So I guess I could have/should have started this back during Hell Week but now is as good of a time as any. I am a sophomore at the University of Iowa and I play trombone in the marching band here. I figure this is probably a good way just to remember to keep some of my ideas straight in my head as well as just let people know what it is like being a member of a Big 10 Marching Band. We are on our third one week show in a row (our first three games were home games. Maine, FIU, and ISU) and while it has proven quite difficult, our show for this weekend (ISU) promises again to be another crowd pleaser. So far this year we have had two fairly successful shows although I can honestly say that the stong point of the band is the musical performance BY FAR. With the flood this past summer taking out our music building, this season has shaped up to be quite different. Couple that with the fact that we are a little down on numbers this year (about 230 on the field with about eight or so reserve as opposed to 240 field and ten to twelve reserve) and one can say that it is an especially challenging year but we are rising up to every challenge and continuing to produce some of the best shows for our fans and fellow Hawkeyes to enjoy.
Our first show was “Sports Themes” and it featured “Heavy Action (from Monday Night Football),” “Back In Black (AC/DC),” and a medley of “Fox Football/ESPN Sports Center” and while visually it was apparent we have a younger group this year, musically it was a great show and despite some of the forms not being perfect and some people missing step offs, it still got the crowd going. Pregame was awesome for its first time on the field. I remember watching last year’s first pregame (my first time marching Big Ten Style High Step and marching with a colliegent band) and thinking, “Wow I am glad that got better quickly.” This year I was pretty impressed as pregame seemed to be about two weeks ahead of where I thought it would be interms of preparation. It was nice to be back in Kinnick again and this time go in with confidence in myself as I “Skied” onto the field for pregame. (Hawks 46-Maine 3)
The following week brought clouds, cold, and rain but the show kept it hot (so cliché I am surprised Kastens hasn’t already written it somewhere) with our “Heavy Metal” show that was arranged and designed by Low Brass Grad Staffer Michael Hart. It featured “Born to Be Wild,” “Welcome to the Jungle,” and closed with “Paranoid.” As with any one week show, it was difficult to get it on the field and cleaned and with one rehearsal rained out, it was down to the line. Luckily we wound up putting it together Saturday morning at our pregame rehearsal and delivered a confident show. Unfortunately, I have not seen the recording of it (that is tonight at the start of the music rehearsal) but I am confident that we did a fairly good job. The one real complaint I have is that there are still some people who are either too lax in their marching and playing or simply do not know their basics to march and play with confidence but as we have been so short on time these past few weeks just to get the shows on the field, some individuals have slipped into laziness and not performing with confidence. As an ensemble, we are solid and given the awesome people we have on undergrad staff and grad staff, I am entirely confident that the individual issues will be resolved . Musically, the trombone section, despite being down in numbers from last year (21 as opposed to about 30) is a powerhouse. The blend is awesome and the players are increadibly talented. I can tell you that with the Heavy Metal show especially, getting to play with the 'Bones is an AMAZING experience. (Hawks 43-FIU0)
This week is bringing ISU(tsssssss) to town and I will get to see some of my friends I haven't seen since high school for some. Yes, I am a Hawkeye through and through but I am just going to refrain from the typical UI/ISU smack talking (even though it is so much fun!) for now. I guess they are playing "Hey Jude" (rumor has it) which is interesting because that is actually a tradition of HMB to play that song between the third and fourth quarters at every game (you can look that up on our Wikipedia site and it will tell you) so I am interested to see how the Hawk fans will take encroaching on our traditions. Another rumor is that they are playing a guitar hero show. Either way they are a week ahead of us (the visiting band typically performs the same show they did the past weekend at their home field). Luckily, that only gives us more of a drive to be better. Our show this week (which is only two songs becuase we have to let them have time to perform) is "Earth, Wind, and Fire" featuring "Fantasy" and "In the Stone." With our first rehearsal of the show yesterday, we put all the drill on the field and rehearsed in large sectionals (low brass, woodwinds, trumpets, and drumline) and today we will put the music with the drill as well as play through the show in our rehearsal arc and then tonight we will review the recording of last week's pregame and halftime show and then have a music rehearsal. Bones and Tones are also playing "Africa" by Toto as arranged by former section leader Ryan Arp. The issues we were having with individual basics are slowly disappearing and with any luck, this show will blow ISU out of the stadium and back to their corn fields - I mean Ames.
With any luck, my next few posts will be less general and I will get to go a little more indepth into each week as well as talk about life outside HMB. Until then...
Digga Dat Digga Dat Let's Go HAWKS!
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