So I wanted to share a little history of my background. Back in high school, I was in all 4 years of my marching band. I had one of the best memories there because it was so fun, and it helped me with my abilities on the trumpet. But my senior year was the best, because I was the secondary drum major.
That year, the band wanted to do a show that was a bit different. We picked Gary P Gilroy's show "Urban Pulse". It was the best pick for our incoming freshmen and the roster of experience we have in our sections. Not to mention, it had that spice we were looking for. The 2nd movement was a jazz feature, which we decided to take it up a notch and make it close to a drum corp jazz feature sequence. I was the drum major "conducting" that movement. But it was more of an improvisational conducting, I was told to do anything so I went with it! It was a lot of fun. But I didn't think what we had in mind, and what I went on doing for the shows would do for us this year.
This was taken during one of our award ceremonies at a competition. I'm the drum major all the way to the right with the white pants, my friend Andrew, is the other drum major all the way to the left. Everyone else are seniors in my class.
Our marching band competed in several independent-board competitions, and we won all of them with 1st place and multiple other awards, including best color guard, best drumline, best music, and get this, best drum major! (Everyone says it's because of me, makes me blush all the time). Our show gave our band an undefeated season that year, 2013. My last marching band campaign in high school was a huge success, and one which I had a lot of fun and lots of memories.
It also got us the recognition of our town's Board of Education, where they made an official statement of our success. In the statement, I quote:
"WHEREAS, THE Raider Marching Band was undefeated
in the 2013 New Independent League Group AA Competition,
placing an impressive first in all five of their
competitions this year, winning Best Music, Effect, Color
Guard, Percussion, Visual, and Major Drum".
I wanted to show you this show. The show that got us to the top of our class and gave my senior year one hell of a story.
I hope you enjoy!
Thanks for reading and listening! If you like what you hear and see, please let me know in the comments below!
~ Joshua A. I.