DIARY OFA BAND PLAYER

Man, it was hot today! The weatherman said it got up to 86 degrees - that translates into 125 degrees insidethosesuits!

I thought I was going to pass out at first, but I regained my senses when I heard my roommate yellfrom thestands Istopped justfora second to wave my horn (we're not sup- posed to wave, but I usually move my hornfrom sidetoside when someone yells at me) and thetuba playerbusted me in the head because he didn't see me stop I still hadn't quite recovered from that one when we lined up to play the National Anthem. About halfway through that, I felt myselfgetting ready to faint.Then the guy nextto me slammed hiscymbals in my ear

Atleast I was awake, evenif was deaf.

W e were able to take our jackets off while we weresittinginthe stand duringthe first half, that lowered the temperature inour suitsto afrigid 110 degrees.

At halftime the band takes a center stage . . . field. Today, we played "Mambo," the theme from "Cats" — thatwas a tough one — and "Tonight."

Thisis the band's shiningmoment — when the whole school iswatching no one but us.There's nogreater feelingin the world when my heart starts pumping feverishly, my blood courses through my veins, and my breath makes the music from the endof my horn — all of this in harmony with everyone else inthe band.

Thisis whyI doit. Thisis why I practice for hours each week, sufferthrough 110degree heat orsub-freezing weather at the games.

The feeling ofbelonging to a group,ofaccomplishing something, and having the whole school watch theendresult.

That makes itall worthwhile.

John Peters

Pride oftheFlames,theLiberty band strutsduring halftime Baritones, tubas, trumpets, saxophones — theblareismoltengold TracyCooper and TimWolf (lower left, across page) wail their trumpets Tim Wolf,Kristy Weber,Shawn Rozier and John Painter (across page, left) blow a trumpet fanfare.Saxophonist David Maxwell answers back.