"remember when"

time for another installment of... remember when!
one of my favorite places in the world--a football field at halftime.

looking at this picture now, many things come to mind. for example--that uniform. why did we go with white pants? the sequins, by the way, were velcroed on and removable so that we could wash it. it was a one-piece "jumpsuit" with cummerbund and bolero jacket, and i even made a sequined barrette to go with it (that also got passed on to other band members over the next couple of years, if i remember correctly.) but the rise length in the pants doesn't quite seem to be working for me here... oh well. i think it looked okay from the back, which is what most people saw.

as awkward as the outfit may have been, i was as comfortable as can be up there. i loved being drum major, and the performance aspect was as appealing as the musical aspect of it. i'd already proven through colorguard (oh, don't worry--there are pictures to come from there, too) that i could move my hands separate from one another, and fred j. miller camps whipped me into shape. it was only my first year, but it led to another year at high school and two more years at ECU.

it was thriling up there, especially during performances and competitions. nerve-wracking during rehearsals, and just plain fun in the stands during games. bus rides, band camps, and hanging out at micasitas after the games--i have some of my best memories from high school with those friends.

and every now and then, i wish i could go back. maybe not on those blistering july afternoons, or when we were running in with equipment during a sudden summer thunderstorm. but for those moments, those 11 minutes on the field where the months of sweat, rehearsal and precision-like practice came together---i would relive those moments in a heartbeat.

my fellow band nerds, what do you remember?