Everyone is attended at least one sport competition whether it be a soccer game, water polo match, or a football game they all have basically the same fan concept: cheer as loud and obnoxiously as possible. There are no rules that fans must abide by.
Band competitions don’t follow these general ideas. I attended my first band competition on Oct. 17 at Mason High School. There I was shocked by many things. To start off, band competitions are much more popular than you think. I was expecting half full stands and easy to find parking. That was not quite what happened.
Parking was difficult to say the least. It cost $5 to be anywhere even remotely close to the stands and if you didn’t want to pay then you ended up in Timbuktu. And this was at Mason which has a massive parking lot.
Once you finally get to the stadium you should note that tickets are on the pricier side. The competition I attended cost $8 for person, no student rate. This annoyed me a little but I could get over it.
Once in, you’re probably going to have to wait for the band performing to finish. There are strict rules against moving in front of the spectators during a performance. From what I gathered, this had to do with the judges. You can watch from a railing nearby until the band is done.
As soon as you have made it into the stands make note of the proper etiquette required: no speaking while a band is warming up or addressing the crowd, do not stand up and try to leave mid performance, and turn your cell phone on silent.
These simple guidelines should not inhibit your experience. Have fun and cheer your band on. Once the drum major salutes the crowd cheer as loudly as you want.
Drum Major Gwen Constand said, “I know it’s a lot more strict than people expect but once the band starts don’t be afraid to cheer,”
To get everything you can out of attending a competition be sure to send grams to people. The grams will be read out during the band’s introduction. They are little notes of encouragement to your friends or family.
I think attending a band competition at least once is something all high schoolers should experience. The various bands and color guards are amazing and it will really show your friend that you care.