Grand Nationals

This last weekend I was in Indianapolis, Indiana for the 2008 Bands of America Grand Nationals. The experience was amazing. I am so glad I got to go for my senior year. We went expecting to do the best that we could do and in our eyes, we did exactly that. Friday Morning we performed our preliminary performance at ten forty five a.m. Nationals were the first event in the new Lucas Oil Stadium, Home of the Colts. The stadium was huge and was full of 90 amazing bands from all over the nation and many of their fans. Walking on to that field for the first time was amazing and the most scary experience I have ever had. There were so many people sitting in the stands and judges all over the field and in the judges box just waiting to judge us. We performed and to our devastation did not have a very good show. Girls had been so nervous that they had set their flags wrong. A flag was covering Nikki's rifle and she thought mine was hers so we were late coming out for the rifle and drum feature trying to find her rifle. So many little things that could have been fixed but weren't and were huge disasters. To our relief the judges called us in the announcements of the semi finalists bands. We still had made it even though we had messed up so badly. We were so relieved and the band was so excited again. This was actually happening. The next day we went through the same drill. Only this time while entering the field you could feel the energy and excitement in each member of our band. Everyone was shining with confidence and excitement. We were thrilled to able to perform again in such an amazing event. We performed with preciseness and beauty. Mistakes were very minimal and the whole band felt amazing. Coming off the field we all cried realizing that that could be the last time that we ever perform that show again. Not one eye was dry. We had given everything we had to that show and it showed. Our performance was incredible. Everyone was sure we would make finals. Even parents of other bands and judges from the regional we had attended. They were all confident we would be participating in that nights later events. As I lined up with the other captains and drum majors to go on the field for awards and retreat, I felt so sure that we would be doing it all again that night. There was no way we would not make it when we all felt so good about our performance. But as we waited and saluted the audience on the field, our name was not announced among the twelve finalists. My heart could not believe it. My marching band experience had come to a close. I would not perform The Island or any other field show ever again. Tears streaming down my face and reality trying to find a place in my heart I walked into the silent lobby of the hotel to meet my fellow band members. Mr. Miller was standing on a stool with tears in his eyes preparing to speak to us. All of my friends were in shock waiting to hear what had happened. Mr. Miller explained that he did not feel bad about not making finals. He had hoped and been sure that we would but the outcome was otherwise. He was proud of us and everything we had accomplished. He had never seen one of his bands ever perform so well. He would tell us results as soon as he was given the scores. We went back to the stadium and watched the finalist bands and tried to see why we had not made it. Every band was amazing and beautiful, but was ours not in that same category. How were we not performing when we were right up there with all those bands. Later that night Mr. Miller explained that three of the four judges had placed us within the top six of the 90 bands that had performed. However, the other judge had placed us significantly lower. Thus our placement was averaged out between the four judges to 14. Two bands away from making finals. Come to find out, this judge had placed us 20 points behind Davis when he judged us a few months ago in Utah. I guess he just has something against American Fork Marching Band. All I can say is that I am so grateful that I was given the opportunity to participate in such an amazing marching band. We know that we had the best performance of our lives and I am so grateful that we could end the season feeling so happy about our last time on out field. And yes, for fifteen minutes we owned the Lucas Oil Stadium field. :D Ask the judges. They'll tell you.