1 Point Behind, 1 Place Ahead

            This past Saturday, the show choirs from Kennedy High School went to compete at Linn-Mar and did an amazing job. Protégé, the prep choir, received first in the prep division and went on to compete with the varsity division and proceeded to get 5^th out of 6. After the day rounds, Happiness was in first and we would not step down; Happiness ended up in first place with best choreography and vocals.

Last but not least, for the most important part, combo. Sadly, but also awesome, the band did not get the best band award. The reason this is awesome is because, sure it was second, but it was second by one point. One stinking point! If we had done one aspect of music, one measure, one phrase better, we would have received best combo. It tears my heart out being one point away. We are so close.

One of the aspects that we could have done better in the day round was a grove. For some reason, we just didn't jam with the music as hard as we have in the past. It felt almost too pushed, like we were trying to force the sound and not embrace it. It is so important for our combo to feel the beat and have fun playing. Last year we had this problem; we didn’t let the music just come out of our instruments, it was forced. When bands grove and fit in with the singers, it’s amazing. It’s a whole level above those who just play and don’t put emotion behind the notes.

Emotion is what decides the best combo. Without emotion, the music sounds dead. It is a hard technique to master because a musician has to truly want to win, to convince the judges we are the best. Emotion is just so hard to put into an instrument. It’s not like we can just change what our face looks like, we can’t put on a façade like the singers can. They can almost fake their way with emotion but at the same time not. All aspects of music involved in a show choir involves some kind of emotion, some kind of feel. Whether that feeling is sad, or happy, or fun, or whatever, each person has to know what it should be like and use that to give the judges a show.

With emotion, our combo sounds so much better. During the night rounds, the grove and feeling of the show was incredible. I could tell that each person, no matter how tired, gave it their all. For the musicians in the combo, when playing for Happiness for the last time, it was the 4^th show. There was even a trumpet player that had just danced her second show and was still willing to put everything into her instrument. It is just amazing that there was so much emotion and a sense of championship left that we blew the other groups out of the water.

After the night rounds, there was no doubt that Happiness was going to get first, and it happened. This was my first show choir championship ever and I could not be more proud to be involved with the group. Thanks to all the musicians who were willing to leave it all on the stage, to prove we deserve 1^st!