Sunday, November 09, 2003
what an experience i have to tell!
saturday was something i will never forget. a an episode in my life that i've never experienced before, an experience i'd like to share with you (because it was incredible!).
so this weekend was the cal poly (san luis obisbo) game. unfortunately, we lost (it was our first loss this season). but that wasn't anything to deprive the cal aggie marching band-uh of enthusiasm. ooooh, no.
the half-time show went great. the whole "games people play" deal worked out awesome-ly. heehee. for a first half-time show, i don't think i did too bad... but my legs were begging me for mercy later. sorry, guys. marching first. :) like my motto has always been.
but the best part started after the show. the wind started to get a bit more forceful, and the clouds were painting the blue sky grey. at first, i thought that the spit was coming out of my friend's saxophone when i felt something wet on my cheek (hey; typical thing for a bando. i'm so used to it). but i looked up, and i realized that it was not. so we get what we call "aggie baggies" (ponchos for your instrument and yourself). we put them on, and continued to play.
it wasn't so bad until the game actually ended. but for college bands, that's when the real battle begins. we were playing "against" the cal poly band, back and forth. by our third song, the rain started to pour. and pour. then pour some more. ponchos can only do so much. they don't protect the bottoms or the sleeves of our 100% wool uniforms. people with music on ligatures just gave up; the rain was sogging them up so fast that it was no use. by the end of it all, there really wasn't any use for a poncho.
we always march to and from the band room. always. even in rain, even in hail, even in a tornado. can't step over puddles, can we? splat. my shoes and socks were so drenched, that i could tip it upside down and water would pour out. my socks were marinated in muddy water; i wringed out a puddle. my pants were hopeless. wow.
but then i thought about it: high school... hm, i never got to march in the rain before. as a matter of fact, if it rains, then the gig is cancelled. i never knew that playing pep tunes in the rain could be so incredibly rejuvenating. come to think of it, it's bringing rain and music together, two elements i cannot live without. how awesome is that?
so put this on your to-do list in life: play a song under the pouring rain. live, for once in a great while.
+++++
