That’s not news. That happens all the time. My dad objected to my choice of college too, and a LOT more strenuously than that lady yesterday. Here’s some real news: While a few dozen kids threw and caught and chased a ball (extremely well, for high school) on national television today, 125 of the most talented high school students in the country were sitting 50 yards away, watching, waiting for their turn to perform.
Those kids were members of the 2012 Army All-American Marching Band. They were selected based on three separate audition videos, showcasing their skill on their instrument, their preparation of the selected music, and their marching ability. They were NOT selected based on their GPA, their creativity, their work ethic, their respectful manner, their physical fitness, or their discipline. But they could have been.
The members of the All-American Marching Band arrived on Monday, strangers. Like the football players, they are all high school seniors. They drilled and rehearsed tirelessly for five days to prepare a halftime show that would take an average college marching band several weeks to learn. They had an excellent marching staff, made up of music educators from all over the country, and an excellent director in T. Andre Feagin, who inspired fierce pride and camaraderie in the band. My colleagues and I led several “mentorship sessions” with the students, working on their music and helping them become better performers in general. We offered lessons when we could, and The Volunteers (the rock component of the Army Field Band) and the Army Field Band Brass Quintet had opportunities to perform for them.
All that culminated in today. The band played the best halftime show I’ve ever seen. The arrangements were terrific, the drill was beautifully designed, and the kids executed the show like they’ve been doing it for years instead of hours. It was inspiring.
You’d think a performance like that would be the highlight of the week. That was what we had been working towards. But the highlight for me came immediately afterwards, when the band kids were in the hallway behind the bleachers. They were all hugging and laughing and congratulating each other on their performance, when the mellophones started playing an old Journey song. The drum line joined in, the other musicians started singing along, and after a few minutes it led into another song, led by different players. That led to another. These kids, who only just met, were playing in an impromptu jam session.
I borrowed a horn from Garrett, one of my trumpet players, and joined them on “Chameleon,” an old Herbie Hancock tune. Finally, it was time to turn the instruments and uniforms back in, and they marched down the hall in perfect step, playing “Stand By Me” as they went. Randy Wight of The Volunteers sang along.
That moment was easily the highlight of my All-American Bowl experience. The students of the 2012 All-American Marching Band memorized an intricate, challenging halftime show and performed it for tens of thousands of people. Then, when nobody was watching, they performed another show for each other, with no preparation except the skill they’ve developed on their instruments, their inherent creativity and their love of music.
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