Irondale

Irondale high school. New Brighton, Minnesota. The Marching Knights. They have one good Marching Band show. And when I say show I mean show. I mean I was excited by what they were doing and how perfectly they were doing it. Their Marching Band is almost nothing like ours. Besides the fact that they march and play instruments.

Let’s start with the first time I saw them. It was at their own competition, at their own high school. Their show that year was zombies. Now I had to watch from the away side so I got to see behind a giant wall they brought out…let me repeat that, Giant Wall they brought out on field. Their color guard hid their flags behind it and they, themselves hid behind it also. I don’t really remember much about their show two years ago. Just that is was amazing, about zombies, and the whole band turned into zombies. At the end I remember a few of the band members got to take over the drum major ladder and he jumped off. That was a very scary moment because we, my fellow spectators and I, had no clue if he was meant to do that! We thought he could actually be dying! But no. he meant to jump off a ten foot high ladder.

                And now this year, Irondale’s show is “GRIMM stories.” As in stories from the Grimm forest…How cool is that? They have trees on the field and their color guard is dressed as little red riding hood. The two male color guard members are dressed as wolves! Its just generally awesome, in my opinion! Their big trick this year was having a guard member throw other members flags from the top of a ladder, as they were dancing. And while doing all that, they still stayed in step.

                In my neck of the woods show choir is the big thing. Show choir is what its all about, marching band is…not. I cannot help but think how odd it would be to have a marching band that is looked on as good, and entertaining. It’s like show choir and band switch places. Just an odd thought. Read more about Irondale Bands here: http://www.irondalebands.org/

Small Actors

“There are no small parts, only small actors” is a very famous quote said by Constantin Stanislavski. That quote is said, sometimes, to make people feel better if, say, they got a

“small part.” By that I mean a part that isn’t a lead, maybe someone who doesn’t have a speaking role at all, or even someone didn’t get the solo they desperately wanted. Basically everything that isn’t the super star of a play because that is generally what people aim to get.

            My opinion about this quote is that it’s so untrue! Speaking as someone who has had one minor lead role in middle school, but has tried out for every musical/ play that she could, I think that it is just a false quote. There are too small parts, Constaintin! If someone doesn’t have a direct effect on the plot, I would call that a small part.  Trust me; I’ve had many of them. Including but not limited to; chorus, chorus, and towns people.

            Actually I think the exact opposite! There are small parts, but no small actors. I think that if you gather maybe 15 plays, with 10 characters each, that is 150 parts to cast.  If there were really actors specifically meant to have small parts, then a director wouldn’t be able to picture them in any one of those 30 or 40 lead roles. Now if you look at it the other way, there are 120 small roles. I mean, yes some people might not want a big role but that’s not saying they couldn’t do it if they were cast as one. What I am saying, though, is they could also be so much bigger!

            So here is my own quote about acting; “there are small parts, and also versatile actors.” Maybe that s not the best way to word it, maybe I’ll think of a different way soon. What I’m trying to say from that quote is that; there are small parts and lead parts and of course the one that everyone wants is the large one but if you can be a versatile actor or actress you should be able to play both.

Spring Awakening

In the world of acting there are a lot of controversial plays and musicals. Now, until I was about thirteen I had not been exposed to many. I really wasn’t exposed to anything controversial except for world tragedies such as September 11. My exposure changed when I went to see “Spring Awakening” for the first time that fall at Simpson College. (Read more about Theater at Simpson: http://simpson.edu/theatre/.) My cousin, Caleb, was in it. That’s why we were going as a family. I saw it again just last summer and I could actually watch it this time instead of sitting there horrified that I was watching a show with this type content.  

            For those of you who are not too into acting and plays, who don’t know every word of every play by heart, it basically touches on every sad part of being a teenager. (http://www.springawakening.com/) The sadness, the nostalgia, the anger, the rebellion, and yes even the sexuality. Like I said it’s kind of controversial.

            Now, I just wanted to give my opinion on this play/musical. From the mature, art loving side of me: I think it is very well written and both times I saw it, it was acted wonderfully. I think it does truly express the emotions of how it feels to be a teenager in today’s society even though it was set and written in late nineteenth century Germany.

            Okay. Now from the immature, adolescent in me: It just made me so sad! Not to mention you can only take so many sexual connotations when your mother is to your left and your father to your right. Honestly, sometimes I still jam out to the rock music in it, because who doesn’t love a good jam session once in a while, right? It is just such a sad musical!

            My cousin played Moritz Stiefel. Spoiler Alert! He kills himself. Although I loved seeing my cousin acting it was weird seeing him carry around his own head!

            I can’t tell you if I like the show or not, because I don’t really know, myself! I think the content is just depressing and only portrays the sad parts about being a teenager. I also think that, at least the times I’ve seen it, it was entertaining and captivating to the audience. So basically what I’m saying is; I will never take my kids to go see it but I would definitely go see it again.

