'And we laughed...and had a really really really good time...'
A lot has happened in the last four days, guys. A lot of things. And a lot of things are going to be happening in the next four days as well.
Let's start with Thursday.
Thursday night was our Pops concert a.k.a. our last concert where we play some of our favorite pieces from the past year. In total, Wind Ensemble played six songs: John William's 'Summon the Heroes' (for the Summer Olympics...such an epic opener), Stephen Reineke's 'The Witch and the Saint' (by far our favorite piece...so cool and so intricate), John Barnes Chance's 'Incantation and Dance' (this song is just nuts...it took everything we had to pull it off for the concert...and we did. Probably one of the hardest pieces we've done this year, but we needed the challenge), James Curnow's 'Where Never Lark or Even Eagle Flew' (there's so much emotion in this song...we played it for contest in March), Michael W. Smith's 'Freedom' (another emotional song...very patriotic...reminded us of Hawaii and Pearl Harbor), and John Phillip Sousa's 'The Stars and Stripes Forever' (because Grams has made it a tradition for the Wind Ensemble to finish with this song...there's this epic piccolo solo in the middle--as you'll hear in the recording--and this year was the best it's ever been. Heck yes..)
There's one more tradition that we did at the end of the concert that started my sophomore year...we surround the audience (well, concert band and percussion does; wind ensemble just stays on stage) and we play a song or two from our parade rotation. Two years ago, we played our entire Rose Parade rotation; last year, we did our entire parade rotation, ending with Billy Joel's 'Piano Man'. This year, we ended with the song that, after five hard years of trying, won us $10,000...Elvis's "Burning Love".
This concert meant a lot of things for a lot of people. Part of the concert was dedicated to recognizing the seniors (of which there are, like, forty). We got these really intricate plaques with our names on them and an inscription thanking us for our hard work and dedication throughout our years with the band. But there were also two logos on the plaque. One was a hibiscus with an SK in the middle of it to represent our trip to Hawaii. The other was the logo from the 2010 Tournament of Roses. We were the last class to have that logo, just as the two classes before us also got the logo on their plaques.
The theme for this concert was 'Passing on the Legacy'. Like I said, my class is the last of the Rose Parade group. In a weird way, it's like the end of an era. Bands from this point one won't be the same. No two bands are the same, in any way. Things will be different now. But future bands will experience new things and different things than we got to experience in our time with them. Either way, every year is still going to be special, because this is a very special band.
On another note...it would be an understatement to say that most of my friends are in band. They're more than just my friends; they're my family. And they have been for a really long time. One of my best friends I actually became friends with because we were in band together. We've sat next to each other in band for six years, performed together, marched together...and Thursday was our last night to perform together. We're going to different colleges, be in different performing groups...all in all, we just won't be together anymore. And I'm not saying that our friendship is over...it's just that an integral part of our friendship, what led to us being friends (initially we both hated each other) is going to be over. I've cried a lot over that...and I'm sure I will some more.
I'll talk more about band on Thursday, after we do senior circle. That's where the tears are gonna roll...
So...Saturday...something really big happened on Saturday...but I can't remember what...
Oh yeah. Prom was on Saturday.
And it was so much fun.
I'd been really super torn about going to Prom for a long time Literally, I pretty much decided that I was going about three weeks beforehand. (Don't get me started on my rant about why I didn't want to go to Prom, though...it's just best we leave it...).
Anyway...I went with two really good friends, but ended up hanging out with a big group of friends once I got there. We went out to dinner beforehand and then crashed at my house for a little while and ate junk food and watched a movie...just to let all the crazy people get off the roads so driving home would be a little bit safer.
And, yes, I had a date. :) And the two of us had a really nice time. We got set up by a mutual friend, so we hadn't really had a lot of time to spend together beforehand (we'd met once before), but we've been talking pretty much every day for an extended period of time.
At this point, we're just friends. And my mom approves of him.
All in all, a fantastic night spent with some of my favorite people, and a great way to kick off the celebration that will last all this week and probably into next week.
Days 'til graduation: 4 : )
I put links down below so you guys can go listen to the songs I mentioned above (note: the only recording of us is the last one. All the other recordings are of other bands). (I highly recommend it.)
Summon the Heroes: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qlTw2C_FEzE&list=PLF01A7A2F0F5509E5&index=1&feature=plpp_video
The Witch and the Saint: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m0Oejbjk_z4&feature=bf_next&list=PLF01A7A2F0F5509E5
Incantation and Dance: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UyKNWJnLaYs&feature=bf_next&list=PLF01A7A2F0F5509E5
Where never Lark or Eagle Flew: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aaAys23Lc7Q&feature=bf_next&list=PLF01A7A2F0F5509E5
Freedom: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O0Msqg1pBsc&feature=bf_next&list=PLF01A7A2F0F5509E5
The Stars and Stripes Forever: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-mRn9chmRAY&list=PLF01A7A2F0F5509E5&index=6&feature=plpp_video
Burning Love: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d67sE5EZ2EM&feature=related
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