Bands of America Regional Competition

The final weekend of Marching Band 2010 continued with the Bands of America Regional Competition. American Fork High School Band Parents helped to host the event so Richard and I again had a volunteer position to fulfill. We were Road Monitor's. We stopped traffic from coming onto one of the roads that the bands took from the practice field into the stadium. We had about a three hour time there, then began the preparations for the preliminary competition. Unloading the band equipment, getting out the uniforms, putting the mirrors in order and laying out the flag bags
As it was all unloaded, it was a little sad, to be doing it for the last time, knowing we would load it back up at the end of the night and not do it again. It has been a lot of fun getting to know the other Band Dads (and Moms), being a part of such a GREAT group of people has been a wonderful experience.

The kids arrived, uniforms were put on, instruments taken out of their cases, flags out of their bags and the warm ups began.
Rachael had Grandma and Grandpa Anderson come to watch.

Jessica was here also.

The band took the field, the crowds cheered and we watched our band perform their hearts out. They did a GREAT job and got this



FIRST PLACE in their division and the opportunity to move to the Bands of America Finals Competition to be held later in the evening.

The kids headed to have their pictures taken and they got a little crazy.

Rachael has made great friends in Color Guard, we love Clarissa and Amy.


One more performance - GOOD LUCK tonight!!


November 6, 2010

UTAH STATE MARCHING BAND CHAMPS!

Here is the performance at the Red Rocks Marching Band Competition. The Band Received FIRST PLACE! State Champs again.

The Last Weekend of Marching Band 2010 - Part A

It is hard to believe that the 2010 Marching Band season is drawing to a close. The band is down to it's last performances. They traveled to St George, Utah for their final weekend. Rachael and the band left on Thursday morning, they practiced on Thursday afternoon then had their band banquet and a dance with a couple of the other bands in town.

Richard and I left as soon as he was done with work for the day and drove down. Grandma and Grandpa Anderson came down for the weekend also.

Friday morning things started early with the band having their final practice starting at 9:00 am.
Some last minute repairs were needed to Rachael's mirror.

The repaired mirror is working GREAT!
Rachael and the rest of the girls were giving it their all right to the end, knowing it was now or never.

The girls received their last words of encouragement, inspiration and love from their director Tiffany Miller.



Mr Miller, the Band Teacher, tells the students "This is it! Give it your all. You are the returning State Champions - lets do it again."

And with that, no more practices, it is time for lunch and to get ready for the first of three performances in the next two days.

Bridgerland Competition

On October 30th the band headed way north to Logan and the beautiful campus of Utah State University for another marching band competition. The weather held off while we loaded the trailer, but not for the unload. It was pouring cats and dogs by the time we were unloading. We put up lots of awnings, and tarps to try to keep things dry, Richard and I were both wearing Rain suits

Time for the band to take the field and the rain stops, so off comes their rain jackets.On come the band DAD's with all of the pit equipment

Now here is RACHAEL

And let the show begin . . . .


As I have said before I like the ending to the show and I like it even better when they don't drop Tabitha, tonight they did not drop her.





The show ended and the band left the field and the rain returned, the band had all of their rain gear very close and put it back on to sit in the stands and watch the remaining bands. Richard and Greg Carter hurried back to the buses to find some rain ponchos for the girls.

I don't know how much the rain poncho helped by the time they got them, the girls were soaked. When it was time for them to leave all three of the blankets that I had in the car went with them on the bus hoping they could warm up.



That smile makes all of the practice, travel, early mornings, late nights hard work, rainy and snowy competitions and money involved PRICELESS! Thanks Rachael for enjoying what you do and allowing us to be a part of it.


October 30, 2010

Pumpkin Carving

The counters are covered in newspaper. Knives and big spoons to get out the inside gunk

Markers to draw where to cut



The computer for a picture to follow




The finished products!

Mt Timpanogos Marching Band Competition

The American Fork High School Marching Band is the sponsor of the Mt Timpanogos Marching Band Competition held at Mountain View High School in Orem. It is quite an endevor to make everything come together for the competition. We loaded the semi early Saturday morning and headed over to help get things up and going. We put up tent awnings, and marked fields and hoped that it wouldn't rain. But that hope wasn't to be, the rain started about the time the first band took the practice field, the rain came and came and came, the temperature dropped and dropped and dropped.

The weather didn't get any better all day, it was cold and wet, the volunteer room ran out of hot chocolate. We were really glad that we had some "hot hands" to help us stay warm.

The band again did a GREAT job performing in the rain.



The band again received FIRST PLACE in the 5A category.

After the awards were over, the band again takes the field and does an encore performance, because of the cold, the Color Guard girls wore their warmup suits.

The kids then got to load up and head back to the school, while we got to do cleanup. Picking up trash in the stadium, putting away tent awnings, loading up all of our band equipment. It was a really long and tiring day. But as the commercial says "PRICELESS"

2010 Davis Cup

The band traveled north to Kaysville to Davis High School for the DAVIS CUP. Grandma and Grandpa Anderson came up to watch the show and saved me a great seat at the top. It was cold and windy sitting in the stadium, we sat there huddled in a blanket and watched Rachael

She performs to her best and smiles even if she is freezing.







I think the show gets better and better each time (watch the ending - Tabitha gets dropped - OUCH). The show ends and the anticipation begins. Did the judges like the show, how was the music, did it all flow together? Why is the wait for the awards taking so long? Then it begins . . .

The drum majors come back onto the field for the awards.

The band waits patiently


to hear this . . . .