I consider this the best thing to happen at Big Cat all year. It's better than football, that sport that imposes too much risk for the boys who play it. Let's share a toast to music! You will be impressed by the Irondale Marching Knights.
There is no admission charge for the Thursday, July 26, public exhibition. It begins with an "open rehearsal" at 6:30 p.m. The more formal part will start at the late time of 9 p.m. The lateness of the hour reduces the conflict with Horticulture Night at the WCROC. This isn't to say the Hort. Night attendees won't hear some rehearsal sounds floating toward them. Irondale is here to hone their performing in extended sessions. Maybe coming out to our prairie town reduces the distractions? Thursday night is just set aside especially for the public.
Everyone should be pleased about Irondale's presence. I suppose some guardians of our school district's image will squirm a little with the realization that we, Morris Area, do not have a marching band. I dueled with those school district "guardians" through much of my newspaper career. Of course, all I ever wanted to write was the truth - it's good for your soul. Better than trying to co-exist with the teachers union. I think the teachers of today are far more gentle and reasonable.
Hancock had its band showcased for their July 4. A toast to them.
You should know that Irondale is not the kind of marching band you probably have in mind. They are quite avant-garde. Their regimen is very demanding. I'm not sure I could cut it, were I to be in high school again. Oh to be in high school again.
I missed the Irondale performance last year. I had family circumstances that made it difficult to take in evening events. That's OK, I'd just watch Rachel Maddow and Lawrence O'Donnell on MSNBC! And, the guy with my name, Brian Williams, in the 10 o'clock slot on that network.
The Marching Knights are self-described as progressive and innovative. They embrace diverse educational goals. The group involves more than 140 members, and it represents Mounds View District 621. The district also encompasses Shoreview, Arden Hills and New Brighton. These are northern Twin Cities suburbs. The red-themed marching band is part of comprehensive music offerings at Irondale High School. There's a fired-up booster organization. In recent years the band has toured all over including outside our nation's bounds. The musicians share concert band fare, jazz and marching through all these commitments.
The Marching Knights begin practice in May and persevere for months. The field show season ends in November. Band may be better than football - my opinion - but the two activities are not separate. The fall season has the Knights perform for football games. Field show festivals are also on the fall slate. Irondale hosts its own competition, "Music of the Knight," in late September. Irondale gets in the national competitive picture with its annual appearance in the "Bands of America" competition. The work finally winds down in November - whew! - with two indoor "standstill" concerts and a banquet.
Irondale has accumulated hundreds of awards from parades and field show competitions. They've taken champion honors in the Vikingland Band Festival in Alexandria - a skein of six years with the No. 1 honor, in fact.
Irondale's music program obviously instills a number of values in its young, developing participants. Sometimes people make a weak argument for football in that it seems to instill certain positive things. Oh teamwork, whatever. Those things are negated by the brutal punishment of body and mind. Next time you hear someone talking like that, say that music and marching band instill all of those same positive qualities. I don't know, is it reasonable to suggest that MAHS do something along the lines of marching band? Would a group of kids volunteer to form a "brass band," perhaps, to perform at the Killoran stage once a week? That stage hasn't been used nearly enough.
Morris had a robust marching band in the past. We weren't "avant garde" but we were awfully good, IMHO. My director was John Woell, although I did play under the legendary Bob Schaefer when I was in junior high.
My suggestion of considering a marching band will be met with some inflamed emotion here, people saying it's not practical or workable for various reasons, so I should just shut up. I have also pushed for Morris Area to re-start its boys tennis program. Here I am, just trying to be pro-active, and I risk encountering enmity. But we love Morris, don't we?
I recently posted about our community's background with marching band on my "Morris of Course" blog site. You'll see a nice photo of our gallant drum major from back around 1970, Scott Groth. I once drew a caricature of Scott titled "Watching Scotty Grow." Click on the link below to read, and thanks as always.
http://morrisofcourse.
they were good tonight
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