Thursday, October 29, 2009
The last Kamiak Show band and Color Guard practice for 2009
It was a cool and somber night on October 29, 2009. The Kamiak show band and Color Guard were putting the finishing touches to an already wonderful program in preparation for the last competition of the year Hillsboro II - Halloween edition.
As they wrapped up a great session, it was time to bid Adieu to their fellow classmates who would not be with them next year. The seniors.
As they lined up in separate groups, seniors, and underclassmen, it was apparent that this would be a very emotional and touching time for all - band members, staff and parents.
As the event was nearing its end, the band director announced that it was time to pass the stage on to of one the best drum majors he has ever worked with in his 15 years as a band director - Stuart Pitts.
As was expected, the speech was very inspirational, encouraging and emotional. At several points, Stuart was all choked up at the thought that this was his last chance to perform with and lead a great group of musicians.
In the stands too, a proud father nearly wept as he listened to his son speak to his fellow classmates and band members for the last time in practice.
Enjoy the slideshow
KAMIAK SHOW BAND and COLOR GUARD .... GO ROCK HILLSBORO one last time. Make them feel you.
KHS SB CG
Wednesday, October 28, 2009
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
Hillsboro II -Halloween Edition 2009
Good evening,
Hopefully everyone is ready for our exciting final weekend of competitions. Seems like just yesterday we loaded the yellow buses for Ft Flagler. We are having our meeting Thursday at 7:30 (NOTE THE TIME CHANGE) and then Roadies will be heading out to pack up stuff in preparation for Saturday. Please let me know if you haven't already of any changes in plans on driving/riding bus. We have room and want everyone to have a ride. See you all there.
Ken & Karen
Sunday, October 25, 2009
This was one busy weekend for the Kamiak knights. Friday night Rainy and cold football performance, and then All day Saturday in Everett at the Puget Sound Festival of bands. The Might Knights Show band and Color Guard came away with 2nd place overall winning the people's choice, Best Drum Majors and Best drum.
Thank you to all those staff members, Parent volunteers, supporters and Kamiak alumns who came and helped us succeed last night. As you will notice from the pictures, help, uniform cleaning and mending, food, hand warmer distribution and equipment transportation was available and well staffed. We encourage more wannabe helpers to step forward and join this great and fun crew.
Thank you also to the staff and assistants for the patience ;-), training and mentoring for the band members. Even though It may seem that they were not hungry for victory during practice, they showed their stuff once they got on the field - Game Time !!
Now Time to prep and get pumped for Hillsboro II - Halloween Edition and a surprise appearance by the Commando Penguins (oops ruined the surprise).
KHS SB CG
See also http://picasaweb.google.com/khssbcg
Bittersweet day for the Knights
Friday night's football game weighed heavily on everyone's mind Saturday morning. Not the score but the rains. The skies held the promise of a typical northwest fall day. Maybe sun, maybe rain, but definitely cool. The practice field was most unwelcoming with its rain-laden turf and muddy backfield quickly quashing any hopes of a full run-through for the band. The morning was spent doing sectionals and practicing music. A chance to sharpen the sound and flatten any bumps in the music ending with a re-affirmation of the goals set so long ago in band camp. Goals to be a better musician. A better section. A better band. A better team. Roadies scrambled about getting trailers and trucks loaded with instruments and props. Doug and Kim making last minute preparations for another BBQ at Kamp Kamiak. Dave playing 21st century homesteader making sure we had enough space for all our equipment. Bill and Mary wrangling 115 high-schoolers into those luxurious yellow chariots.
Things were frazzled in the early afternoon. Buses heading to the wrong parking lot, traffic hassles delaying arrivals and some unfortunate equipment failures all conspiring to halt the Knight's campaign. But it was for naught. At 2:05 the stadium was filled with the cheers of our Kamiak parents. Even from the ramp so far across the field we heard the clapping, we heard the cheers and words of encouragement from parents, siblings and alumni.
After pictures and announcement of finals placements, it was time for our traditional competition schedule combined late lunch/early dinner break. Graduated parents brought food and memories to share with an increasing number of rookie parents. Once again we were all treated to Doug's culinary artistry. Many of the band members took advantage of the fare, while others were more interested in securing their peppermint hot chocolate or pumpkin spice latte from the ever available Starbucks.
Finals approached far too quickly as young hands were warmed by Doug & Kim's thoughtfully prepared "handwarmers for 200" table. It was time again for Kamiak to step up and show everyone what "Show band" really means. Yet another fantastic performance by the band garnered awards for "Best Drum Major", "Best Percussion" and a strong 2nd place behind our long-time rival Mead High School. Though we did not repeat our Sweepstakes win at Tumwater, our band came home proud. Proud of what they had accomplished, proud of their effort, and proud of the support shown them by friends, family and competitors alike. Thanks parents for your support, be it in the stands, on the field or behind the scenes. And thank you kids for making us proud of you for all your hard work, perseverance and dedication!
