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OSU Marching Band Inspires a 4-Year-Old & Twirl Sparks Confidence
190 Plays7 days ago
Your All-Access Pass to the Marching Arts.
This week, we’re bringing the joy, the inspiration, and the sparkle 💫
We meet Finley — a 4-year-old obsessed with the Ohio State University Marching Band — whose “drum major energy” is already making waves. Then, author and LGBTQ+ advocate Jase Peeples joins the pod to talk about his children’s book Twirl — a heartwarming story about embracing your sparkle, building confidence, and redefining what it means to shine on your own terms.
Plus: co-host Jade Rhode shares a powerful 32-count life story, Josh Smith and Nicole Younger break down burnout in the band world, and we preview all-age excitement ahead of DCA Finals.
💡 This one’s about lifting up sideline stars, celebrating twirlers, and seeing the joy in every band kid’s journey.
Featuring:
Host: Nicole Younger [@o2bnpjs]
Panelists: Josh Smith [@mr.smiths.band], Jade Rhode
Guest: Jase Peeples [@jasepeeples]
Sponsored by:
🎒 @peak.group.travel | peakgrouptravel.com
💚 @guardcloset | guardcloset.com
🎧 Listen on all platforms: onawaterbreakpodcast.com/listen
📚 Twirl by Jase Peeples: Amazon Link
🥁 Finley (Toddler of the Year): Vote Here
#MarchingArts #OSUMarchingBand #BandKids #TwirlBook #ColorGuard #DrumMajor #OnAWaterBreak #DCI2025 #MarchingBand
Recommended
Transcript
Introduction and Listener Engagement
00:00:00
Speaker
Hey everyone and welcome back to On A Water Break, the podcast where we talk about everything you and your friends are talking about at rehearsal on A Water Break. This week we are live on Facebook, YouTube and Instagram. Plus we have some super amazing news making guests.
00:00:16
Speaker
We'll also find out what made Steven say. I also wanted to quit the band end as a freshman, but my parents made me stay. And I am very thankful they did that, because now I will be going to the Eagles home opener. I will have a little championship ring on my finger from all my good years playing bass drum.
00:00:32
Speaker
And why Nicole said, well if you have a show that's going to be coming out in like two weeks from now, you're not going to have it on that day. I'll listen more on this week's episode on a water break.
00:00:46
Speaker
Adolph the Met and go. Welcome to on a water break.
00:01:03
Speaker
Hey everyone, it's Jackie. We have a great episode of the week this week. And we are live, so who knows what could possibly happen. It's always hectic and crazy whenever we do the live show.
00:01:15
Speaker
um We also have amazing fun guests on the sidelines this week. But before we go just check them out, make sure you go and subscribe on your favorite listening app. app, write us review, share all the things you want to talk about.
00:01:31
Speaker
Email us. On a break
Nicole's Summer and Band Director Experiences
00:01:33
Speaker
post at dmail.com or you can find us on social media at on a water break wherever you get your social media. DM us if you want to be on the show or you can fill out our form.
00:01:44
Speaker
We will get that and we will put you on our show. Check it out at our link in box. I don't know if you're talking to me or not. It's coming through super choppy, Jackie, but I'm excited to be on the sidelines. Same. Same. Me too. Me too.
00:01:56
Speaker
I've been doing a whole lot of band camp and I'm finally free. Happy for you on that one because no o band camp for me. What have you been up to lately? who me? Yeah,
00:02:09
Speaker
yeah go ahead, Nicole. Okay. I've got pretty much like a handful, when I say a handful, like in all, I think I had seven clients this summer are going, well, yeah, this summer going into the fall.
00:02:21
Speaker
So some groups just got flags and some groups got uniforms and flags. And then I had two groups that got uniforms, flags, backdrops, fan uniforms, flags.
00:02:34
Speaker
Yeah. So when it has more things going into it, like I feel like I've become good friends with the band directors or either the nagging that keeps calling and doesn't want, you know, they don't want talk to you.
00:02:45
Speaker
But it's fun to, um you know, go through all that. And I can't wait to see what all of that work looks like on the field. so So. Yes. I mean, that's got to be a super busy time of year for you right now, because everyone's calling and they're all like, where's my stuff?
00:03:03
Speaker
but Okay, so I haven't gotten any of those calls yet. Yet. Because I actually tell them at the very initial meeting, like, you're going to hear from me kind of ad nauseum. So more if you can't do anything, ah you know, with me right now, then look
00:03:23
Speaker
we have Jace here.
Guest Introduction: Jace Peoples
00:03:26
Speaker
Jace Peoples, how are you? Hello. oh Thank you so much for having me back on. You're welcome. Now, I wasn't on the the original episode that you were on when we were promoting Twirl.
00:03:38
Speaker
Yes. However, I did go out and get the book and read it. And I was very happy to see that. And then that's when I started going, I'm a rabbit hole kind of person. If I read a book or if I see a movie that I really like, um I'm going to be like, ooh, where is this person from? Or what else did they do? Now, since i already know about color. or So I was just like, hey smallw okay.
00:04:01
Speaker
And then like just looking through and I'm like, okay. Now that I see like pictures of you in your uniform arm when you were younger, I'm just like, we I believe 100% that we probably cross paths in some way, shape or form.
00:04:16
Speaker
Oh God, yes. And yeah, I have to say, over watching the show over the past couple months, I've become such a fan of yours, Nicole. You always have like such great insights that you share. So thank you.
00:04:29
Speaker
That feels great coming from those times when you're like, okay, what am I doing with my life? And then it's like, yeah.
00:04:36
Speaker
an amazing summer not only like a great an incredible dci i season but i've been out you know promoting the book for a while now and just getting the reception from my color garden drum corps family has been um amazing um it was just in la we had a signing at the barnes and noble at the grove down there what's up aim who hadn't seen in like I make years and years who I used to march with, ah who marched in other guards. and It's just so nice that this activity gives us lifelong friends that pop up when you when you least expect them sometimes.
00:05:08
Speaker
It's wonderful. i just had an idea that we should actually have some of your copies of Twirl at WGI i and set up a little place where you can actually like sign.
