Pa Rum Pa Pum Pum

My brother and I went to go see Drumline last nite. I've become nostalgic for my marching band days all of a sudden.

It's a shame that we don't have any proud university marching bands like those I saw in the movie. It seems to be that once you've finished high school around here, your marching days are over. Either that or you join up with the Stampede Show Band or the Outriders, but it's not the same feel. Not the same pride. Not like representing your school.

My most rewarding experience that came even close to the movie's premise was the World Championship Marching competition they miraculously held here in Calgary in '96. If it hadn't been here in our backyard I doubt our school would've stood a chance, let alone have competed. But we did our best, and it was one of my most emotional high school experiences ever.

We worked hard on that show all year, and even harder the summer weeks prior to the competition. Early mornings, weekends, after school, we all got together and played the music senseless, marching each routine till our bodies just went through the motions automatically. Prior to the competition we made ourselves prominent, marching in Banff and Canmore on Canada Day, parading in the Stampede Parade and even performing in Rope Square/Olympic Plaza. We made sure people recognized our presence.

The day before the competition our drum major sat us down on the field and gave us a pep talk. He got choked and we got all emotional, too. We had all worked so hard for this. We were going to make it happen.

The moment had come. We held our heads a little higher, our steps were more precise. We played our hearts out for that crowd, not to mention for ourselves and for each other. Maybe it was just me, but the audience's reaction to our performance was just as emotional as how we were feeling. The Saddledome was just charged with all this energy.

We marched out of there proudly and all serious-like. However, just past the entrance to the rink the whole lot of us were bursting into tears (of happiness) and hugging one another. It was an amazing feeling.

We had made our mark. We ranked just below the Stampede Show band. It made the competition appear kind of rigged, what with two local bands making the top two ranks, but we were proud nonetheless. All of a sudden we were getting invitations to the Rose Bowl parade, the World Championships in Australia the next year, even an audience with the Pope in Rome! (I didn't get to go on the Italy tour, unfortunately.)

I wonder, if I had taken my saxophone more seriously and taken my university education in the US, what it would've been like being a part of one of those amazing bands. It's a whole other level. I feel like picking up my sax for old time's sake tonight when I get home from work.