A Windy and Wild Day at Regionals

On Saturday morning, October 7th, the band gathered for a short practice of basics at 7:30am. It was another cold and rainy day, and the forecast called for rain all day. We all watched the hourly forecast closely to know if the band would be able to perform their show on the field on time. After their quick practice, the students loaded the buses and headed for Carroll High School for ISSMA Regionals. How nice it was to NOT have to make that cruddy journey to Chesterton this year! As the buses and trailer arrived at Carroll High School, a beautiful full rainbow filled the sky and brought some hope for success for the day.

Practicing basics in the courtyard.

Earlier this week, the Thursday night "Discoveries" activity was "Discover Your Seniors." Students were asked to search the band room for photos of the 12 seniors and write down the corresponding code from the photo. The first person to post a completed, correct form to the Band App would win a $15 Marathon gift card. Delaney proved to be the most difficult to find, and Thomas Raby won by finding her picture on Friday evening. Good work, Thomas!

Delaney was hiding under a chair, apparently with someone's old gum!

The band arriving at Carroll on Saturday under the full rainbow.

The students changed into their uniforms and had a little extra time before they had to be ready. Most students stayed on the buses because it was cold, windy, and rainy (while some sat under the bus to stay dry!). Students in uniform were encouraged to return to the buses to keep their uniforms as dry as possible. Soon, it was time to head to warmups. Fortunately, the rain was on and off all day, and held off through warmups and performance. The sun came out and it remained dry, though very windy, for their performance.

Keeping dry wherever they could!

The pit crew ladies!

The pit crew men!

Happy Birthday, Caitlyn! You pose it, I post it :)

As the Spirit of Woodlan took the field, it was extremely windy, and the pit crew used sandbags to weigh down all of the tree props. The wind, however, soon won the war against the sandbags and wreaked havoc on all of the props. The band was encouraged by loud cheers from the stands, as parents shouted the "Spirit" cheer and got everyone ready to perform. As soon as the drum major set his hat on the podium, the wind blew it off onto the track below. Before even starting the performance, microphones blew over. One by one, we watched as every single tree prop blew over, sometimes narrowly missing the students nearby. One tree prop gave the crowd a chuckle as it first turned all the way around, and then seemed to walk across the field before finally blowing over to the ground. Part of the mountain props also blew off the stage and students had to march across it. The students did a great job of avoiding the falling props and continuing on the show, but it surely was difficult for them to avoid all of the mess on the field! The guard had to modify their routines as flag tosses would surely have quickly become flying missiles across the field. They had a great performance and finished strong. Most of the students were happy with their performance. After returning to the buses and trailer following their performance, rain quickly started back up, but most students were able to remain fairly dry. We were grateful the rain didn't drench the band, props, and equipment.

Here we go!

After changing out of their uniforms, the band enjoyed a Mexican feast for lunch, complete with Roy Castillo's famous and wonderful guacamole. It's always a crowd pleaser. Many of the students ate indoors and on the bus. After lunch, the students headed out to the stands to watch the few remaining bands perform in Class D, armed with heavy blankets, coats, and hats.

At the Awards Ceremony, Spirit of Woodlan received a Gold Rating, but again no distinctions for music, visual, or effect. This was once again very disappointing for the students, who felt their performance was strong. After awards, students loaded the buses and returned to Woodlan, again grateful to have the shorter drive home from Carroll vs. Chesterton.

The weather and sectional games at Woodlan have made it difficult for the band to get much field time for their much-needed practices. The weather also looks to threaten their outdoor practices this week as well as the Community Performance on Saturday. The decision has been made to move their Friday practice during Fall Break to Monday instead, with hopes the weather will cooperate for them on Monday. They will work hard this week and next at practice with the hopes of being in the top 10 bands at the ISSMA Semi-State competition at Franklin Community High School on Saturday, October 21st, earning them a spot in the ISSMA State Finals at Lucas Oil Stadium on October 28th.

This weekend, the Spirit of Woodlan will host their annual Community Performance on Etzler Field at Woodlan High School on Saturday, October 14th at 3pm. Doors/gates open at 2:30pm. This event is free for the community, and we hope you will all come out to cheer on the band and see their 2023 show, "The Undiscovered." In the event of rain, the performance will be moved indoors. We will also have Andy's Knockout Chicken for sale at the event, or contact any student to get tickets. We hope to see you there!