It is the height of the marching band season. The typical competitive marching band spends their Saturdays in October competing in marching band shows. Like many schools, Athens Drive will rehearse at the school in the morning and perform in the afternoon or evening. It's a significant commitment of time and effort to get to a show.

Saturday, October 25, was a bit different than the usual competition day for the Athens Drive band. The students boarded three charter buses bound for Charlotte at 9:15am without a rehearsal. That's because the three hour trip to Charlotte to do a show at Porter Ridge High School at 3:00, then perform in exhibition at across town at Hickory Ridge High School at 8:00 in the evening.

The trailers were loaded with an assortment of instruments, uniforms, water coolers, snacks, rain gear, and more instruments in the warm drizzle beginning at 8:00am. Though that hour feels quite early to most of these high school students on their "day off," there was still a buzz of excitement to perform in two shows.

Arriving at Porter Ridge High School in Indian Trail, NC, the students changed into uniforms and began their warm up routine. The rain had cleared out, leaving an overcast sky and a temperature nearly perfect for competition.

The first performance of the day was strong. Classic music from Stravinsky's Firebird Suite and John William's Cadillac of the Skies rang out beautifully from the field, punctuated by an original, vibrant space-techno movement written by John Antonelli, the percussion instructor.

The performance in class 5A was good enough to take home a second place award in General Effect, and first place honors in Music, Marching and Maneuvering, Drum Major, Color Guard, and Percussion. With a rating of Superior, Athens Drive was the class 5A champion.

After a dinner provided by the Band Boosters, the students boarded the buses for the short ride to Hickory Ridge High School in Harrisburg, NC. It was nearly dark when the buses pulled in, and the students got off the bus with as much energy and enthusiasm as they had all day. Another round of preparation for a performance began, followed by the march to the field for the performance.

Athens Drive performed as the last band of the day. The performance was in exhibition, meaning the band would not compete for awards. The judging panel would provide comments on audio tape, which is an important part of all competitions, as these comments help the band improve their performances over the season. The band performed well, their silver horns and uniform sashes glittering under the bright lights of the football field and their show about the first lunar landing delighting the audience.

The charter buses, along with the trailers and a fleet of parents in an assortment of vehicles arrived back in Raleigh about sixteen hours after leaving that morning. While very, very tired, everyone had a great time and the feelings of accomplishment were evident as the equipment was put away and the participants headed for home.

The season is not quite over. Many of the marching band performers will play in the Wind Ensemble and Percussion Ensemble concert on Tuesday, October 28. On Thursday, the marching band will perform in a pep rally honoring Athens Drive alumnus and major league baseball star Josh Hamilton, to be aired in the future on ESPN. Cary Band Day is Saturday, and ADHS will be marching in the parade in the morning, and competing in their last competition that night. It's another busy week for the band! 

Related Links

1. http://www.adhsband.com