A Clarinet, GV Jaguars Football, and a Musical

Sometimes I don't feel like I have a high school freshman daughter. I just have a Clarinet. Or a Drama Club ensemble cheerleader-tumbler.

Grace's first semester in high school has been a whirlwind. Not the least of which is the amount of time spent in the marching band. Band camp three weeks before school even started. After school band practices. Football games. Competitions. More practices. And all of this for a school that practices hard, travels to competitions, but cannot realistically be said to be a school marching band program that is heavily into the competition scene. Our kids and band directors take it seriously and work hard at it. But there are bands that take it SERIOUSLY and work HARD at it.

My Clarinet

The football season has been a smashing success. We were 10-0 in the regular season, winning the Central League (which I grew up in at Springfield...). We defeated all of the serious Central League contenders this year, and all on the road. We shut out Springfield at Springfield (that one sure felt weird, sitting in the visitors' bleachers and looking across at the home stands!). We beat Haverford at Haverford. We beat Marple Newtown at Marple Newtown. We beat Radnor at Radnor. We humiliated Ridley in a home game (boy did that feel good!!).

As an aside, at the Springfield away game, I met the current Springfield high school band director, who is the son-in-law of Mr Miller, the middle school band director that I had when I went through middle school in the late 70's [ugh] (and who is the director of a community band that brother Dave has been involved in). Small world.

Some, but not all, of the GVHS Marching Band

In the first round of the state division playoffs, where we are ranked #3 out of 16, we destroyed Pennsbury 49-14. By the 4th quarter, we had 2nd and 3rd string backups running for touchdowns.

Last night, in round two of the playoffs, we destroyed Quakertown 49-14. Yep, same score, not a typo.

Next Friday, we travel to Quakertown to play the #2 ranked team, but Grace won't be there.

Next week is the culmination of the other major time commitment that Grace has been a part of, and that is her involvement in the fall musical, a production adapted from the Disney movie High School Musical. Because of her gymnastics background, she is a cheerleader who does tumbling runs, and sings as part of the ensemble. First full dress rehearsal is tomorrow (Sunday), which I will ask her about when she gets home from today's band competition in Hershey PA.

Then there are dress rehearsals Monday and Tuesday after school, "blackout" (rest) day on Wednesday, and then performances on Thursday, Friday and two on Saturday. Busy times.

She's having fun, and it's fun for us as parents to be along for the ride.