people as Kingston can.

State and Valley

For marching band kids, when competition time rolls around there is usually a lot of complaining, but there is also a LOT of excitement. Such as this weekend, on October 10^th, we have a long day. In the morning we will be at school bright and early for practice. Then we will get on buses and head to Kingston, for yet another competition that is held there.
 

This one just happens to be the “State Marching Band Comp.” which who doesn’t love state? Band kids that is the answer. Yes, it is another competition that we will have, but it is almost like a practice performance for Valley. What is Valley you ask? Well that simple.
 

Valley is our biggest comp. It is about a two hour bus ride and we compete against some really good bands. Such as Valley and Dowling. Both those bands have a long reputation of being the best. So it’s a battle for us; the last two years at Valley we have not placed all that well, so this year we have to prove ourselves.

This year is our year! Hopefully… So far this year we have done well at our competitions, we have placed 2^nd in a couple of them, and what isn’t better than that?! After those two everyone was really excited, and most people in the Cougar Marching Band are going to walk into this weekend thinking we have it in the bag, but do we really?
 

I hate to say it, but we don’t. We do not have it “in the bag”. If we want a good spot at Valley we have to work our tails off and most people don’t want to put in the work to get better. It is a team effort and there is some people in “this team” who don’t want to put in the work like everyone else is, and that can make or break us at Valley.

At the start of competition season, judges are a little more lenient when it comes to scores, because most bands are just learning their show, or music, or still haven’t had much time to clean the drill. But as the season wears on, the judges become more and more strict.
 

The judges at Valley are just down right mean. They know exactly what they are looking for and if they see something wrong, you get docked big time for it. Such as the judges this year are from the Cavaliers. Which is a great drum corps group. So they know exactly what to look for and what it should look like.

This year will be tough at Valley but it always pays off. Such as Mrs. Fleer is always yelling at us during the year. But after Valley when we get off the field we all circle up and she gives us the most perfect speech. It is very heart warming and many people end up in tears. Mostly the seniors since it is their last performance and last competition.

The Radio

When you get into the car what is the first thing you do? Put the key in, seatbelt on, and turn on the radio? I know personally that is how it goes for me and many people that I know or are in my family. For many turning on the radio when they get in the car is just like putting the key in the ignition and starting it.

The great thing about the radio, is that there is so many different stations. There is stations such as 96.5 or 98.1 for people who prefer to listen to country music; then there are stations such as 102.9 or 92.3 for people who like pop music. There is also the oldies and the Christian stations, so everyone can find at least one station that they like.

There is also down fall with the radio. Now a days there are so many commercials. When you turn on a station, most of the time no more than 3 songs come on before there is another commercial or a talk show. That is a reason some people prefer to listen to a CD versus the radio.

I feel that most people, when driving by themselves, with no one else in the car just turn on the radio just for the noise, sometimes people don’t even listen to it. It is more for the background noise, more than for the actual song, or the lyrics, or what is being said.

There are also some people that turn on the radio and turn it up so loud for absolutely no reason at all. Some people do it to irritate the drivers around them, or even to block out the noise or the other people in the car with them. In some circumstance I think it is okay to have music playing loudly, as long as you can still concentrate and focus on the road, and still able to hear sirens if something happens.

There is a down fall to listening to the music too loud though. Such as, from personal experiences, people who have their music really loud while driving are more likely to speed or are more likely to drive recklessly and take their eyes off the road a lot to either mess around with the radio, or to change the station, or the volume level, or even change the CD that is in. 

8th Grade preformance

Every year, usually on a Wednesday, towards the end of marching band season; the Cougar Marching band goes to Kingston Stadium to play for the 8^th graders who are in band from middle schools in Cedar Rapids. Jefferson and Washington are also there too. Most years, we perform in alphabetical order, which means, Jefferson goes first then Kennedy, then Washington.

We all sit on the track as the other schools perform and watch quietly. We all are supposed to support each other even though that doesn’t always happen. We aren’t there for us we are there to get as many 8^th graders next year to march. After we all march we all go into the stands in our separate schools, and sections, to get all the young ones to come to our sections. (Such as flute players go with the flutes, and trumpet players go with the trumpets, etc.)

Once we all get situated, we have pizza and talk to the 8^th graders about band. Sometimes you can tell right away who is going to do it, because they are really excited, and other times the young ones are on the edge on if they want to do it or not. No matter how many times we tell them it is worth all the time put in, some of them won’t do it.

You are probably wondering why I’m blogging about this, well the answer is simple there is no way in the world to convince every single 8^th grader to do marching band, or even stay in band at all. But once the next year rolls around and you see one of the ones that you talked to during the 8^th grader performance it is rewarding. You know, that you helped convince someone to stay in band and to march. And it’s a great feeling.

Sometimes the 8^th graders who want to do it, try to convince their friends or people they know to do it so that they aren’t alone, or at least know someone in band, the next year. Which that helps the band as whole because it puts us higher in numbers. Every year our goal is to get more and more people in band.

New Music

Now a days there is so many kinds of new music. There is the “new” country, the “old” country, pop, rap, rock and roll, etc. I think with the times changing it fits but some of the music is getting ridiculous. For the new generation, they are going to grow up on music full of people singing about drugs, and so many other bad things that little kids should not be hearing. Which could only influence at a younger age them just as they do to teenagers now.

Based on (http://chattanoogaentertainers.com/country-vs-country-bob-payne/) country music is constantly changing to bring in new fans. In order to keep people listening and to get more people to listen musicians, artists, and song writers have to continuously change their style, their way of writing and singing, the way they preform, and the words they use in their songs. There also creates a problem for song writers because they have to fit to the new style of music and to the musician they are writing the music for.

There are also a lot of changes in the music industry itself. Such as a lot of people are in it for the money now instead of just doing it because it’s something they want to do, or they enjoy doing. Also the way artists and musicians are recording have changed. Some instead of going to actual studios for a recording, they just do it on a computer at home or in a studio better than the older ones, and sent over the internet; says Greg at (http://urbanhonking.com/ideasfordozens/2008/01/12/a_brief_history_of_the_music_i/).

So all in all music and the music industry is continuously changing. It’s like a revolving door that just keeps going. It will forever change. As long as music is around it will never be the same as it was when it first began being popular or as it is today.