GO KNIGHTS!!!!
Things were frazzled in the early afternoon. Buses heading to the wrong parking lot, traffic hassles delaying arrivals and some unfortunate equipment failures all conspiring to halt the Knight's campaign. But it was for naught. At 2:05 the stadium was filled with the cheers of our Kamiak parents. Even from the ramp so far across the field we heard the clapping, we heard the cheers and words of encouragement from parents, siblings and alumni.
After pictures and announcement of finals placements, it was time for our traditional competition schedule combined late lunch/early dinner break. Graduated parents brought food and memories to share with an increasing number of rookie parents. Once again we were all treated to Doug's culinary artistry. Many of the band members took advantage of the fare, while others were more interested in securing their peppermint hot chocolate or pumpkin spice latte from the ever available Starbucks.
Finals approached far too quickly as young hands were warmed by Doug & Kim's thoughtfully prepared "handwarmers for 200" table. It was time again for Kamiak to step up and show everyone what "Show band" really means. Yet another fantastic performance by the band garnered awards for "Best Drum Major", "Best Percussion" and a strong 2nd place behind our long-time rival Mead High School. Though we did not repeat our Sweepstakes win at Tumwater, our band came home proud. Proud of what they had accomplished, proud of their effort, and proud of the support shown them by friends, family and competitors alike. Thanks parents for your support, be it in the stands, on the field or behind the scenes. And thank you kids for making us proud of you for all your hard work, perseverance and dedication!
GO KNIGHTS!!!!
Saturday, October 24, 2009
Kamiak Knights win against Mariner with the help of the Show band
The band knew all too well that they would not get much sleep tonight, but persevered in helping the football team. The Show band and color guard prepare to face 25 other High school marching bands in the Puget Sound festival of bands at Everett stadium on Saturday October 24 2009.
Their show "On The Edge" is sure to be a favorite pick for the fans and judges alike.
Good luck Mighty Kamiak knights. Take it all tomorrow.
Friday, October 23, 2009
Kamiak preparing for the Everett Competition 10/24/2009
Scenes from the mighty Kamiak knights ramping up for the
Puget Sound Festival of Bands
Saturday, October 24
Memorial Stadium, Everett
26 High School bands will be competing during this event hosted by cascade High School.
as you can see from the pictures, Kamiak is up to the task.
GO Knights.
http://www.kodakgallery.com/ShareLanding.action?c=e81p1ok.7udj1el8&x=0&h=1&y=-r2km35&localeid=en_US |
Enjoy and please plan to come and see the show, All the bands put on a great show with great music.
Thursday, October 22, 2009
How much weight should props carry in a High school's marching band's performance?
Scoring high school marching bands performances
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 21, 2009
How much weight should props carry in a High school's marching band's performance?
In the article by Eileen Oday " High school band competition enters an age of theatrics
76 trombones just doesn't cut it anymore" she talks about the evolution of High school Marching band competitions into theatrical shows.
""It's not your average half-time show," says Annie Martinez, a spokeswoman for Bands of America in Indianapolis, which sponsors regional and national competitions.
"It's truly pageantry of the arts. Each of the band show tells a story."
The days of bands coming on the field and playing a popular score while drawing intricate patterns on the football fields during half time are quickly going away.
The programs are steadily moving towards shows to the likeness of super bowl half-time performances with stages and costumes and named artists performing a live mini concert for the fans.
The question is, how much weight should be given to a programs Marching performance for props, costumes, expensive equipment over musical performance and marching?
Most people only ever see a high school marching band's performance during the 5 to 10 minutes between halves in a football game. Many high school programs today actually compete locally and nationally much like in the competition portrayed in the movie "Drumline" http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0303933/ .
What is different about the collegiate level competitions and High school ones is the use of props and costumes. Marching bands members in college are typically seen wearing their military style uniforms with top hats called shakos while flag bearers and rifle/sword squads (color guards) wear a more theatrical type outfit.
Today, some high school programs have nearly half their competition programs in costumes, including drum majors, who have been seen wearing costumes from the movies Zorro, V for Vendetta and the theatrical shows "O" by Cirque Du Soleil.
The question is, in what is called "circuit competitions" for high schools, why is the flash and costs of the props and costumes given more weight during a performance than the mastery of the music and marching?
