And the Band Played On

BY EMILY VAUGHAN

 

A train whistle blared across the clear night sky. Some of the members of the Western Dubuque Bobcat Marching Band remember that a train went by last year when they were on Mount Pleasant’s football field, ready to perform. On Sept. 17 of 2011, that whistle blew on the night they won third place in the 3A division. Things were different then; now they are a 4A band, a 4A band of 69 members that went against other 4A bands that averaged around 100, maybe more.

“Drum majors Nikki White, Jenny Brehm, and Larissa Wilming, is your band ready?” the announcer called up from the judge’s box, as if some unseen entity, alerting both the band and the crowd. The band was facing the other direction, waiting for their drum majors to turn them around.

“Band, about face!” the drum majors commanded with a couple claps.

“One, two,” the band responded, turning around to face the audience.

“You may take the field,” the announcer said, and the drum majors raced to their posts.

The show went quickly, flying by as fast as they ran through their songs. “Peer Gynt Suite No. 1” seemed to be over as soon as Brooke Bockenstedt opened with her beautiful flute solo followed by Sam Nauman with his electric cello. “He Makes His Move” was over as soon as Trevor Then’s horn solo reached the audience’s ears. The crowd watched in complete silence for almost fifteen minutes until the flags began performing the Harvard Baseball Team’s dance to “Call Me Maybe”; the crowd cheered loudly. Almost as soon as they got a reaction, the band’s show was over, and they left the field in a stern silence even as the crowd cheered them on.

“You did great,” some passersby said. The band members politely thanked them, internally asking whether they had even watched the show. The show was over, and they could watch the other 4A bands. The other bands were great, their sound amazing and intimidating.

The gold sequins on the drum majors’ uniforms sparkled brightly in the harsh stadium lights as they waited on the track for the awards, along with the other drum majors. The Bobcat band waited in the stadium, both eager and dreading the announcement of the 4A placements.

After watching all the awards for “Best Drum Line” and “Best Color Guard” being awarded to other bands, the Bobcat band’s eagerness was quickly being squelched by a tidal wave of dread.

“Eighth place in the 4A division is the Western Dubuque Bobcat Marching Band,” the announcer said, the drum majors accepting their small trophy with as much pride as they would for first.

Back on the bus and on the way home, there were no tears or feelings of bitterness. Band members continued to laugh and chat happily, accepting their placement. It was not because they were bad; it was because they were up against people who were phenomenal. There was room for improvement as there always is, but one band member said it best to their half-asleep companion:

“We’ll get ‘em next time.”