Sixth Graders at Halftime

The band marched out from the far side of the football field accompanied by a simple cadence. When the drums snapped to a stop, the marchers stood still, and a sea of kids (200 or so) washed onto the field from the sidelines.

Sixth graders who had been corralled by their teachers came out on the field to meet the high school marching band halfway. The band stood still, instruments at attention, white sparkling tassels waving slightly in the evening breeze, faces looking straight ahead. The sixth graders approached them and then turned to face the crowd.

Then the middle school directors and the two high school drum majors dressed in white started the sixth graders playing -- House Park Blues. It was a simple tune, and they played it well. As the directors waved their hands, those sixth graders played the blues to an almost sold-out home crowd in the stands.

And then the marching band joined them, a blast of brass to backup that simple tune. And in their maroon and black uniforms they swayed to the beat in unison, horns going left and then right.

Imagine what it must have been like for those sixth graders. Most of them only touched up their instruments for the first time in August, and here they were playing at halftime under the bright lights. Here they were playing the blues to a stadium full of standing people with a marching band in full uniform behind them backing them up and swaying to their music.

When the song was done, the drum cadence resumed. And those sixth graders moved quickly off the field as the band marched closely behind them.

Imagine what that must have been like.

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Halftime Show at the Austin/Anderson football game
House Park
Austin, TX

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