00:05:19
Speaker
Well, funny that you mentioned that because I am planning on going to WGI and getting a table there to to be available to have to be.
00:05:31
Speaker
That's really cool.
Jade Road's Family and Band Culture
00:05:33
Speaker
Thank you.
00:05:37
Speaker
While also joining us on the sidelines this week, we have Jade Road, who is a proud marching arts mom whose son, Finley, lives and breathes band already, especially for the Ohio State University marching band.
00:05:50
Speaker
ah So from rearranging furniture for field sets or leading living room parades, Finley's passion is nothing short of contagious. And she's going to give us her full 32 counts in a second. But I wanted to welcome to the show as well, Jade Road. Thanks for joining us.
00:06:05
Speaker
Thank you so much for having me. Good to be here. Awesome. ah Well, I want to hear all about ah Finley in a second here, but let's start with your 32 count life story so that our whole audience can learn everything about you. All right.
00:06:20
Speaker
All right. I'm ready. Have it rehearsed. See how it goes. From birth to today. all of it. Okay. All right. I am from a small town in South Carolina where I met my husband and Hannah. It's just outside of Charleston.
00:06:36
Speaker
He was in theater. I picked up flute in sixth grade. I played piccolo and marching man for five years. was the highlight of my life. About 10 years after we graduated high school and after reconnecting on Facebook, we got married.
00:06:50
Speaker
And in 2021, we had our son, Finley. He turns four at the end of the month. We have a dog named Lucy. We have a turtle named Oliver. We have a saltwater fish tank. And we live and breathe marching dance.
00:07:02
Speaker
Nice. There we go. That was
Finley's Marching Band Journey
00:07:04
Speaker
so good. Thank you. Got it in right in time. Thank you. no Well, I'm excited to hear a little bit about Finley as well, because we only got a little bit about Finley there in the 32 count life story.
00:07:18
Speaker
ah Sure. When did you first realize he had a passion for marching band? Yeah, it's been a series of events. ah ah It started, we took him to see, have a little brother ah who was a sophomore in high school at the time. We took him to see a football game here in our small town.
00:07:35
Speaker
And he he loved it, ah but he was freshly two years old. ah So we took him home and, you know, they don't understand. So he was asking, when are we going to go back and see more football and um more football, more football?
00:07:48
Speaker
So ah we put it on YouTube, ah found the high school and put it on YouTube. And I tell you that barely two year old sat there and watched a high school football game on YouTube for over two hours.
00:08:03
Speaker
could not believe it. And he wanted to do it again the next day and the next day. And then he started just asking for the first two or three minutes over and over and over again, again, again. again And he called it flags.
00:08:18
Speaker
ah He was really excited about the ah the color guard being there and hearing the music of the fight song, ah the the marching band all lined up and the football players running through. That was contagious and he loved it.
00:08:31
Speaker
But mama was tired of watching those same two, three minutes over and over again. ah It was around that same time ah he was starting to pay attention to what we have in our, like when we have our phones up.
00:08:45
Speaker
And he heard, I came across a reel and on Facebook and it was the bluey intro song being played by Purdue on the marching field.
00:08:56
Speaker
This 30 second clip. 30 seconds is shorter than two minutes. So we watched it and watched and watched it and I was tired. So I went looking for the full halftime show, a cartoon halftime show.
00:09:10
Speaker
And it's like 11 minutes. I get a little break and he would watch it over and over, start performing it more and more. He would look past the cheerleaders in the foreground to watch the band.
00:09:23
Speaker
and recreate what the band was doing. It's my kind of kid. yeah Yeah. I mean, ah it was it's it's pretty cool. It's easy for me to plug right into because I have, you know, a history with marching band.
00:09:35
Speaker
So i I thought, let me look up some point of view videos from the field. And that's when we found Ohio State and from every angle imaginable. And so the rest is history.
00:09:48
Speaker
Yeah. Wow. He's doing well. and it I was amazed, too, to find how how quickly he found the beat. he was It just came really naturally to him. And I guess, to answer your question, that's when I that's what i've really noticed that there was something big here.
00:10:04
Speaker
So back in the 1900s is what I like to say. ah Before we had, like, you know, all the videos on the phones and everything like that, like, whenever there was a video up, you would, or a video, um like VHS, you know, you put those things in, you played it, rewound it, played it, rewound it, then you went outside and tried to recreate At least that's what I did.
00:10:26
Speaker
Right. And so, like, were your son to be doing that at, what, almost four? uh yeah he's not quite four and he's been doing it for um for ah over a year and a half so it's been close to two years he's been doing this um so he's well practiced at this point wow i know i hope that there is a like that he keeps he keeps going with it because he's even like 12. it's gonna be amazing yeah and man And we love to watch it as much as we love to play it.
00:10:58
Speaker
ah But it's it's a part of our of every game we play, ah whether we're pretending to march and and play with instruments around the living room or um you know, if or if he's creating formations with his cars, his crayons, his grapes.
00:11:14
Speaker
He's thinking of it all the time. Oh, this is pretty crazy. I mean, Jay's just wrote a book. But Jay's when did you start? Because I think he's way ahead of you. Finley's off to a a good start. Oh, for me, God, I didn't start until I was like 14. So yeah, so it sounds to me like ah Finley might write a book by the time he's 13. Yeah. Wow.
00:11:38
Speaker
ah Well, what's it like watching ah your child fall in love with the activity in such a pure kind of like imaginative way? ah it's It's nostalgic. It's heartwarming.
00:11:48
Speaker
It's kind of amazing. ah And I just feel like it's like I'm called to to help ah give him more opportunity to do that. My husband feels the same way.
00:12:01
Speaker
You know, my husband created ah like a felt ah ah marching band field for him to play on, like you might do for ah a train rug or your you know, car roads and has made him drums. And um it's it's so much fun for all of us.
00:12:20
Speaker
um But it took us by surprise, particularly I have to say this Ohio State thing, because we don't live in Ohio. look you Look, I know we live in South Carolina.
00:12:34
Speaker
ah um' I can enjoy a football game, ah but I don't follow any football leagues. that's It's just not important to me or my husband. ah So when all of a sudden it we know the Ohio State fight song and alma mater, it's a shock to the system.
