June 30: Buses, Buses and more BUSES!!!
Students spent the entire day on the buses viewing the vast plains of Saskatchewan and Alberta stopping only for food and bathroom breaks. Some bright individual let Vince and Kevin drive the truck for the first 16 hours of the trip, and it made to its destination intact. We crossed into the USA at 10:30pm and continued driving through North Dakota throughout the night.
July 1: Canada Day & First Show
The Band continued its trek across the states and the 30 hour bus ride in Sun Prairie, Wisconsin; where they were scheduled to perform their first show of the tour. Unfortunately because of the weather the show was canceled. After the show was canceled shaving ones head became "all the rage" as at least 10 band members lost their flowing locks.
July 2: First Performance…Dat, Dat, Daaaaah
Today started off with a short practice to get everyone prepared for tonight’s first performance. We all then proceeded to Greenfield, Wisconsin to Whitnall High School for our first competitive performance of the tour.
First Competitive Performance: The band performed beyond all expectations fighting fatigue and lack of sleep and received a score of 73.1 (4th place).
July 3: Practices, Purchases, and Performances
Today began again with a short rehearsal to improve the bands mark for our second performance. After a quick lunch, students packed and headed to the Jelly Belly warehouse, were the minimum purchased seemed to be around 1lb of jelly beans.
Second Competitive Performance: The band worked themselves into a frenzy for the second and despite some performance quirks (including getting interrupted by a freight train) their score went up to 74.4 (3rd place)
July 4: Ferris Bueller’s……errr Bishop Grandin’s Day Off
Today we traveled to Chicago to the Museum of Science and Industry; for the Da Vinci exhibit; the Chicago Art Museum to see some Monet, Van Gogh, and Picasso (the staff was quite interested in the arms and armor section…..wink, wink); and the Magnificent Mile for some shopping. The evening ended with a Fireworks display that rivaled that of the Stampede and a crazy drive home as Chicago drivers attempt to merge into our buses.
July 5: They’re GR-R-REAT
Yet another day of bus travel and new experiences as we explored the Kellogg’s Factory in Battle Creek, Michigan. Every student got their picture on a cereal box that will be shipped back to Calgary.
July 6: What do Tacos, Cherries, and Parades have in Common?
Band members began their morning with their first rehearsal in two days and boy were they on fire. Lunch today was a taco bar served at the beach, students had sometime to relax before returning to practice. The evening concluded with a parade for the National Cherry Festival in Traverse City. The weather continues to be extremely hot and hasn’t rained since the second day of tour.
July 7: Another Day; Another Performance
After another full day of rehearsal the band performed at their third field show competition.
Third Competitive Performance: Again the band exceeded all expectations and got the first standing ovation of the night. Unfortunately some of the judges did not enjoy the performance as much as the audience, so our score ended up being 72.5.
July 8: DCI
After a second over night trip on the bus and moving into our new home at Purdue University, the band traveled to Indianapolis for the DCI regional. The performances by these top level drum corps was truly outstanding and have inspired the students and staff to push even harder on our own show.
July 9: The Dreaded Day (i.e. - the middle of tour)
The morning started off with a short 30min mass, followed by a short 3 hour rehearsal, and ended with a show in North Judson, which had the smallest crowd we have performed for all season.
Fourth Competitive Performance: Although the crowd response was low and the band suffered from a distinct lack of energy the score actually went up to 75.8.
July 10: Shopaholic Holiday
Another day that began with a short 3 hour rehearsal. In this rehearsal we “tweaked” the ending of our show to try and maximize the crowd reaction and then we set off on the road again. We stopped at an outlet mall (in which the band spent the entire fortunes on knick-knacks) on our way to our new residences in Whitewater.
July 11: Fun Times at Six Flags
A lazy day of roller coasters, food and rides at Six Flags.
July 12: The Beginning of the End
The morning again started off with a short rehearsal, followed by a perfromance in Janesville.
Fifth Competitive Performance:The band recovered from its short mid-tour slump and achieved a mark of 77.4.
July 13: Show after Show
Yet again the morning started off with a short rehearsal, followed by a perfromance in Stoughton.
Sixth Competitive Performance: Although the show improved, the judges again did not agree with the parents and staff's opinion, the score went down to 77.0.
July 14: The 3 R's Rehearsal, Relaxation, and Recreation
The band spent its day rehearsing despite the excessive heat. The evening was spent horsing around in the Whitewater campus pool.
July 15: Finals
It is hard to believe in global warming when you are in Wisconsin, due to the weather our final rehearsal was cut short. The evening saw the band competing in the MACBDA finals.
Final Competitive Performance:The band ended its tour with a score of 79.55 (4th place) and an award for Best Drum Major - Congratulations Sarah Martins and all the Grandin Ghosts.
July 16-17: On the Road Again - Home Sweet Home
We board the buses for the long journey home.
July 18: The Real Final Show
The band will be perfroming for all the parents on the 18th - Time and Location TBA