the worst ending to an amazing season..

we've just gotten home from OBA, its a huge contest for us. there's about 40 bands there, and a lot of them are really good bands.

well, its 9:00 right now, and if you can tell, thats not a good thing. we're back early. no finals. =[

our show was really good, and we got the most applause that we've ever had today. not making finals is the worst feeling in the world for a band kid.

in a way, its kind of good that the freshmen know what it feels like not to make finals. but why did it have to be at OBA?? normally we don't make finals at broken arrow and then make finals at OBA. we did the opposite this year. i would've been just fine if we didn't make finals at broken arrow, we're used to that.

i feel so bad for the seniors. its their last time marching with us. its everyone's last time marching this show. the seniors didn't make finals at OBA their freshman year and now their senior year. that has to be awful. wyatt [senior] says its the field that's cursed. it was at UCO [university of central oklahoma] this year, and it was their freshman year too. i don't think we should ever go to edmond again.

jeez, and this was mr. z's show. i mean, it was his show! he spent 4 years writing it, he was just waiting for the right band to perform it. and WE were the band he chose! i feel really honored to have been a part of it.

the show wasn't our best run through. our last home game was our best, but this was only slightly less than that. i messed up in the weirdest places, things i'd never done before. i got out of step in part 5 for a few beats.. it was really strange. i can't help but feel like i let the seniors down. and that i let mr. z down.

i love this year's seniors. i don't want them to leave ever. i wish we could keep this band forever, even mr. z told us that. they should all fail senior english and have to be back again next year, haha.

after mr. z gave his speech, he reminded us of the 'hug a senior' tradition. you can't get dinner until you've hugged every senior. there are 29 this year. but before anyone was hugged, we had to do another tradition. its just the brass. the used to say 'low brassophones' [low brass and mellophones] until this year when they decided to include the trumpets. now it says 'brass line'. jeredon [senior] or occasionally another brass section leader yells it, and we all reply by yelling 'HOORAHH!' when jeredon called it one last time, i could barely reply, i was crying so hard. when i hugged andrew, the trumpet section leader, i just started bawling. he's been the best section leader. and the same for stephen. i don't know what i'm gonna do without some of these guys.

a lot of people don't understand why we get so emotional about this. but as mr. z said, what 7 judges think of that performance doesn't change that we are the best band we've had in a long time, and that we had an amazing season, and even though we're upset and maybe angry, we should be proud and we did have an amazing show.

goodnight.