The Kiss of Death

Whenever I am at a marching band competition and I REALLY like your band's performance, that is your sign to pack the trucks, put away the uniforms and load the kids on the bus. It happens at every performance! What are the judges looking for? Not entertainment, contemporary music and kids having fun!

The school that performed Bohemian Rhapsody by Queen was one of the first groups that I noticed. I wanted to sing along. They played to perfection! It seems everyone in the stands were loving it. Time for awards...crickets...Bohemian who? Nothing!

At the Bands of America competition, one group did a performance on nightmares. Girls dressed as zombies picked up a girl in red pajamas , tossed her up in the air, then chased and haunted her throughout the marching band performance. In the end, she was asleep on the 50 yard line. The zombies hoisted her over their heads and carried her off the field and out of the stadium! Whoohoo's and redneck whistles from me. The judges didn't even toss them a bone!

Last night, Athens Drive High School performed "In a Flash." I've seen it twice. Both times, I got chills. The gist: In a car crash, your life passes before your eyes. What do you see? Your family, the big game, the first dance (the whole band does the Macarena), the ones you love. It is thought provoking, fun, sad, and a cliff-hanger. For high school kids, this is an eye-opening performance. What did they get? 7th place! Why?

If you are a band director watching the crowd instead of your kids performing and you see me dancing, yelling and really getting into your performance, I apologize. You have just received the kiss of death. But, go home in the knowledge that you have thoroughly entertained a 40 something mother who has nothing to give but recognition on her blog!