00:12:54
Speaker
I know way more about Ohio State than I ever did. So it's tons of fun. Can just say applause, applause, applause to you, Jade, because not a lot of parents would be so quick to support their child in the marching arts.
00:13:07
Speaker
And what a wonderful, wonderful gift you're giving him already. Well, thanks. I honestly feel, that's sweet. We're all doing it. It's ah it's kind of all making all of us better. so we're just bonding over it and having a blast.
00:13:20
Speaker
That's awesome. Thanks. Well, that's super cool. want We'll talk more about it in a little bit, but I want to take a moment and just preview some of the amazing episodes and other bonus content that we have going on here.
00:13:32
Speaker
ah For starters, we've got an episode remembering Bruno Zaccala, Guard Glam and Burnout in the Band Room. So this is a hard... heart forward tribute and a frank talk on burnout glam and band camp realities with nicole ricardo whitney trish and our guest dr ryan brauner quotes you can use here we've got uh to grieve out loud we're allowed to take up space uh band kids are out here melting um i remember bruno or ricardo even said that bruno was the sparkle um So that's a great episode.
00:14:05
Speaker
ah Really advise everyone checks that one out. ah Boston Crusaders episode that we just took care of. ah So obviously Boston Crusaders won DCI this year.
00:14:15
Speaker
I got to talk a lot about that along with the unfortunate news of some band trailer theft. I feel like throughout the entire arc of this podcast, we keep on covering how people are stealing equipment from band programs.
00:14:27
Speaker
You know, I'm glad someone else covered it because I was so steamy when I found out about it. I was like, I used to be the person that always came back and talked about that. It keeps happening, unfortunately.
00:14:39
Speaker
Um, But also choreo tips. So in that one, we've got Josh Smith, ah Dalton Stout, Clara Bagwell, and Eric Levi ah really talking a lot about DCI, PASIC 2025. So that's a great episode.
00:14:53
Speaker
ah We've got two other episodes wanted to shout out. ah From Cadet Guard to the World Stage, Meridian World Guard Heat Safety, and WGI's Regional Plus. ah This is one with you, Nicole. And Alicia, do you want to talk on that episode a little bit since you were there for that one?
00:15:08
Speaker
Yeah, so ah we just spoke with both of the directors from Meridian and you know what their trajectory was for the next season. um But there's also a new, wanna say, format for the way that WGI is doing their regional. So we dove into that a little bit more.
00:15:25
Speaker
Watch the episode, find out. um And it it was right during ah marching dance season. So we were talking about all the ways like, hey, because there was in Mississippi, I want to say, like 11 kids went down on one rehearsal because of the...
00:15:42
Speaker
So, um and that got a lot of um interaction and a lot of people talking um to see what could actually happen to, you know, prevent that, like, you know, in different ways. So it was really good to get through all of that and um just talk about all of the things. And also Angela runs a cadet guard and I told her, I was like, hey, you know, it takes a certain person with us with a ah matt a gigantic amount of patience. Yeah.
00:16:08
Speaker
and to be ah a I guess you could say a cadet um guard director. So we talked about that for a little bit too. Yep. And then I believe you're also on the other episode we want to shout out with Alicia and Whitney, ah the one for body shaming in the marching arts.
00:16:26
Speaker
Yeah, we did that a ah little ah little while ago. i think we just got it to the point where we were going to film it. And wow, that was a will little bit ago. It was during Winter Guard season. and um But just going through and sharing some um sharing some stories. So I know that some, I don't want to say if it, I don't think that there's a trigger warning, but maybe if that's something that's sensitive to you, we do talk.
00:16:52
Speaker
a lot about our own personal stories of having that happen to us while we are there. But also we had um some other people on to talk about if you are an instructor and how you should approach people like that. Like it's just, it it's k comes from all facets. It comes from all the way around.
00:17:13
Speaker
Right. Well, that seems like a good episode as well. um I think that there's a lot that everyone could learn there or stuff that might even be useful for you if you're a marching member. um So check out all those great episodes that we've got. And of course, plenty more episodes to come each week.
00:17:27
Speaker
um So on that note, i need to go set up the living room. Jade needs to go grab Finley and we will be right back from a short commercial break.
00:17:45
Speaker
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00:18:01
Speaker
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00:18:15
Speaker
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00:18:27
Speaker
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00:18:39
Speaker
Have you listened to our podcast, On a Water Break? Weekly episodes and bonus content keep you entertained and informed with what's going on in the marching arts. For over 25 years, Guard Closet has been here to help. Check us out at GuardCloset.com or follow us on social media.
DCI Championships Highlights
00:19:15
Speaker
Hello, hello, and we are back. is time the news. it is time for the news
00:19:36
Speaker
Okay, I'll get us started because the first story here is something I was working hard to try to prevent. I tried so hard that I could not succeed. The Redding Buccaneers their second ever DCI All-Age Championship and most likely their millionth DCA All-Age Championship.
00:19:57
Speaker
um Great year for Bucks. They scored a 97.525. I know at least in the percussion section, they had a lot of really, really experienced members. Wouldn't be surprised if that was true ah for the rest of the Corps as well.
00:20:11
Speaker
But shout out to the Buccaneers. They did an outstanding job, had an outstanding show, and a great run. ah The Hawthorne Caballeros came in second place with a 95.775, and my Bushwhackers made it to third place with a 94.25.
00:20:26
Speaker
However, my percussion section came in second. So we will take that. That's a good, good show for us this year. That is something to be proud of. Yeah, man.
00:20:38
Speaker
Yep, dragging up the average. um So shout out to a DCA All-Age weekend band is super fun. The rest of the Corps is performing their ACV, Atlanta CV, came in fourth with a 91.625.
00:20:52
Speaker
Cincinnati Tradition with a 90.95. Hurricanes, the Connecticut Hurricanes, which in honestly, the more I think about that, makes no sense. Why are they the Connecticut Hurricanes? They don't have hurricanes up there.
00:21:03
Speaker
um But 89.55 for the Connecticut Hurricanes and the White Sabres score an 87.475. So I love all age. I think that the move to ah Indianapolis and the DCI for all those cores has been really awesome, actually, and makes it a way better experience.