Many of these high cost programs with the theatrical themes, may play obscure songs not heard by even 1% of the crowd. Often, these are played so poorly (even while they are stationary) that the fans just wonder what is was that they just heard. The majority may recall the pretty colors and overall display of walls, mirrors and balloons, but cannot tell you whether the musicians gave even a minor effort to the music. These types of performances typically are rewarded with the highest marks by the judges during so called Circuit competitions.
On the other hand, programs where emphasis is placed on music selection for a marching band, ability to play the music accurately and skillfully while marching in patterns and moving at a fast pace and the use of props is non-existent, fall the the bottom of the rating scales even though every spectator heard, recognized and even sang along with the performance.
What is the message that is being sent by the judges and organizations hosting and promoting these competitions?
Flash is better than skill? Cost is more valuable than practice, or training?
Notice that Colleges don't make use of theatrical backdrops or stages during their competitions. They use skill and training.
What do you think? Should the use of props during a high school marching band's performance be more important and rewarded more than music and marching ability?
Jw Gmpi
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 21, 2009
How much weight should props carry in a High school's marching band's performance?
In the article by Eileen Oday " High school band competition enters an age of theatrics
76 trombones just doesn't cut it anymore" she talks about the evolution of High school Marching band competitions into theatrical shows.
""It's not your average half-time show," says Annie Martinez, a spokeswoman for Bands of America in Indianapolis, which sponsors regional and national competitions.
"It's truly pageantry of the arts. Each of the band show tells a story."
The days of bands coming on the field and playing a popular score while drawing intricate patterns on the football fields during half time are quickly going away.
The programs are steadily moving towards shows to the likeness of super bowl half-time performances with stages and costumes and named artists performing a live mini concert for the fans.
The question is, how much weight should be given to a programs Marching performance for props, costumes, expensive equipment over musical performance and marching?
Most people only ever see a high school marching band's performance during the 5 to 10 minutes between halves in a football game. Many high school programs today actually compete locally and nationally much like in the competition portrayed in the movie "Drumline" http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0303933/ .
What is different about the collegiate level competitions and High school ones is the use of props and costumes. Marching bands members in college are typically seen wearing their military style uniforms with top hats called shakos while flag bearers and rifle/sword squads (color guards) wear a more theatrical type outfit.
Today, some high school programs have nearly half their competition programs in costumes, including drum majors, who have been seen wearing costumes from the movies Zorro, V for Vendetta and the theatrical shows "O" by Cirque Du Soleil.
The question is, in what is called "circuit competitions" for high schools, why is the flash and costs of the props and costumes given more weight during a performance than the mastery of the music and marching?
Many of these high cost programs with the theatrical themes, may play obscure songs not heard by even 1% of the crowd. Often, these are played so poorly (even while they are stationary) that the fans just wonder what is was that they just heard. The majority may recall the pretty colors and overall display of walls, mirrors and balloons, but cannot tell you whether the musicians gave even a minor effort to the music. These types of performances typically are rewarded with the highest marks by the judges during so called Circuit competitions.
On the other hand, programs where emphasis is placed on music selection for a marching band, ability to play the music accurately and skillfully while marching in patterns and moving at a fast pace and the use of props is non-existent, fall the the bottom of the rating scales even though every spectator heard, recognized and even sang along with the performance.
What is the message that is being sent by the judges and organizations hosting and promoting these competitions?
Flash is better than skill? Cost is more valuable than practice, or training?
Notice that Colleges don't make use of theatrical backdrops or stages during their competitions. They use skill and training.
What do you think? Should the use of props during a high school marching band's performance be more important and rewarded more than music and marching ability?
Jw Gmpi
Last three events for the Kamiak Show band and Color guard in 2009
- 10/23 Fri 7pm Football Game
- 10/24 Sat All Day Everett Show
- 10/31 Sat All Day Championships Vancouver/Portland area
Kamiak High School Tumwater Competition 2009
Good morning,
We just wanted to take a moment to thanks all of you for your hard work and dedication to the band yesterday. It's always good to have our kids win the prize after all their hard work, but it couldn't have happened without your help. Thank you all so much for putting up with yellow buses, and moving equipment around. Loading unloading loading unloading. Going without your favorite coffee, comfy couch and lazy Saturday afternoon.
That show was the result of a lot of hard work. Not just by the kids, but also by the staff that works with them week after week, practice after practice, constantly pushing them to achieve their potential. And no less important, the work of a dedicated group of parents willing to give up their free time in order to help provide a safe, comfortable, supportive environment for those kids to practice, perform and interact while at these competitions. As parents, thank you for being there for our kids. As head chaperones, thank you for volunteering so freely of your time. Please relax today happy in the knowledge that you were there when those kids achieved the goal they set for themselves way back in August. And stay tuned, because the road ahead will be exciting as they work towards a re-match with Southridge on Halloween.
