Last Saturday, Candace and I went down to Elsinore for a boutique. My mom was meeting my sister at Orem High for a marching band competition, which had been called two weeks ago on account of rain. As Candace and I drove home, we encountered a snow/hail storm. I commented to Candace, "I bet the competition got cancelled again." That was sad because my mom had been looking forward to it.
I got home to find out that not only was the band competition not cancelled, but the kids were out there in the snow and hail, performing. Yep, and the drum majorettes in their little skirts and sleeveless shirts, and the baton twirlers -- snow and hail falling all over them.
Now, call me silly, but if we're going to cancel a competition because of rain, doesn't it make sense that you would also cancel it because of, oh, I don't know -- a blizzard?
I just don't get it. Here you've got your marching band out in the cold. Their fingers are frozen and they can't even hold their instruments properly because their joints are stiff. How are you going to truly compare talent against talent when they're all so cold, they aren't performing to the best of their ability? Having a competition under those circumstances renders any outcome moot. The first band to perform would have the advantage because they'd be the warmest.
I'm told my niece didn't get sick. I'm glad about that, but I think every kid in the band should have called in sick the next day as a protest. There was absolutely no reason to make them perform in that weather. Not one at all.
4 comments:
In my many Hawaiian band years, I remember quite a few shows and competition where the rain came down in sheets. Instruments and props would be wrapped in plastic until the very last minute.
Our band hats had little red feather plumes that stuck in the top, and they couldn't be used when it was raining. In five marching seasons, I think they got used maybe a half dozen times.
If you canceled things in Hawaii on account of rain, nothing would ever happen. I think the only show to ever get canceled was because of a hurricane.
Of course, I imagine more than a few things would be canceled there for snow and sleet.
I don't know..... hanging out in sleet and snow and rain sounds like a lot of fun to me. I could barely DRIVE in that mess on Saturday, much less play a clarinet. I hate to say it, but some people are S-T-U-P-I-D!!! Hopefully every one has thawed out by now.
One word on why this happened this way--Football--there are only so many saturdays they can give to things of art and culture--i.e. music--the rest of it is needed for good ol' american football. they had no choice but to stick with this day.
Well its funny...in Oregon, if there's one snowflake everything is cancelled, but it can be raining literally buckets and life goes on completely normally. Here in Utah, the drivers are maniacs in the snow like normal. A few drops of rain and everyone slows down to 3 mph and acts like Armageddon is at the door.
Post a Comment