Comparison

In the performing arts world people tend to compare themselves to one another. How that girl has an amazing alto voice and mine is weaker, or, he is such an amazing hip hop dancer, or even, her hair is so much prettier then mine. The littlest details can cause jealousy and bad feelings to generally nice people. Now I would be lying if I said I was never jealous of people, because I do not believe I am the absolute, unmatched, most talented person out there, and if you do, hey props, man. Other people definitely do not feel the same way about themselves, including me.

            I think people feel this way because they only see one side of that “better” person.  They know their own flaws and weaknesses and what they  need to work on, maybe singing louder or getting their acting skills up to par. While they compare themselves to somebody who needs dancing lessons but is an amazing singer or someone who is a great actress but isn’t the prettiest. People compare their good traits and bad traits to someone’s good traits and are left feeling down about themselves.

            Ways to overcome this, speaking from personal experience are not always easy. The best way, in my opinion, is to just set goals and work hard to achieve them. One of my favorite quotes is “Hard work beats talent, when talent doesn’t work hard.”  Tim Notke. I like this quote because it’s so true. If someone is talented and knows it, they tend to not do anything to further them and eventually their talent is over looked and gets boring. When someone works hard and has, maybe, half of the talent the previously mentioned someone has then they will make that talent grow and grow. They will keep getting better, maybe a slow rate but they will get there. It’s kind of like starting a race at different places, the more talented person closer to the finish line then the less talented person. Then after the gun shot or checkered flag the more talented person just stands there, twiddling his or her thumbs. While the “less talented” person runs like a maniac at the goal.

            Another way to get over being jealous of someone else’s talent is to become friends with them! Once you realize that they are not perfect you will be able to accept that about yourself too. Also enjoy that persons talent! Maybe they got a lead in a play that you really wanted. Are you going to let that ruin the entire play for you? No! If you got a smaller role you are going to rock that part and enjoy the rest from the wings!

            Really everybody has different talents. You cannot compare two totally different people. If you both love to sing then sing, in key or not. If you love to dance then you both dance until your muscles are sore and you have blisters on your feet. People need to realize their own talents.

Oh no

Have you ever had those “oh no” moments? When you elbow that glass of water onto your dates dress, or when you drop your brand new galaxy s4 smart phone on the side walk and when you pick it up the screen is shattered? Oh and that last example actually happened, sadly, to yours truly. That is exactly like the feeling of being behind the stage of almost all performing arts. Maybe not so sad but just as hectic. Before or during every performance something is bound to go wrong. Whether it be something as simple as; forgetting black socks, or something as bad as; the lead lost her voice. The show must go on.

 Now I have done marching band for three years, but for some reason this year has been the most stressful. Perhaps it’s because I am a senior and therefore have more pressure put on me, or maybe it’s because I feel the need to have everything under my control. Whatever it is, it’s very prominent right now, with only our second performance soon and our first competition on Saturday. I cannot speak much for the band, although I think they are in the same boat, the color guard is not prepared. It makes me nervous that we have to go on field with some girls who don’t know the work and some who don’t know their right foot from there left. Don’t get me wrong I’m not saying I don’t like them as a person or anything bad, I’m simply saying I don’t like being unprepared. So when it comes to those “oh no” moments I’m not the best person to talk to.

 “Oh no, I dropped my flag.” “Oh no, I missed that set.” “Oh no, what do you want me to do about it?” Just keep going. I only say that because I don’t think I am the cause of “oh no’s” most of the time. I admit I have had my fair share of mishaps but they are not so often that people would think I cannot stand on my own two legs!

Weather I like it or not those moments are basically unavoidable. Someone will step off on the wrong foot and someone is going to hit their head with their flag. All I can is help and then wait for the next person to say “oh no!” 

Start Of The Season

When other people think of fall they think of Halloween, or football, or leaves changing, but when I think of it, I think “Marching Band.” Actually I think of mid-season marching band. Pre-season starts in the summer, in the 100 degree heat. We work our butts off for four months to get one show. Then it’s done. The bus rides, the practices, everything is just done. Which is an odd thought. When you spend eleven plus hours a week doing something then you quit cold turkey, it’s odd. Anyway, I’m actually in the color guard. Not so much the band, but we are considered part of it. Like I said it’s about mid-season right now and we have our show almost halfway done. We have scooped out the others and seen what competition we have in store. And I am excited! If you think of the year as a roller coaster this would be the part when you’re chugging up the incline and you look down, your stomach does a flop, and your brain releases the adrenaline. Our jackets and shirts that say color guard all over them have just arrived and it’s always fun to see all of your section or your guard wearing the same thing at two in the morning when you get back from a competition. Also you can’t forget the joy of forgetting your hair ties at home, or running out of bobby pins on the bus. This is my last year of color guard, unless I decide to do it in college, and I’m so sad about that. Senior year is really a “year of lasts.” No matter how much I get frustrated with them my guard is MY guard. It’s a family away from family. I cannot wait for this roller coaster of a year.