Competition Day...

Our second day in Phoenix dawned bright and early. Actually, it was still dark when we reported for breakfast...more on that later. We ate quickly and loaded all the percussion kids on the first bus to head to the local high school for another rehearsal. It was early-morning chilly but beautiful...not a cloud in the sky. We helped a bit with moving some of the equipment to the field, and then my roommate and fellow chaperone and I decided we needed some caffeine. I'm not a coffee drinker, and I hadn't had time to locate a coke machine at our resort, so I was really feeling it. We asked our Fiesta Bowl hosts if there was anything within walking distance, and their response was that the closest place was at least a mile-and-a-half away, too far to walk. I tried not to laugh in their faces...seriously, a mile-and-a-half is not going to stand between me and my Coke when I am in willing and able...I had time, the weather was beautiful and I could already taste it. My roommate, Deb, was in agreement, so off we set. We had a nice chat while we walked. It was such a nice quiet morning, and it took us a while to realize that the quiet must have been due to it being the morning of New Year's Day. We never did find the McDonald's that was our original target, but we happened upon a gas station convenience store and loaded up on some pop, bottled water and a few snacks. I meant to pack snacks in my suitcase...really I did...but I probably would have forgotten to grab them out of my suitcase, anyway.

Early morning rehearsal...

A bit cooler than the day before...

Upon our return, we watched practice for a bit and then went to help with getting uniforms ready for the day's performance. There were a couple of moms and a grandma along for the trip that usually help with uniforms, but that meant that chaperones would need to pitch in to help. I. HAD. NO. IDEA. This uniform thing is such a production, and I am super thankful to the ladies who work with the kids each week during the season to make them look so sharp for performances. This is only the second year for their new uniforms, by the way, so much care is taken to maintain each piece and part. The uniforms were broken down into five uniform boxes...three for the band and two for the color guard. Each box contained a numbered uniform and a pair of shoes for its assigned band members. The shoes were supposed to be tied together, but a few were not, causing a bit of scrambling at the last minute. Stations were set up...a dressing rooms, hair stations, make-up for the guard girls, a repair station for missing buttons, etc. Shakos, those schmancy band hats, each one stored in its own numbered box, were lined up along the curb outside. Instructions for clearing the high school of equipment and personal possessions were given. It was, for me, a bit jaw-dropping. And WHY did I not take pictures of this process? I suppose part of it was I was trying not to cause my daughter undue embarrassment from her shutterbug mom. But now I'm thinking that I shouldn't have cared quite that much. And, of course, part of it was that I was trying to be part of the solution, not part of the problem.

Also the Arizona Cardinals Stadium...

Pre-performance pep talk...

Drumline warm-up...

A few of the kids came up and asked me to "pin" them. HUH? Turns out they each need the bib portion of their uniforms pinned to the Under Armour shirts they wear. Okay, so now I was getting the hang of this and figuring out my purpose. I helped some of the drumline and pit kids, almost always the last to get done with equipment, to locate their uniforms and shoes. I helped go through the rooms and make sure everything was cleared. And I became a little claustrophobic when I boarded the bus...it was full of hanging uniform bags (containing their jackets) and shako boxes, along with kids and their personal items.

Drumline warm-ups...

We drove for about an hour to get to the University of Phoenix/Arizona Cardinals Stadium. As soon as we arrived, we were served a boxed lunch. Then the kids had to finish getting dressed and start their warm-up. Just before warm-up, we "plumed" the kids. Again, HUH? Apparently those fancy plumes atop those schmancy shakos need to be attached as a final step in uniform preparation. Next up...Band Body. At each practice and before each performance, the band performs about a ten-minute choreographed warm-up routine called Band Body. Each year's routine incorporates some of the choreography moves from that year's show. After Band Body, they break into groups...percussion, the remainder of the band, and the color guard. Each group has its own warm-up process. It's quite fascinating to watch. Again, I wish I would have taken better pictures.

Mindy pushing her marimba out onto the field...

Just after her "smile and wave"...

Preliminary performance...

