Band Parent

Everyone wants to be involved in a winning effort.Everyone wantsto be superior and award-winning, but sometimes those things just elude our grasp.

Difficulty in attaining high goals makes us realize that such things happen onlywith a good amount of determination, hard work, talent, and practice. Thedifficulties make the joy of attaining a goal all the sweeter.

My two younger daughters, one a senior in high school and one a junior incollege, are still involved in marching band. Although an activity that neithermy husband nor I participated in ourselves, we've been glad to tag along forthese last twelve years. As football season winds down in the U.S., I can't helpbut reflect that band has been a marvelous and critical part of our daughters'education. The same can be said for many other extra-curricular activities,whether sports, drama, academic quizzing, or technical competitions.

Our girls enjoyed being "band nerds" -not outcasts, but their very own group andfamily with whom to bond, hang out, laugh, cry, fight, get in trouble, and fallin love. At least that is the way they viewed their band "family."

They worked hard and loved playing; but somehow when it came to festivalcompetitions, they just couldn't bring home a "superior" rating. It was verydisappointing. They felt discouraged when other departments and programs of theschool competed in various places and won "firsts" or "superiors", while theband didn't.

Our long-time high school band director retired honorably last year. Bandprograms in many schools have experienced tough times in recent years when facedwith the demands that standardized testing and learning place on the rest of theschool curriculum. The director had designate marching band as an "allvolunteer" program, with many practices outside of school hours. In the move toan all-volunteer marching band, the program lagged with a very small group for afew years as it built up enthusiasm, reputation and volunteers.

This year we welcomed a new director with fresh enthusiasm, ideas and new waysof doing things. The director also held the outlandish notion that these kidshad the potential to win an "honor" designation at the state level for marchingband. As a frequent clinic judge herself, she knew what was required, and wasable to convince the kids they could do it. A large part of winning is simplybelieving that you can. Still, after their first marching band state competitionin many years, we breathlessly awaited the judging results. With fourteenschools in their small school division (under 1,000), there were plenty of"good" and "excellent" ratings being awarded, with only a few "superiors" given.I squeezed my daughter's knee as we waited. They had played very well, but hadtheir performance been good enough?

Then came the results: "Broadway High School - superior!" The covetedannouncement rang out, quickly drowned out by cheers from our students, teachersand parents. What a rush! We jumped up and down, we hugged, and a few tears werewiped away by those of us who remembered the long years of always being an "also ran."

Band is a good extension of our family and faith values. It teachesdetermination, hard work, the beauty of music, the joy of creation, and thevalue of practicing (even in extreme heat and snowy cold). It teaches the valueof teamwork. Band literally cannot be accomplished as a solo effort. It requireslistening to leaders, obeying the rules, keeping in step, and being graciouslosers. Winning involves all these things, as well as selecting music pleasingto the particular judges and the luck of favorable placement in the competitionlineup (neither first nor last). Whether they win or lose, students like to seeMoms and Dads supporting them. As one young musician expressed, "The best partabout any program or performance is coming out and seeing your proud and smiling faces."

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Contributed by Melodie Davis from her weekly columnANOTHER WAY (http://www.thirdway.com/aw/).For information on using Another Way in a local newspaper, contact:ANOTHER WAY, 1251 Virginia Ave., Harrisonburg, VA 22801-2497; or call1-800-999-3534; fax at 540-434-5556; or email me at:Melodie@mennomedia.org