Southington High (band) occupies Cheshire

The remarkable Southington High Band will host a marching band competition today at Cheshire High School due to the fact that their stadium is still under construction. They have a big,highly costumed and well-drilled band with a serious fan base. The show itself starts at 1:45 PM and the Ram Band is slated for 6:15 PM. Bands from as far away as Cape Cod will perform with the University of New Hampshire, in exhibition,  to wrap it up around 7:45. All scheduling subject to change, in the event of a bus breakdown or some such snafu.If this was a football team this week would be akin to the last regular season game, with next week being the playoffs at Kennedy Stadium in Bridgeport at the New England Championships.The terse looks and knitted brows on the instructors and band members have been replaced , at least to an outsider, to slight smiles and twinkling of some eyes. It has been two months of rehearsals , costume changes, quick suppers and homework slipped  sideways into lives or the students and parents. It is a commitment that , as Yogi Berra would say, who woulda thunk?Regardless, and in closing, I hope that this blog at least got the word out about the band and gave an inside look into the making (and breaking) of a marching band season. There are two types of journalism, the verification based kind and the opinion side. The normal blog is usually opinion with the intent often to "stir the pot". I tried to blend the opinion with verification , the actual observation of events and the conversations with some band parents. I used my son as a source as far as terminology and mechanics of the operation. Being a freshmen , he did what all smart newbies did- kept his mouth shut and followed the program.Well, good luck to the Southington group on what appears to be a pleasant fall day. And of course, to all the bands participating and DO NOT ,under any circumstances,  follow the famous showbiz adage BREAK A LEG.