00:21:21
Speaker
Can't wait to run it back next year and, you know, probably beat the Buccaneers. Yeah. Yeah. ah Definitely. Yeah. Yeah. I have been seeing a lot on my feed because I used to be- the whole new animal.
00:21:35
Speaker
Yeah. um I've been seeing all on my feed ah that people are like, oh, it's so weird not being in Pennsylvania this weekend. You know, this is- Right.
00:21:45
Speaker
And I'm just like, yeah, I get it. Because like I used to be, I i used to march in upstate New York. And so like if it wasn't in Rochester, like in my backyard, then it was in Scranton. Williamsport. Oh, or Scranton. Yeah.
00:21:57
Speaker
Yeah. um Yeah, I think it's way better. i guess I would be driving home from freaking Rochester today we didn't fix this and get us all out to Indy. So I think it's it's a much better system.
00:22:11
Speaker
I love it. yeah I like it. Well, I have the second one, the second news story. It's ah the Spartans secure historic open class repeat. So the Spartans earned their third consecutive open class title with an 82.150. And that was at DCI finals. yeah.
00:22:27
Speaker
and that was at dci i find so They did some kind of, I want to say trial mock run that they were still in open class but still doing some world-class things. And I think this kind of like puts them into the mix of, hey, you're going to be completely world-class next summer.
00:22:48
Speaker
I've hearing that too. So you've heard that Spartans is going to just be a world-class core next summer? Well, let we're gonna go into this and find out. So at the Indiana Wesleyan University Stadium on Tuesday night, oh that's when Spartans had their rare DCI history of a three-peat.
00:23:08
Speaker
So after that, um they were the fourth, they'd been the fourth of five competitive seasons in DCI world-class, like open-class world championship finals.
00:23:23
Speaker
So winning by a commanding margin. um Let's see. So since the inception of Open Class in 2008, the Spartans have just had a second core to win three titles in a row.
00:23:38
Speaker
So that's amazing. I think what's gonna happen for them as far as they go on is ah to probably still have this happen.
00:23:49
Speaker
However, like ah the first time in the core history that they've ever been in the top three was battalion. They actually came in third. Gold was second and they had an 80.875 and then the Colombians were fourth. I know I went out of order for all of that.
00:24:07
Speaker
All right. Noted. Don't let Nicole run retreat. All right. Okay. It keeps people on their toes. They're like, they're fourth place. Who cares? i do. know
00:24:20
Speaker
But like I do think that they'll probably be world next year because um ah you know what, this whole like, um I guess you could say format platform of them you know being open class but competing world class, because they were beating some world class cores when they were actually performing with world class.
00:24:39
Speaker
so You know, I'm just going to say it. I don't know. I don't know if they should there or not. But like the rumblings that I'd heard from a lot of other people was that, yeah, they should just be open class.
00:24:52
Speaker
So, I mean, sorry, not open class. They should just be world class. I was going to say that be a pretty pessimistic person rumbling. Stay in open class. No, you never know. mean, people try to whisper. There's a lot of really pessimistic people on the Internet, guys.
00:25:10
Speaker
It's true. But through the rest of ah open class, fifth place, I'll do this in order. Fifth place was River river City Rhythms with 76.3. Sixth place Regiment, 73.75. Open class very competitive.
00:25:24
Speaker
and then raiders in seventh place was seventy three point seven open class is very competitive but Yeah, absolutely. self like When you talk about a neighborhood, like the neighborhood is the whole class pretty much.
00:25:38
Speaker
yeah Yeah, you're right. That's kind of crazy. ah poop I see them in world class next year. Let me put that out there. I was just going to say they've got a great percussion team. They should be world class. They actually already are pretty plenty world class as a percussion team. They should just be competing.
00:25:56
Speaker
but But we're going to be going into a new season here with Bands of America this fall. And it is going to start September twentieth There are going to be regionals in Austin, Las Cruces, Toledo, McAllen.
00:26:11
Speaker
um And then they announced that their grand nationals are going to be in Indianapolis November thirteenth through 15th. So make sure you check out marching.musicforall.org if you want to see the full schedule of where Bands of America is going to be performing. But I'm pretty excited to see that. And also pray for me because I'm going to be getting back into judging.
Bands of America and WGI Updates
00:26:32
Speaker
I have three contests scheduled.
00:26:34
Speaker
for myself, after not having judged for a while.
00:26:40
Speaker
I'm so probably lucky. So, the babies are going to be there are with their babysitter and we're going to, I'm going to do my best. but Nice.
00:26:52
Speaker
A well-deserved break for an afternoon there as you go and you put in all that work.
00:26:59
Speaker
Right? Break from being a mom and just sort of jump into working really hard so all right well i've got our next story here i think that i talked about this one a few months ago when they proposed it and now it is becoming real so uh in yourself what that did you put that in yourself no no way yeah i do not touch the rundown nicole but uh um WGI has approved a mandatory strobe light warning and announced ah during the scripts and before they'd announce a show. So if you're going to use strobe lights, and I think this is a great decision, it will now have to be very properly warned and communicated to the audience that you are about to
00:27:46
Speaker
strove at at least we should know. I still think that, you know, maybe you just don't need to do it. That's just my opinion. But at least now we have, I think, a better system around it.
00:27:58
Speaker
And something else that's interesting for percussion coming up. I know they were testing this out in ah California for their local circuit championships, but ah they're going to start using some acoustic carpet panels. ah So the idea here is to dead in the sound a little bit more and make things speak a little bit less boomy inside the UD arena.
00:28:16
Speaker
ah They started using those last year in California. I think I remember John Mapes and maybe some other folks from like ah just really, really big successful designers for percussion out there saying that they thought it helped and they liked it and they wanted to see WGI implement it.
00:28:31
Speaker
Well, WGI has approved it. So they're going to go in there. They're going to try them out this year. I'm interested to see how they'll change the sound in the UD arena.
00:28:44
Speaker
I've got a story as well. um Not quite, ah um it's it's not a happy one, ah but I think it's a important to talk about too, ah especially as a mom.
