WASMB

Emma loves playing her clarinet.  She didn't start band until 7th grade so she was a year behind the other kids when she started.  She has put a lot of effort into learning the clarinet.  Last year she learned that the Wyoming All State Marching Band was invited to march in the Rose Bowl parade on January 1, 2016.  Emma decided she wanted to be a part of this experience.  The marching band is made up of  about 300 students from all over the state.  The band will only meet together two times for week long camps before they go to California.  Last week the band met for the first time.  They worked on memorizing songs and marching from early morning until nine at night from Monday to Saturday last week.  The camp was here in Powell the first half of the week and the kids stayed at the dorms on campus.  Neil and the boys saw the band marching in town on Tuesday evening.  I really wanted the opportunity to see the band marching so on Wednesday evening we took the kids to town for ice cream and to watch the band march.  We drove all around town but couldn't find the band anywhere.  I had no idea that you could hide a 300 member band in Powell.  We couldn't even hear them anywhere.  Emma sent us a text letting us know that they would be marching downtown Thursday morning. Lydia and I went to town on Thursday morning to have one more chance to see the band marching.  Lydia and I left the van at Blairs so Neil could wash it while we walked to see if we could find the band.  We walked for a few blocks before we could hear the band.  Finally we heard them but we went too far and only saw the end of the band.  We hurried back the other way to get ahead of the band.  Lydia kept saying that we should have brought the stroller because she was tired.  She was  a good sport and kept walking as fast as she could so we could see Emma march.  We finally caught up with the band and walked along with them for  a ways.  Neil came and found us and gave Lydia a break by carrying her.  I loved hearing the band and seeing Emma march.  I have loved having the WASMB come to Powell in the summer for many years.  I remember when just the three older girls and I walked all the way to McDonald's following the band one morning.  It was so exciting to me to see Emma marching in the band.

The band also marched in the parades in Cody on the 3rd and 4th of July.  They sounded amazing and looked so good!  It is really hard to tell which one is Emma when they are all dressed the same with their hair pulled up.  Emma says their uniforms make them look like walking Pepsi Cans.  Pepsi is the major sponsor for the band so I guess that is fair.  Emma said it was a really hard week and a lot of work.  She also said all the hard work will pay off when they get to march in the Rose Bowl Parade.  It was really hot here while they were practicing.  Hopefully they have beautiful weather on
January 1, 2016 in Pasadena, California.