Winter Performance Championships

Yesterday began at 3 am...

 and ended today, at 3:37 am...

A twenty four hour period packed with energy.

Twenty one teenagers, having practiced and practiced and practiced some more.

Two ensembles, winter guard, who placed 7th

and Indoor Percussion, who placed 4th.

Countless hours, and effort becoming an ensemble.

A young instructor, teaching and learning at the same time

 and who is pretty handy in many respects

and a band director who cares about and for the kids

Two shots that say volumes...
midafternoon, while percussion was warming up... he 'hit the wall' and sat down to rest...

and it lasted less than two minutes...

till he was up and running again...

My boy had a good day...

is growing fast and strong and learning lessons here, like how to persist in the face of hardship and trial,
how practice makes perfect, and how friendships are made.  The list could go on and on.

He's learned to win and to lose gracefully and to hold his head high,  knowing that he's given his best.

* There is no losing here... none at all... 
there's simply some learning  that you're not always going to finish first*

There is music in his head and in his heart...
that comes from a drum
and from being part of something that is larger than himself, but in which he matters.

Thank you to those who gave of themselves to make this happen!

And to some amazing young adults who will go far in life.

(Suspiciously missing are photos of the four parents who worked round the clock in this effort.
We were behind the cameras, the equipment, the wheel and the kids!)