Just before the kids finished their music warm-up, we chaperones headed for the stadium. It was a bit of a hike, so we barely made it to our seats before the kids performed. One of my favorite moments of the trip came just before our band entered the field. If you've followed along this season, you know the show shirts that the kids and parents alike sported this season were highlighter yellow in color. As much disdain as I had for these shirts at the beginning of the season, I grew to love these shirts by its end. The kids NEVER missed us. They could find us in a split second. And I was almost always able to make eye contact with Mindy, although she cooly responded with a little smile when I did. She said she wasn't supposed to wave. Okay, I get that. Well, as soon as Mindy rolled her marimba onto the edge of the field, she looked up to find me. I waved as I always do, and SHE WAVED AND GAVE ME A BIG SMILE! I thought I might cry. She had already told me the day before that she was so glad I'd come on the trip...when some kids had expressed their relief that their parents hadn't come. At that moment, I didn't have a care in the world about the cost of my coming on this trip. It was worth every penny.

One last day of competition for Echosphere...

You already know the outcome of the competition. They blew the prelims out of the water. It was a powerful run, and they knew it. We scurried out to meet them in the group photo area, and then the kids boarded the buses to change back into their street clothes so that we could return to the stadium for the prelim awards. They scored first place and the last performance slot! Then it was back to the buses, a bit rank at this point from all the sweaty, smelly teenagers...it was sunny and mid-70s outside...and then off to a neigboring mall for a break. Upon arrival, we received another boxed meal, to the tune of a few grumbles. Mindy, Alex and I took our meals and wandered through the outdoor mall to find a nice bench next to a beautiful fountain to eat. Had there been readily available fast food, we probably would have dumped our boxed meals, but we made the best of our turkey sandwiches and chips. Upon finishing, however, I was in earnest pursuit of...you guessed it...a Coke. I would have purchased one at the stadium, but the sticker shock of a price...higher than Lucas Oil Stadium here in Indy...killed that desire. You know it's bad when you can get a better price on pop at a movie theater.

The gorgeous Westgate Mall...

Back to the buses we went, back to the stadium parking lot, back to the pre-performance routine of uniforms, Band Body and musical warm-ups. I was exhausted just watching these kids go through the motions. I know they're young, and it's easier to keep up that pace at that age, but it's still remarkable what they go through each performance day. Including rehearsal, this was their THIRD time through their routine that day, on the heels of a very long day the day before! They HAVE to love it...and they do.

A little Photoshop fun...

We made it to our seats in time to see the top three performers, which was a treat for me, at this point. As a faithful spectator, I am used to seeing most, if not all, the bands competing. It gave me a new appreciation for what our uniform moms and chaperones sacrifice each week. Once again, the band gave a beautiful performance. I think we all fought back tears as this was the very LAST performance of this show...and the very last performance ever for our talented group of seniors, including Alex. The kids were able to push their equipment out and then return to the stands in uniform for awards. Long story short...we won...pretty much everything. Grand Master Champion. A score of 98.2...the highest score EVER given at this competition. And we got fireworks! It was awesome. I was so glad to be part of that experience. I heart this band.

Back in the parking lot, we spent a good deal of time loading up uniforms and equipment. Each plume had to be removed, wrapped in plastic and returned to its box. Uniform bags had to be inspected so that uniforms would be ready for the upcoming parade performance. Finally, at close to midnight, the buses and trucks were loaded, and we headed for the resort...an hour away. As much as I anticipated their excitement at having won, understandably, they pretty much all passed out on the way back. Usually, the band returns to school to change, so the excitement is still running pretty high on the buses, from what I understand. We pulled into the resort parking lot at close to 1 am and were reminded that the next day's wake-up call was at 3:30 am...in a mere two-plus hours. It was surreal. I couldn't even focus on the reality of it. None of us could. We just threw it into automatic and stumbled into bed. I got up a bit early, around 3:15, knowing that I would be moving very slowly, and then started wake-up calls after my shower. We were out the door by around 4:15 am, grabbed our boxed breakfast, and were back on the buses headed for the Grand Canyon by 4:45 am.

More photos of today are on flick'r...click here.