Great job today! You know how you did! You were on, big time! Everyone in that stadium knows how you did, everyone! You took a major step in reaching the Dynasty level! Unfortunately, the judges didn’t agree. They will, give them time! And we are definitely gaining ground. The Field music judge had us 3rd in the entire show, and the Ensemble Music judge had us up. The GE Music had us down and the GE Visual judge pounded us. Seems the GE Visual and Ensemble Visual just didn't like our show today. We will win them over.
One of Martin Luther King, Jr.’s famous quotes is important when we deal with the subjectivity of judging. “The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy.” This is definitely a time of challenge for our band. We know how we are doing on that field, how much better we are getting, yet the scores are not yet reflecting our progress.
Building a dynasty is very difficult. We are clearly accomplishing our goals. Along the way there are speed bumps. Today was another one of those. Whatever the reason, we are getting lower scores than we deserve. Perhaps there is something in our show that the judges simply don't like. Perhaps we are totally doing a great job and for whatever reasons, the numbers aren’t reflecting it. We have very difficult, multi meter music, demanding drill moves, and are moving constantly, accomplishing 63 sets in this show instead of our 30 sets of previous years. Our sound is better, in fact it is great! Our marching is better than ever, we have technique like never before. The guard is the best Roslyn has put on the field, they were amazing today. We designed this show to win the class. It is a challenging show. Perhaps we just haven’t peaked yet. Perhaps we are a few inches from the gold in our marching band gold mine, and have to dig for another week or two to reach it. We have important rehearsals left and another month to go. We need to focus and get the most out of ourselves. We just need to max out our precision so that the judges see us for what we are, an incredible, championship band. Remember, the marching band season is a marathon which doesn’t end until the dome. In 2006 we were dumped all season, in last place in the state rankings, only to focus and win 2nd place out of 12 at the championship! Stay focused! Stay the course!
Those speed bumps in life define us. How we handle things that come at us defines us. It is easy to be great when things are amazing. How we handle adversity defines us.
It IS defining us, our amazing resiliency and positive attitude in the face of these scores. I am so proud of our entire band, parents and community. Our positive attitude is unwavering and feeds each of us to work harder and persevere! Our hard work will pay off! Stay the course!
Here is one of my favorite quotes. Nobody knows who said this quote, but it is perfect with dealing with today’s result.
“Our lives are not determined by what happens to us but by how we react to what happens, not by what life brings to us, but by the attitude we bring to life. A positive attitude causes a chain reaction of positive thoughts, events, and outcomes. It is a catalyst, a spark that creates extraordinary results.”
We have a “positive attitude.” Let’s face it, we define it. Our results are “extraordinary.” We are the talk of the Island, the talk of Roslyn, and soon the talk of the state! Really, we are being noticed, that's for sure! Look at how far we have come in the past few years. We are making big waves in this activity. We love what we do and are great at it! Don’t let 6 people’s decision about what we deserve influence our self-esteem and confidence. Soon, the judges will see the light. Tomorrow they will crown us champions. Remember, "Aim high, be patient."
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