Yesterday was my spring orchestra trip to Busch Gardens. The day started out at 4am when my alarm went off. After quickly getting ready, we stopped at CVS for some sunscreen, and then drove to school. The bus came at 5:30 and then we left. We got to Williamsburg in about two hours and were ahead of schedule so we let the kids go get breakfast. Luckily there was a shopping center with a lot of fast food, an IHOP and a Wal-mart, so they each got to go where they wanted.
Next, we got to the school where we were going to have our competition. We warmed up and then had our concert. The arrangements were good, and the kids could make their way around effortlessly without fumbling over the equipment and such, which I think helped them play better. This got me contemplating about how awesome and efficient music rooms/halls can be if they are organized well rather than being haphazard. Maybe I’ll take some inspiration and look to Case Systems or some similar company to get my children better storage cabinets and other case-goods that might directly help them be more organized and indirectly help improve their performance. Anyway, people in the hallway said we looked great in our uniforms, and sounded just as good. Then we drove a short distance to Busch Gardens. We got there a little before noon, and I let the kids loose. Nathan and I were able to go around and relax. We went on a few rides with some students, but for the most part just wandered around. I can’t believe how beautiful the landscaping was. There were tulips that were so tall and beautiful and colorful.
We had a picnic lunch at 3pm with all the kids, and then the awards ceremony was at 5. Now, let me explain. We went to competition a month earlier and did very poorly. We played the same music for this competition, so we weren’t sure what was going to happen. When it was time for our category at the ceremony, the announcer said “4th place goes to blahblah.” The kids all looked at each other and gave high fives for not getting last place. “3rd place goes to blahblah.” More high fives. “2nd place goes to blahblah.” The kids look around, and I hear: “are you sure we are in this category” and “Did we really do so bad that we didn’t even place?” The announcer continues “First Place Superior rating goes to Washington-Lee!” The kids all look to each other in shock and then cheering!!! They were so excited!!
We also ended up winning Best Overall High School Orchestra. We got two huge trophies that the kids passed around in excitement. Apparenly they haven’t recieved a superior rating in years, so they were very much suprised and happy. When I got the score sheets, it showed what every group recieved. Our score was the third highest from all orchestra, band, and choral groups! We only got lower from a children’s chorus and a women’s chorus. I must say that I am proud of these kids!
The kids went off, and at 10pm we headed home. Luckily most of the students were so tired they slept on the way home. It was funny, though, when I walked around the bus to wake everyone up, one student was sleeping with his arms around the trophy. Too precious.
I bought a cake and we are going to celebrate tomorrow in class. I think winning a competition was just what these kids needed to keep working hard. We got back to school around 12:30am. By the time Nathan and I got home, we passed out in bed. I am still so very tired today, and know I will sleep well tonight.