00:28:55
Speaker
ah This story is out of Leander School District in Texas. ah where, as we know, there have been a lot of ah and inclement weather and flash flooding. And and unfortunately, we have lost ah ah a young marching member of Glenn High School.
00:29:15
Speaker
A 15-year-old kid. Cannot imagine how those parents are feeling. But I know band kids, and band kids are the best kids. And so it is... i just got goosebumps. It is... ah ah heartbreaking ah to think of ah this young 15 year old rising sophomore losing his life in the flash flooding.
00:29:35
Speaker
um
00:29:37
Speaker
sorry ah and and I know that his band misses him horribly they had a tribute ah and ah there was like a sweet story ah in in the article I read where um he was wearing a shirt that says you know all in and his band director says ah we should say his name ah Braxton Jarman and he said Braxton are are you all in he said I'm always all in so band kids wow yeah that's very sad Yeah.
00:30:12
Speaker
Well, thank you for sharing, Jade. We're we're very ah sad to hear that, but definitely good remembrance for Braxton. Right. um So I have the next one. So Clark Atlanta University Panthers star at the MLB All-Star Game.
00:30:27
Speaker
Okay. So ah Clark Atlanta's University marching band, marching Panthers, and the Essence Dance Line performed at the Major that major League Baseball. Yes.
00:30:38
Speaker
All-Star Game. Y'all, I don't sports ball. Okay. so When you put up acronyms in front of me, I have to be like,
00:30:46
Speaker
yeah yeah
00:30:49
Speaker
ah god I also do not sports ball. Thank
00:30:54
Speaker
But um they were there for the pre-game ceremony along with the ah Atlanta icons. um So in the press release that they um that we were reading about for this, like Jermaine Dupree was there, Ludacris, Cain Brown. ah There's just a lot of, oh gosh, um just a lot of like... ah um really like celebrities like we have inside of our own little niche of marching band we have our celebrities however these were like the celebrities that everyone knows no matter you know what genre you put them in but like um they had uh zach brown band and that's where kane brown is from um singer-songwriter lauren spencer smith
00:31:39
Speaker
um and all kinds of just different cultures and different kinds of music that was there. um ah Let's see. the ah With Ludacris, or excuse me, Jermaine...
00:31:53
Speaker
ah with Jemaine Dupree. um He has won numerous awards including a Grammy's for Song of the Decade. um A few years later, Ludacris amplified the the momentum of having 18 top 10 number one hits, selling over 20 million albums.
00:32:09
Speaker
um With the like they were all framed by the way that everything was set up. They were all framed by the Clark Atlanta Mighty and Marching Panthers and the Essence Death Line.
00:32:20
Speaker
um And they played Welcome to Atlanta as a duo for energy performance by like, you know, lights and stuff like that. like It was their pre-show. you know what I mean?
00:32:31
Speaker
um To have that all come down together. But it's just, it was just a great thing. So this is the 95th Midsummer Classic and it'll be televised nationally on Fox.
00:32:42
Speaker
Oh, Tuesday, July 15th. Oh, it's already passed. But I'm sure you can still look it up on YouTube. Everything is on there. But yeah, take a look at that. That's awesome.
00:32:53
Speaker
Nice. Yeah, pretty crazy to see people perform with like Ludacris and stuff and all. It reminds me of like ah my Eagles drumline experience. Definitely just love seeing band in other contexts. Yeah, yeah.
00:33:05
Speaker
All right. But Jaze, I think you have our last story here, right? I do. Okay, so can we talk? maybe Maybe you've seen this in your feeds all as well. I hope you have. Can we talk for a minute but i minute about ah the Wizard of Oz opening at the Sphere in Vegas?
00:33:19
Speaker
Have you seen these quirks? It's a Tactic Wizard of Oz film and it's being screened in the sphere and it's been designed specifically for that arena. It's being called a 5D experience and they have dropping from the sky. okay but Have you ever seen this?
00:33:38
Speaker
Anyone? No. You owe it to yourself to go check it out. And I bring this up because it is such ah like a next level spectacle. And I think whether you are a teacher or you are a performer, I think anytime you can see some kind of a performing art or something that is just new and different, you owe to yourself to go see it.
00:33:58
Speaker
And no, not everyone can go get tickets. I swear to God, I'm not a show for this. Thank you. It's just amazing help yourself to at least check out the clips online and just you never know where inspiration is going to come from.
00:34:12
Speaker
And that is inspiration if I've ever seen it. So check it out. Cool. I will definitely go check it out. It is funny to imagine that you're showing for the Wizard of Oz. It is beautiful and so oh imaginative. I've been seeing all those videos on Facebook and stuff and it's incredible. I would love, love, love to be able to go see it in person.
00:34:32
Speaker
And how many have we seen someone view the Wizard of Oz as a theme? So I'm sure something is going to be taken from that and incorporated it into some Winter Guard show or some marching band show.
00:34:43
Speaker
The effects are just the way they do it in real time. It's it's incredible. Well, that's cool. I am definitely going to go check that out. And then I'm definitely going to go steal from it for my U.P. baseline this winter.
00:34:56
Speaker
Nice. ah Well, it's time for our Peak Group Travel Tip of the Week, brought to you by our our sponsors at Peak Group Travel. They help you navigate your next adventure, whether it's across the country just in the audience.
00:35:12
Speaker
Hi everyone, it's time for your travel tip of the week with me. I'm Beth with Peak Group Travel. If you're doing a special performance on your next tour, make sure you contact the venue to be sure of everything that's included.
00:35:25
Speaker
Things like electricity, chairs, stands, lighting, and maybe even large percussion instruments might not be included. So make sure you check before you leave in case you need to bring anything on your own.
00:35:38
Speaker
Don't forget to like and follow Peak Group Travel on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn. And be sure to email info at peakgrouptravel.com when you're ready to start planning your next performance tour.
00:35:49
Speaker
This is Beth with Peak Group Travel and your travel tip of the week.
00:36:07
Speaker
Ready to elevate your travel game? Welcome to Peak Group Travel, the ultimate adventure creators. Whether you're planning an unforgettable class trip, a once in a lifetime parade experience for your marching band, or a choir tour full of memorable performance venues, Peak Group Travel handles it all, so you can focus on making memories.
