Pride Starts Here

It has been an amazing roller coaster of a week.  Monday – Thursday we held our first annual Pride of Hennessey Mini Band Camp for students pre-k – 7th grade.  What an amazing experience and I believe that I can say that from the perspective of the adults and high school kids who worked the camp, as well as the campers themselves.

The campers got to experience several different aspects of being in marching band.  They learned to words to the school fight song and alma mater,  mini flags, baton, drums, marching and marching commands, as well as playing music related games.  Every time that Drum Major Cody Riggs or Band Director Mr. Steuart would yell out “Band, ATTENTION!”  “PRIDE” rang out from every student in the building and everyone down to the littlest pre-k girl came to attention.

In the midst of all of the fun that we were having, disaster struck our state when several deadly tornadoes ravaged the Sooner State.  Showing Hennessey Pride, the students brought different needed items to band camp on it’s final day to be loaded in the band trailer, which we took to Piedmont, OK to help with disaster relief.

I can not even begin to describe the horrific sight we saw as we drove down the north side of Piedmont road.  A sobering hush came over the entire car as we all looked out over what used to be peoples homes.  It really struck home how fragile life really is, how blessed we are to draw every breath we take and how there is nothing more important than caring for our fellow human beings.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

While this week may have brought out the worst in Mother Nature, it brought out the best in our community and in our kids.  It truly was an incredible week.  I am really looking forward to next year’s camp because I just know that it is going to be bigger and better than we can even hope to imagine.  To all of our parents who helped all this week, thank you so very much!!  To our high school band helpers, you guys did a great job and were excellent role models for the younger kids.  To our campers, YOU are the Pride.  YOU are where it starts, and YOU were A-MA-ZING all this week!!!!

 

 

 

And The Oscar Goes To…….

Monday night was beyond what I hoped it would be.  The bands, the effects, the audience…it was AMAZING!!!!!  I have to say, if you missed the Blue Carpet Movie Event, you missed the show of the year!!

Bands- and I mean 4th -12th…  You guys ROCKED MY WORLD!!!  I can not begin to tell you how very proud of you all that I am.  Each band owned the stage when they were on it.  You all worked so hard and brought your A game to the stage.  You showed us all what it means to be a star.  To all the seniors, what a way to close out your Sr year!  I am so proud of you guys.  You have shown such great leadership to the younger students all year, and last night was no exception.

Mr. Steuart, I want to say thank you for letting me run with my imagination and make it a reality.  You truly inspire your students to be the very best that they can be, to make band a passion and fun, to inspire pride and excellence.  I can not put into words what it means to me as a parent for the investment that you make into not only my children, but every child who is in one of your classes.  I look forward to next year and outdoing ourselves!!!

I am almost at a loss for words on how to even begin to describe Monday night.  Now that it’s over, it’s so bittersweet for me.  I am relieved that it is over simply because of how tired I am.  I am sad that it is because of how fun and wonderful the night went.  I was so scared there would be so many hick-ups and miscues and that the show would not come together…..I was so wrong.  It could not have gone better!

This has to have been the most amazing way to close out the school year.  It’s a night that will live on in my memory forever!!

Pre Show Jitters

Normally, I wouldn’t be up at 1am writing, but then my life has become anything but what you would consider normal.  Due to my husband’s job requirements when the phone goes off in the middle of the night and he has to go out, it makes it hard for me to go back to sleep.  Normally I would like in bed until sleep washed back over me but tonight….well, there’s more on my mind than just sleep.

In approximately 18 hours, the Hennessey bands will be putting on their spring concert production “Blue Carpet Movie Event” and I think I have enough pre show jitters  for everyone in the 4th-12th grade bands.  I have no doubts about how the bands will perform.  They do an amazing job.  My concern is if everything else is going to come together to enhance their performances.  Will all of the lighting and effects run smoothly?  Will we get the commercials set up to air?  Will the decorations all look as they should?  Will it come together the way that we have envisioned it to?  Oh, I hope so.  But not for the reasons you may think.  As much as we want to wow the crowd with the production, I want the bands to be wowed even more.  I want them to know that while, yes we did this to entertain the crowd, we have done all of what we are doing for THEM.  To showcase them.  And in all honesty, my greatest fear is letting THEM down.

We have a band program that is turning into something that is nothing short of amazing.  We have a director who has a passion not just for music, but for TEACHING music and helping his students become the best musicians they can possibly become.  He is dedicated to not just the band as a whole, but to the individuals who make up that whole.  We have students who are hard working and some who are just beyond dedicated.  I mean, I have to give a shout out to one of our trumpet players who when she got back from State Track Meet (and our girls won State!!!) she came straight to dress rehearsal.  We have younger students who want to shine as brightly as our high school band members.  We have parents who are coming together to support this band and want to help them achieve greatness.   This is a program that I am thrilled and honored to get to be a part of and associated with.

Tuesday I will try to have a follow up post about how the concert went.  I hope to have lots of pictures and video to share, because everyone has been waiting for this night to get here for a long time.  It’s going to be a night to remember!