Final Thoughts before State

Just to keep things in perspective, you have already accomplished the following:

5 days of pre-camp for – 20 hours

10 days of band camp for – 100 hours

33 after school rehearsals for – 90.75 hours

7 Friday night football games for – 35 hours

5 Saturday competitions for – 50 hours

Total = 295.75 hours outside of school time

You have one more day left. Make the most of it. Today you will compete in highest division of competition the South Carolina Band Director’s Association has to offer. There is a reason 5A has a day all to itself. You are the best! I know of no other activity in high school that takes as much time and dedication as the band program. You have worked in 100 degrees weather, the rain, and now the cold. You have been pushed to your limits both physically and mentally. You have gained many new skills in both music and marching but also in responsibility and work ethic. Regardless of the outcome, you are winners and what you have accomplished will stay with you forever. Whether this is your first year of marching band or your last, you have changed the attitude of band at Dutch Fork and will have a lasting affect on your community.

“Garden Rhapsody”

“Garden Rhapsody” is a very special show. It was written for just you and is about you. No other band has ever performed it. The show is about growth but there is much more than just the external meaning of flowers growing. The show starts in small pods that open up into a large powerful statement. The show then progresses to a difficult, technical section that allowed you to gain new skills and pushed you to your limits. The “Rain” section shows off your beauty and control. The “Summer Storms” section allows you to express yourself in an aggressive manner ending with the true power you have gained over the season with your sound. The “Reprise” brings everything back together with a special ending that allows everybody to see what the entire journey was about. You too have grown as a band. We are no longer just a group of people that play instruments and spin flags. We are a family that understands each other and has gained that understanding though hard work and mutual respect. True growth has occurred in all of us this year. As you run your show for the its final time, don’t be afraid to feel proud and show your growth to the entire state. You deserve all the rewards you have received this year and many, many more await you in the future but don’t forget to savor the moment too. Truly you have grown into to a beautiful and powerful group of very special individuals. Together we have accomplished what others doubted. Today is your time to shine!