00:36:25
Speaker
From breathtaking international destinations to amazing adventures right here at home, Peak Group Travel customizes every journey to your vision. We're not just planners, we're your partners for the trip you want for your students.
00:36:38
Speaker
Our online registration portal makes managing your pre-trip experience smooth and convenient. We even collect your payments if you'd like. Picture it, effortless planning, unmatched experiences, and smiles that last long after the journey ends.
00:36:51
Speaker
That's the Peak Group Travel difference. And if you choose to partner with Peak on your next tour, and you mentioned that you heard about us on the On a Water Break podcast, you'll earn a $100 trip credit. Discover why groups everywhere trust Peak Group Travel.
00:37:04
Speaker
Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn, and be sure to visit peakgrouptravel.com today. You pick the date, and we'll make it great.
00:37:28
Speaker
Okay, everyone. We
00:37:34
Speaker
love to do our fun, fun thing. We always do fun things. so But it is time for our 60-second tech block. 60-second tech block.
00:37:50
Speaker
always like I'm being yelled at. Always. And I love it. I love that.
00:37:57
Speaker
Oh, that was Ricardo. We actually taught together this summer at Academy. Oh gosh. So in this segment, this is where one of our hosts, our guests are put on the spot to deliver a nonstop 60 second tech block on a topic that needs some serious attention after the run we just had.
00:38:12
Speaker
Our special tech this week has come prepared with three topics that they can talk about for a full 60 seconds straight. No hesitation, no pauses, just pure technical gold. So this week, let's see.
00:38:24
Speaker
oh Since you did such an amazing job last time, I think we'll throw it over to Jace.
00:38:35
Speaker
So Jace. I think. You're ready? i mean, you'll be right. All right. I think I have, I think I got a topic that's important. All right. I'm ready. Let's go. So Jace, you said that your topics were one, supporting other sections in the band.
00:38:51
Speaker
Two, Bruno Zucola in his memory, history, or three, skipping rehearsal for no good reason. Okay, everyone. What do we want Jace to be talking about?
00:39:03
Speaker
Hmm. Can I vote for my own? It goes into the pool. Yeah, sure. Yeah, I would like to to talk about the importance of supporting other sections within the band since we're just getting ready to go into marching band march van season.
00:39:14
Speaker
Okay. Yes. All right. Well, I actually like that idea a lot, too, because ah we got a new percussion writer this summer at Bush, and I thought one thing that was awesome was how well he supported the entire band.
00:39:25
Speaker
So I think that that's a great idea. idea And I'm going to time you for 60 seconds and I'm going to cut you off very rudely. had yeah Understandably so. All right.
00:39:35
Speaker
So Stephen's got 60 seconds up. What about you two? Jackie, Jade, same thing? Yeah, that's the one. That's the one I want. Okay. All right. Great. Well, it's unanimous. so sorry So we've got it. Seconds on the clock. I feel like we did.
00:39:51
Speaker
ah You know, Bruno definitely deserves all of the honoring, but we had a whole episode about him. So I think, and I really want to know what Jace has to say about supporting too. So yeah, let's do it.
00:40:03
Speaker
Perfect. All right, Jace, you ready? Let's do it And here we go.
00:40:10
Speaker
All right, I wanna say that in today's world, there seems to be like a lot a lot of negativity a lot of times floating around a lot of different ways. And marching bands and color guards are one area where we kind of get to be ourself and be in a very inclusive, supportive environment.
00:40:25
Speaker
And if you are one of the people in your own group that's tearing down another section, you're also just hurting yourself. So I want to say that remember that all groups are a team and whether you're in the color of art or you're in the percussion, you can help build as much as you can tear down within your own group.
00:40:41
Speaker
And sometimes just hearing from your own team member, maybe you and you're not really great friends with that person who's a flute way over on the other side, but letting them know they did a great job whenever they finish that that section or, hey, that solo that you just played, that was amazing.
00:40:55
Speaker
Sometimes getting a compliment from within your own team can do so much more than you realize. And so rather than be somebody who points out the negative all the time in your team, point out the positive and helps build your team. Tell the percussion that was a great run.
00:41:08
Speaker
Tell your drum major what a great job. Wait, stop. I'm kidding. Keep going.
00:41:22
Speaker
I so thought you were going to say something else. I didn't know that the time had run out. Oh, yeah, there's sorry. I was just, i was so, it was in my heart going. Keep on going. that's so great. And I can't wait to get this into a clip so I can get it out to every place because that's something like Stephen said, like this is something that every marching band should be listening to.
00:41:44
Speaker
And can I just add to that, like take the time to get to know the people who are teaching you a little bit more, ask them about their history, ask them about the lessons that they have learned. What can you glean from that? What can you as a color guard person learn from that new guy in the percussion?
00:41:57
Speaker
What, how can you help build each other? Because the more you open yourselves up to other experiences within your team and your activity, the better performer you're going to be. Absolutely. you're here. Very good. Yep.
00:42:09
Speaker
Yep. Hmm. I agree. And I even think back to just some lines I was a part of when I was younger, and I was maybe either a little shyer or just a little more like overwhelmed by just needing to do my own job.
00:42:21
Speaker
I didn't take the time to really learn the rest of the sections in the band. And I feel like the better ensembles I was a part of at the end of my time, I really took time but and to know everyone. And then I felt like we were so much more locked in because everyone was like really cohesive.
00:42:35
Speaker
It's a lot easier to do that in a drum line. There's only like 40 of us compared to a drum corps with 160 plus, but but Definitely worth it. and I do think sometimes we can get into the pain Olympics sometimes. Like, oh, who has it harder? The color guard has it harder. Or, oh, ah the the pit just gets to stand there.
00:42:52
Speaker
It's hard to stand in the sun and sit there and play some really complex things that they're doing. So look for where you can learn from those things and where you can build up your other team members because it's just going to make a better show and anybody ah better program overall.
00:43:06
Speaker
I totally agree. Everyone has their hardships in those seasons. And honestly, too, I know a lot of people do pick on pit sometimes, but like those pushes are real, especially when you have to go so far to your field.
