-Early Morning-

                I arrived to the practice field at 6:15am on Friday.  Due to the responsibilities of being drum major, it requires me to be at things early.  I don’t get frustrated at this at all, mainly because I am a person who tries to be early anyway.  When the full band started to arrive, you could definitely tell everyone was still half asleep.  They were moping and groaning about being there early, but they were excited at the same time.  Excitement of having the opportunity to travel to Auburn to support our football team, staying in downtown Atlanta and having free time in it, and to be able to see one of the most premiere college bands of America. 

                I did my normal routine of putting the signs on the bus, passing out itineraries, and helping with whatever issues needed taken care of.  I was just finished doing this when I was pulled to the side to be interviewed by a local news station that was doing an article based on the band heading to Alabama.  I was asked many questions regarding the trip and the performances.  I was then asked if the other members would be excited for the performances on the trip down.  I responded with, “Whenever we perform, the excitement is very high.  When we run out on that field for the performances, it will be high!”

-Princeton, WV-

                As the band arrived in Princeton, students were awake at this point.  Many were very hungry, even though breakfast was provided earlier that morning.  We unloaded the buses and went directly to the field for lunch.  The people of Princeton, WV were very hospitable.  They had provided us with lunch from Subway which we ate in the stands of the stadium that we were at.  After everyone got their food, Chelsea and I got the band together to sing the Alma Mater.  The band does this every time someone gives us food.  It is our way to show are thanks and to remember that we are a family within this great band.

                After we were finished eating we went to the parking lot and assembled into sectionals.  Sectionals were not as long as normal, and were just to get our chops warmed up and ready to play.  As I walked around making sure everything was running smoothly a local elementary school began to arrive.  The children were very amazed.  Most of them probably had never seen a marching band of this caliber, and you could definitely tell they were excited to be there.  I was walking by a group of children when one of them said to me “wow, you look like you’re from the matrix!.”  I am not sure what he was meaning, but you could definitely tell that he was excited.

                As the band congregated and lined up for the performance, excitement in the stadium began to rise.  Both sides of this high school stadium were full.  This particular field holds about 8,000 people, and the cheers of “Let’s Go…Mountaineers” were very strong.  The people of Princeton, WV and the surrounding areas were about to see one of the strongest and largest ambassador of the great state in which we live. 

                As we heard the voice of Bill Nevin, our announcer, we knew the time was here.  The Pride of West Virginia was about to take the field.  The band began to march in with the cheers of 8,000 fans supporting our every step.  And as the show began, we heard those famous words…”And now, from the College of Creative Arts…”

                After the performance,   students were thankful for the kindness that they had witnessed in Princeton.  Although the heat was not in our favor, our presence in Princeton gave us the support and push to keep heading south to perform again.  The crowd of Princeton reminded the band how important we are, even when we perform at the complete opposite side of this great state.

-Mooresville, NC-

                After the performance in Princeton, the band was very exhausted and very tired.  On my bus, bus five of our nine bus caravan, the trip between Princeton and Mooresville was a quiet one. 

                We arrived in Mooresville, NC which is right outside of Charlotte, NC.  Our plan: To play at halftime for the Mooresville High School Football Game.  As we did in Princeton, we arrived with food waiting on us.  We went into the cafeteria of the high school where we were served an amazing pork barbecue sandwich.  Let me say this, I would drive down to this high school from Morgantown just to have this meal again.  The people serving us were very welcoming, just as in Princeton.   After everyone had received their food, Chelsea and I began the Alma Mater again.  To show are thanks to the people here that we were very appreciative of their work. 

                After dinner, we went to sectionals as normal.  Section Leaders warmed their sections up and provided enthusiasm to get the members excited about performing at this high school.  During sectionals, Mike Petruski, the WVU Alumni Association Charlotte Chapter President,   took pictures with the drumline and the drum majors to remember this performance, and explained how much it meant that we stopped here to perform.

                As the band gathered together to march towards the field to start this performance, members were excited.  However, they were very tired and very exhausted from this long day.  We walked toward the high school field where we prepared ourselves for the performance.  We began to walk around the field and our presence was definitely known.  The crowd was so excited that we were there.  They cheered for us while their footballs teams were still playing.  It was very nice to see that marching bands from both high schools were in attendance.  I know I was excited to show these high school students what West Virginia has to share, and to possibly raise their interest in their own band.

                We were lined up and ready to perform when the home band took the field.  They performed a short five minute performance.  And as we had in Princeton we heard those heartwarming words: “And now, from the College of Creative Arts”.  As we took the field and played our first note of ‘Fight Mountaineers’ the crowd was very loud.  This field was much smaller than Princeton.  I believe it held about 3,000 people.  However, the crowd was much louder here than at Princeton.  They were very, very excited that we were there.  One moment that sticks out in my mind from this performance was when we were going into the Simple Gifts circles.  Being on the side line, I could hear the crowd say things like “What are they doing”, “Why are they going to the center of the field” and “I wonder what they are doing”.  As the tempo picked up and the band did its four count high turn to face outwards and kneel on the ground, the crowd erupted.  I have never heard a crowd be so excited at a demo show than at this one.

                As we left the field the members of the band were talking up a storm about the crowd and much excitement was in that stadium.  As we departed our excitement for the next day and to perform again was very, very high.

Atlanta-               

When we arrived in Atlanta, GA, it was dark of course.  And you could see the lights of the tall buildings ahead and of the buildings surrounding us.  Many members, especially the freshman, had probably never been this far away from home, and their first time to a large city. We arrived to the hotel and the band went straight to the rooms and fell asleep from a very long day.