You're Gonna Miss This Moment: Band

I found out last week that this past Saturday was the annual band competition held at the high school I graduated from 23 years ago. My old high school has been holding this competition for as long as I can remember...it draws hundreds of people annually to come watch the 50+ bands that participate.

I used to be in band in high school - in the color guard. I loved it! I missed it dearly for years after I graduated and because of that I never missed a band competition or a winter color guard competition for the next ten years or so.

When my children reached middle school age I told them all they had to choose an instrument - it wasn't an option...they were going to participate in band. If they absolutely hated it after a year or so I would have let them quit, but I knew they would love it - they were all musically inclined. Jon, the oldest, chose trumpet and he excelled at it going on to play in the high school marching band and taking on a leadership role there. My twins were right behind him in grade - Tina chose saxophone and Felicia chose flute. The girls, like their brother, excelled in the band. Both girls took on leadership positions in the high school band.

Jon went to a different high school than the girls did because he chose to go live with their father in another city. It wasn't far from us but when the girls started band their freshman year there was an opening for a Color Guard Director. I mentioned that I used to be in Color Guard and could help out so after an initial trial "volunteering" period I was hired. Because I was now employed with the band and required to attend all football games on Friday nights I couldn't attend any of my son's football games unless we didn't have a game one particular night...which did happen a couple of times so we were able to go see him perform.

I was so blessed to be able to spend this time with my daughters during their high school years. I taught the 7th period Color Guard class and then stayed for band practices every afternoon and then we would all drive home together. It took us 45 mins - an hour to get home every day. That was our time where we could talk and re-hash the day's events. Then on the weekends we had football games and competitions. There was lots of traveling to state competitions and football playoffs. We have some great memories from those 4 years.

Back in August, I was asked to come back and teach Color Guard again this year. I told them I would consider it. It took me about two days to decide it just wouldn't be the same without my daughters there and I turned down the offer. This clip is my daughter, Tina - she was the drum major her junior and senior year.



This clip is from the same evening but it's just one from the band/color guard on the field. At the beginning of the clip, you can see Tina in the lower right hand corner directing the band.


To read more about You're Gonna Miss This Moments, check out Pam's blog.