00:43:19
Speaker
ah now that and you know, you've got a big old marimba and you're having to your water jug, your backpack, and then you're pushing this hundreds of pounds, ah you know, of pieces of
Supporting Band Sections for Success
00:43:29
Speaker
equipment.
00:43:29
Speaker
So you got to remember to like, sure. Spring training might be nice. You get to push the equipment into a room. Altor, the pit is waking up earlier than you and usually going to bed later than you because they have all these truck responsibilities.
00:43:41
Speaker
So they might stand around all day facing one direction, getting their sun burnt the heck out of them. ah but they've got their own set of difficult things that they have to deal with all summer long.
00:43:53
Speaker
I would love add this one last thing about this. Sorry, I'm on my soapbox now. But a great analogy from a friend who percussed him, and he said, all marching bands are like a Christmas tree.
00:44:05
Speaker
And the percussion is like the the stem, the trunk, and they hold everything together. And the band the band are like the needles and the branches. And the color guard, they're the lights ah and the ornaments. And if you don't have any one of those three eight things, you don't have a Christmas tree.
00:44:21
Speaker
Yeah, I love that. that makes a lot of sense. Yeah.
00:44:28
Speaker
So that was a solid 60 second tech block. Hopefully someone out there got you know some tech that they needed from all that. But now it's time to switch things up and it's time for our favorite, what are we doing?
00:44:43
Speaker
What are we doing?
00:44:52
Speaker
what are we doing We can always tell who vibes with this. We're always going to be Steven because of all the percussion that's in it. We just got quarter notes. It's nothing but quarter notes.
00:45:04
Speaker
Y'all, this is the part of the show where we went we let loose a little bit or maybe a lot. Leanne, this is your chance to rant about something in the marching arts that doesn't make sense. So maybe it's a tradition that needs to go or a habit that performers have that doesn't seem to work.
00:45:18
Speaker
Or maybe it's just something that you think, why aren't we doing this or why haven't we started doing this? So whatever it is, this is your moment to call it out. So who's got something to get off their chest? All right, I'll jump on the sword.
00:45:29
Speaker
um I have been with United Percussion. This is my sixth year, I guess I'm going on. So I love United. and'm I'm not trying to to knock it too much. But one thing I'm thinking on, we're in recruiting season and we're still using Facebook.
00:45:43
Speaker
And yes, that's where a lot of the band community is. But we're trying to find kids that are marching age, under 21, that want to do this. And it just makes me wonder, like, Where do we go now? where Where should the band community move to? Because I don't think kids are on Facebook, but I also have no clue where else we should be.
00:46:03
Speaker
So I guess my question for all you guys is where do we go to recruit if ah if kids aren't on Facebook anymore?
00:46:12
Speaker
You um hit up all those other social media platforms. Like, I don't know if a lot of people use Discord, because that's a thing that people that kids are using. oh I don't know how popular Twitch is anymore, but everyone's put getting on there and doing different things in real time.
00:46:28
Speaker
um Please don't ask me how I know this, being I know that I'm one of the older people on this.
00:46:35
Speaker
But yeah um that there's that. And then obviously the other things like, ah you know, Instagram.
Social Media and Band Recruitment
00:46:42
Speaker
Kids are all over Instagram. Kids are all over TikTok.
00:46:45
Speaker
You know, it's one of those those other platforms that you have to use. And you can tie them all together too. So it's not like you have to stop using TikTok. Facebook, but put like we should still have our Facebook group.
00:46:58
Speaker
But I just do start to wonder. It's like really that's that's our primary place of distributing information to kids that are under 21. I just don't think they're there. And if they're there, I don't think they have notifications turned on.
00:47:09
Speaker
You know, it's it's a I don't know. I think we got to scratch our heads a little bit and figure out some other means. Mm hmm. All right. Who's got another what are we doing for this one?
00:47:21
Speaker
What are we doing? oh oh gosh. Like, what is It said September 1st. What are we doing calling around about getting uniforms around this time?
00:47:32
Speaker
Yeah. I mean, if you work backwards, and this is like gosh coming from, you know, personal. And, yeah, Jackie, you know, too. um You know, it's September 1st. Oh, we need this kind of uniform. Yeah.
00:47:47
Speaker
oh, okay, and you want it to be a certain way, well, yeah yeah it's going to take some time. If your show, if you have a show that's going to be coming out in like two weeks from now, you're not going to have it on that day, you know?
00:48:02
Speaker
Planning earlier is, and this is something I tell all my clients, planning earlier is probably the best way you can go about ensuring that you're going to get your uniforms in time. And if not, then it's consignment all the way.
00:48:16
Speaker
Or you you know jump on Facebook on those pages and if someone's selling something that you like, yes, but like your actual vision is not gonna be the vision that you have.
00:48:26
Speaker
um And it's in the nicest way possible, it's just sheer lack of planning. Like, I know that when, if you are in all of the realms of the marching, you know, arts, then yeah, you just came off of DCI tour um and then probably went straight into college marching band, but you also work with a high school marching band.
00:48:48
Speaker
Well, honestly, at the very beginning of things, and yes, I understand that I do the most, I ah get it. But at the same time, mark your calendars with different times with, hey, this is the time I need to start doing this.
00:49:00
Speaker
This is the time that I need to start calling around about this. um Because what will happen is you'll talk to someone in those companies and this is what I want and yes, I want it to be custom and then they come back to you like, you're not going to get this for a lot of weeks or a number of weeks.
00:49:19
Speaker
And that's a hard thing to say but at the same time too, it's just like you may not get what you want but maybe take a look at the consignment side like at Guard Closet. We have lots of uniforms that are ready to be sold.
00:49:30
Speaker
um
00:49:36
Speaker
good Exactly. Okay, Jace. Can I tie on to that? Because waterway...
00:49:48
Speaker
So has to do with like this ah planning a ahead situation because this is the time of year and this happens every year that like request for choreography, request for a quote for choreography is like flooded with requests.
00:50:04
Speaker
And they're like, we need an end show in two days. And sorry, you're not going to get an entire custom color guard show in two days. ah Yeah. Especially when we're like wrapping up all of the other All of the other clients who planned their show months in advance and you know you're slowly working through.
