Going through the motions...

Three weeks to go. Let’s take a look back this weekend and reflect on a few things and then lets move on. This weekend was not the best of weekends in my opinion, so the faster I am able to process what I can actually get out of it, the faster I can move on towards something that is more on pace with what I am accustomed to.

First upon arriving Saturday I noticed a lot more people missing then the original three that I had know about. This to me is a bad sign, but looking back some things never change about this weekend either. The past couple of years when the Kingston show has rolled around we always have quite a few holes. It must be this show, maybe we are cursed to never have a full corps at this show.

We had a semi-productive morning rehearsal despite all of the blanks out there. I thought that we were going to kind of set ourselves up for a good day. After lunch we had a good warm up and then some sectional time where it was good to break some stuff down musically.

Then the ensemble rehearsal started. The energy took an obvious nose dive to begin the ensemble block. We played some things ok and moved ok, but I was not feeling the energy from the other people around me. I felt as if we were more going through the motions then anything. The staff insisted that things were going well, so their opinion is noted, and conflicted with what I was feeling out on the field.

Needless to say I left practice Saturday feeling a little let down, and that I would be let down in the show that evening.

So we get to the show. The warm up went pretty smooth and focused, and I felt like we may actually have a chance to perform pretty decent at the show that night. We did very well with the warm up and I was pleased with that especially after the day we had just finished. There was minimal time at the truck before walking to the gate, and that is always a big plus in my book. Less time to get unfocused is always a good thing.

The show itself had its up and down moments. I feel with a more focused practice and a better performance at practice that we could have really put up a good number, but with circumstances being the way they were our result was fair and accurate. Personally I did not have a great show. I was ok out there, but a lot of little stuff was not clicking for me. I was lacking crispness with things like starts and stops on the field. I also had some musical issues out there but once I found myself I was fine. The big positive for me was being able to play the harder stuff the best I had all season. I am sure the mistakes I made were barely noticeable even to the trained eye, but I know I made them and I know how to make them better. I am a perfectionist when it comes to my performances…this weekend I dropped the ball. I won’t let it happen again.

So that’s my assessment of the weekend (without going into great detail!)

Lets move on to next week, to Corning, NY and to a better show for all of us. WE anticipate a full corps again for this weekend coming up, and seeing as how we are getting nearer to the end of the season, I would expect folks to focus and try a little bit harder coming into the end of the season.

Someone said this weekend, “We can do anything!” Well let’s live up to that proclamation, and go out with that attitude and focus. If we are able to approach next weekend like that then this corps can live up to it full potential and maybe even turn a few heads come finals.

See you in Corning…