Warmest regard,
Ken & Karen Creech
Head Chaperones
Pictures of the event are below:
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2033243&id=1541253695
We just wanted to take a moment to thanks all of you for your hard work and dedication to the band yesterday. It's always good to have our kids win the prize after all their hard work, but it couldn't have happened without your help. Thank you all so much for putting up with yellow buses, and moving equipment around. Loading unloading loading unloading. Going without your favorite coffee, comfy couch and lazy Saturday afternoon.
That show was the result of a lot of hard work. Not just by the kids, but also by the staff that works with them week after week, practice after practice, constantly pushing them to achieve their potential. And no less important, the work of a dedicated group of parents willing to give up their free time in order to help provide a safe, comfortable, supportive environment for those kids to practice, perform and interact while at these competitions. As parents, thank you for being there for our kids. As head chaperones, thank you for volunteering so freely of your time. Please relax today happy in the knowledge that you were there when those kids achieved the goal they set for themselves way back in August. And stay tuned, because the road ahead will be exciting as they work towards a re-match with Southridge on Halloween.
Warmest regard,
Ken & Karen Creech
Head Chaperones
Pictures of the event are below:
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2033243&id=1541253695
Keep the Arts in Public Schools
Keep the Arts in Public Schools Bulletin
Posted by MacEwen Patterson
Hi everyone,
Our cause just entered in America's Giving Challenge, which gives us a chance to win $50,000!
Please donate today: http://www.causes.com/donations/select_donation_method?m=103f46b4&cause_id=3257
To win, between now and November 7th we have to get the most donations to our cause (every person can donate once per day and have it count as a unique donation). We can also win daily awards of $1,000 and $500 if we can get the most people to donate in any 24-hour period. The great thing about this Challenge is that it doesn't matter how much you give, but instead how much you do to encourage friends and family to get involved in our cause. We all need to come together and start promoting the cause if we want to win.
Each of us has tons of friends on Facebook who we can ask to donate to our cause. But let's think big too—can you put our cause in your email signature, can you throw a party and get people to donate through the cause when they enter, can you organize other people to go out and fundraise from all of their friends? As you reach out to your friends be sure to tell them why this cause matters to you. The possibilities are endless so let's talk about what we can do to win on the Wall of the cause or by replying to this bulletin.
I think we can do it! But it's going to take all of us. Check out the Giving Challenge (www.causes.com?m=103f46b4), then visit our cause to see how we're doing so far and get involved.
Donate right now by going to http://www.causes.com/donations/select_donation_method?m=103f46b4&cause_id=3257
Let's win $50,000 for our cause!
We've done so much so far. Let's really make this count!
MacEwen
Admin
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Kamiak High School Homecoming 2009
What an amazing game last night!! I hope a lot of you were able to come watch both our Show Band/ColorGuard performance and the football team. If you weren't able to be there, it will be available on ComCast On Demand. That should be available by tomorrow night.
Homecoming Parade:
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2032322&id=1541253695
Homecoming game:
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2032496&id=1541253695
Homecoming Parade:
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2032322&id=1541253695
Homecoming game:
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2032496&id=1541253695
Important vote at Booster meeting
I would like to encourage everyone to attend the Booster meeting on Thursday, September 10, 2009. There will be two particularly important issues being brought up and voted upon. There is a proposal to allow other schools within our District to utilize the small trailer that was purchased SPECIFICALLY for Show band last year. Dave Pitts will be speaking to the group about the effect this can have on our program. Additionally, there is a proposal to eliminate three Booster (30% or the total) meetings throughout the year. This was proposed in response to parent input that the meetings were a "waste of time". I personally feel that these meetings are important to maintaining the connectedness of our Arts programs and to have everyone hear about what the other programs are doing. I ask that you let your voice be heard as an ATTENDING member of the KPAB and do your part to ensure our Booster program is for US, the Boosters. And give the board your ideas on making the meetings more productive.
Sincerely,
Ken Creech
Sincerely,
Ken Creech
Kamiak Hillsboro and Homecoming parade memories 2009
Sept 27 2009
Good morning! It's 2:10 on Sunday morning and all our kids and parents are home safe. 5 Star accomodations at the Liberty Inn, Dinner at "Po & Doug's Roadie Roadhouse" and an unremarkable drive to and from Hillsboro! Thank you all for everything you did to make this a successful trip. Especially you first time parents. Hopefully it was all we promised and you'll be back for more at Tumwater or Everett. Have a wonderful abbreviated weekend. See you at Goddard on Friday!
Warmest regards,
Ken & Karen Creech
Hillsboro:
http://www.kodakgallery.com/gallery/creativeapps/slideShow/Main.jsp?token=396670407308:2131914198
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