Band Practice

When I set up my gig to be the Band Director for a Day, Dr. Tracz briefly outlined the schedule, subject to change when we knew the game time.  (I knew varying game times was difficult for the administration and football team, but I hadn't even thought about the band.  I guess the pre-game routine is fairly standard, but when there is an 11:00 a.m. game, what time do they have to practice?  Yikes!)  Anyway, although I could have attended the 8:00 a.m. staff meeting (which I would have loved to do), we could not arrive in time, so I went to the 9:30 a.m. practice.  By the time I got there at 9:25, the band members were already on the field.

Since I did not know Dr. Tracz, I approached two people who looked like they knew what they were doing.  One was a staff member, one a student, and they both immediately said, "Oh yes, we will take you to meet Dr. Tracz."  Now I expected that of the staff member, but the student?  Well, not so much. What a pleasure it was to be greeted so nicely!

Dr. Tracz treated me very well. He presented me with a band shirt, a purple band hat, a very nice band polo, and my own baton!  Several times as the band was practicing he would mention me, he introduced me to the whole band, and he even let me give the announcements.  I accused him of having a bad second-grade teacher because I couldn't exactly read his handwriting, and he seemed to enjoy the repartee . . . I hope so, or else I received an F!

I had never really watched band practice from close range.  Once the students were on the field, Dr. Tracz was in the middle of them, talking to some, encouraging others.  A staff member in the stands had a microphone as did Dr. Tracz, and they could talk to the band over the speaker system.  No one could accuse them of not being able to be heard.

During the first song I noticed the students were not playing but were singing the song as they marched.  I asked the woman standing next to me why they were singing.  She explained that the students can concentrate better on their marching and it saves their lips for the game.  Makes sense.  I asked if all bands do this, and another staff member said that it is not standard practice, but anyone trained by Dr. Tracz uses that technique.

Anyway, they performed each song once or twice while singing and then they would play it.  During stoppages, Dr. Tracz would walk amongst the band, fixing problems, encouraging, or motivating.  He talked a lot about his and my generation, mentioning that many of our peers were pretty rowdy, sometimes demonstrating.  I agreed with him, and then I chimed in that streaking was also a favorite pasttime.  He jumped on that, threatening to have the two of us streak during halftime.  He didn't hear me say that I think that would cause the entire stadium to empty if I were to do that - ha, ha!

For the last song, the fight song, I was called up to practice.  I knew that they really do not need someone to conduct them . . . once they get the beat from the drum major, they just go . . . but it was surely fun.  After climbing up the podium, I used my baton and my conducting skills from my sixth-grade music class to get the band to play the fight song.  The Classy Cats dancing in front of me smiled encouragement as the band played.  No matter that I didn't exactly know what I was doing.  The band sounded great!

And then it was time to return to the tailgate for awhile.  The band was going to rest and eat, so I decided to go see Don and the fam until game time!  Stay tuned to find out what happened next.