10/1/18
Dear FIRST PLACE Marching Band student and parent,
First of all, CONGRATULATIONS AND THANK YOU to EVERYONE connected with our wonderful program on that outstanding performance in Thomasville this past Saturday!!! This goes to all the parents who served as chaperones and field crew or assisted in any other way on that long day. We simply could not have done the show without you! For those that traveled to Thomasville to cheer us on, thank you as well! It is great to see friendly faces so far from home! David Uy did a great job recording our performance. We will find a way for you to access it. You really need to watch this if you haven’t seen it!
I can still hear the compliments extended to our students, staff and parents from other bands. Everyone loved the show—including the adjudicators! Here are some comments from our judges:
“Thank you for playing classy music that is accessible to listeners on any level!”
“Good energy; you SOLD the performance!”
“Terrific show! Well done!”
“This was a TREAT!”
I showed the performance to the kids today and they were so proud of themselves—as they should be! We have marched through RAIN, HEAT, and other forms of discomfort since July—but we did it! “We are the champions” and, we get to do it many more times! (And hopefully enjoy more winning too).
And…so sorry about the 2-hour delay in arriving back home. There was a medical emergency that occurred immediately before the awards ceremony that held up the event about 45 minutes. On the way back home, we hit a construction delay on Rt. 40 that cost us another hour (3 out of 4 lanes closed on a major artery…shaking my head about this one). In my 25 years as a director at Athens, I have never encountered such delays…truly, we are usually on-time within the half hour. It will get better!
Here’s the information needed concerning the competition this Saturday. It will be very similar to the one last weekend, just a bit further away.
JOHN HOLMES H.S. COMPETITION
[aka “PEANUT FESTIVAL BATTLE OF THE BANDS”]
Edenton, NC
Saturday, Oct. 6, 2018
Report to Athens * 10:15am
Rehearsal in new stadium 10:30am
Return to bandroom; eat; change; load equipment 12:30pm
Inspection in senior lot (in ½ uniform) 2:00pm
Travel to John Holmes H.S. via activity busses 2:15-5:00pm
Eat dinner (provided by boosters) 5:15pm
Warm up begins 6:30pm
PERFORMANCE 7:30pm
Awards Ceremony 8:15pm
Depart JHHS 9:45pm
Arrive Athens Drive 12:30am
* Field crew/prop parents, etc. please report earlier (10:00am) to help set up.
Important Competition Day Logistics
WE NEED PARENTS TO ASSIST WITH SETTING UP PROPS! In fact, every parent who serves on the field crew will get in FREE to the competition. (Usual cost is about $10 per person.)
If you can assist with FIELD CREW/PROPS, please email/text Richard Swirski at 919-215-2125/richard.swirski@gmail.com. You will need to come to the beginning of the Saturday rehearsal to be assigned a prop and understand where to set it and how to handle it. If you can stay through the transitions (loading the semi, etc.) that would be wonderful as well.
Other important information concerning Saturday logistics:
1) Students must remain on campus between our rehearsal and inspection; there will not be enough time for students to safely leave campus. Make certain they bring a lunch/snack for after rehearsal.
2) The students will be wearing their uniform shoes, black socks, bibs and “Be a Sport” show shirt for the bus ride to John Holmes H.S.
3) The boosters will provide a meal for the students when they arrive on the campus of JHHS.
4) Before we leave Edenton, students may change into more comfortable clothes for the bus ride home. If possible, students are encouraged to wear a lightweight type of shorts under the uniform so they may change out of the uniform outside near our semi (“big blue”).
5) Our boosters will provide a light snack for the students’ ride back to Raleigh.
6) We’ll get word to you (via REMIND, cell-phone) if we run ahead or behind schedule more than ½ hour.
7) We enthusiastically invite all parents, family, and friends to travel to Edenton to enjoy our performance and route on our band! YOUR PRESENCE MAKES A DIFFERENCE!
And remember, we need HELP with all this equipment…but you must contact one of the parents listed above so that we can get things organized!
8) If you are planning to attend the show and would like to drive your child home, please submit a written request. In general, I like to keep the students together throughout the entire event; however, I will trust your judgment if you feel it absolutely necessary for your child to be home earlier.
9) Be on the lookout for instructions on where to pick your child up when we arrive at Athens. We may ask you to park behind the school in the senior lot as we are going to bring the semi in and park it in order to get the driver home ASAP. We’ll bring the busses up closer to the school as well.
10) You will find the show schedule attached!
Hope to see you at the N.C. Peanut Festival going “NUTS” about our band!