00:50:25
Speaker
Yeah. You're going to have some fees for rushing things, but like but seriously, like having an entire show in two days is just not it's not something that's going to happen.
00:50:38
Speaker
No. And I will just put a pin in it here, but I'm letting people know this is your PSA for winter season. Mark your calendar in, oh, I don't know, the end of October to get that stuff in.
00:50:51
Speaker
Especially if you're trying to get that done for your winter.
00:50:58
Speaker
Jace, what are we doing? yeah An oldie but a goodie. What are we doing about not communicating changes in the music to the Color Guard staff ahead of time?
00:51:09
Speaker
i' my pet
00:51:12
Speaker
Pet peeves. You're wasting your time and ours. eight get H-O.
00:51:19
Speaker
Oh, all those things. Yes. ah That always used to be the bane of my existence when teaching and they were like, oh yeah, we're going to do the change. And then like the color guard is standing there ready to go, but they're like, what change?
00:51:33
Speaker
And also, I could probably grab something think better to take this moment a little stronger. We could have had all of this greatness already happening ahead of time. But now I have to wait for a whole other like block or whole other rehearsal before I get to catch back up because you didn't communicate.
00:51:51
Speaker
Communicate with your staff. Changes. Changes, changes. Mm.
00:51:59
Speaker
Is it my turn? Yes, Jade. What are we doing? ah So I am coming from a unique perspective here.
Debate: Field Judges vs. Box Judges
00:52:06
Speaker
I'm with all you professional marching arts folk, but I'm just reentering the marching band world after 15, dare I say, two decades.
00:52:19
Speaker
ah So I'm looking and thinking how much things have changed. And from my old timers perspective, it's never like easy to accept the change.
00:52:31
Speaker
ah And I think i'm a might ah I might be speaking directly to judges here in this podcast, but um the judges on the field, from from just a viewer's perspective,
00:52:46
Speaker
and And I totally get it. But from the band parent, from the viewer's perspective, how it interrupts the magic just a little bit, how it distracts from the art. i I know I'm to blame, I'm watching them.
00:53:03
Speaker
um They're there. But I also remember being, on the field and but we were told to look to stare at the box and and look for the color of the judge's eyes and that kept us focused and having the judges right there in your space is a little intimidating and might distract also from from their performance so that's what i got um sorry No, this is a good one because I've got some thoughts on it, too.
00:53:36
Speaker
i think a lot of the circuits, at least a lot of the big ones, have kind of felt the same way you did, and they've taken the judge off the field. um So for there to be some other local circuits across the country, I think they should follow suit.
00:53:48
Speaker
But then a different question I have, I think they still haven't figured it out great even in in the big one, because now we have like a percussion judge who is standing like near the pit somewhere trying to evaluate. But we are cleaning to where the judges sit up top.
00:54:03
Speaker
So it's like they haven't taken the full step of removing the judge from the field. Now they have the judge in a weird spot where it's like, I don't. My baseline is not meant to sound pleasant to you right there. They're supposed to sound good up there.
00:54:14
Speaker
Exactly. I think it's a, yeah, they should just keep everyone up in the box is my opinion. Bingo. I did one show where I was on the field and I felt so uncomfortable.
00:54:29
Speaker
yeah ah Because even when I was marching in high school, I was told they're not there. You mow them down if they're in your way. doesn't matter. Blah, blah, blah. And I'm like, that that was one of the things I was worried about first.
00:54:43
Speaker
I was like, I don't want to get in anybody's way. And, you know, they were like, yeah, you can get on the field. You can kind of get as far on the field as you want to. And I was just like, that just seems so intrusive. Exactly, and it's just like I can tell like, and I was a visual judge, I wasn't listening to anything, but like, yeah, yeah I don't know.
00:55:03
Speaker
I agree with you. I don't think that there should be, you know, judges quite on the field, and if you are like visually, yes, but as Stephen was talking about, like how much can you actually evaluate if you're only, what, six steps into the sideline? Right. Right.
00:55:21
Speaker
Yeah. They're like, oh, your your bass drums just sound really unpleasant. I don't like that sound. You weren't supposed to stand right there. It's not meant for you. It's supposed to sound good from up there.
00:55:32
Speaker
yeah um exactly Man, it kind of reminds me of something fun too. Back when I was marching in 2018, they still had judges on the field. And at Crown that year, we were doing a show called Beast. So we were very like, um and I remember that we used to actually try to go scare the judge. Like if there was a judge nearby at the right time while we were maybe doing like just character stuff, jumping around, you weren't like necessarily on a dot.
00:55:56
Speaker
We would like go get up their face like, I remember on one tape, the judge was like, dude, just like calm down, man. Chill. So I don't even know if we helping our goals. He might have been frustrated. He might have been like, this is out of pocket. I'm not going to put you ahead of Vanguard tonight for that. like But yeah, got him off the field not long after. Maybe it's our fault. They have felt threatened. Felt like they need to get up to the box where it's safe.
00:56:24
Speaker
Push him up there. Oh my God, you your equipment now. Those drummers who don't strap their drums on tight anymore though. Wasn't like lost the snare drum. Yeah, that was like 13, I think.
00:56:38
Speaker
Oh boy, who was that? might have been Jeff Prospery that saved him. Can't remember. Finley stumbled on that video at one point. We we did watch that video.
00:56:48
Speaker
and Nice.
00:56:51
Speaker
Had to have been 15. I was there live for it. And that was a very memorable year. Oh, it was 15. Okay, yeah. All right, well.
Personal Stories and Band Opportunities
00:57:00
Speaker
I'll kick off our first gush and go. We've got our what are we doings off our chest and now it's time to shout out something awesome that's happening in your life. Marching arts related or maybe not.
00:57:09
Speaker
Maybe you're excited about performance, a student success, big life event or just something cool you want to brag about. I for one have something cool I'd like to brag about. um Eagle strum line is going to be.
00:57:22
Speaker
Out at the game Thursday night, of course, but we're going to help raise the banner for our Super Bowl champions in front of our divisional rival, the Dallas Cowboys. um In times like this, I'm just like, wow, can't believe Bassstrom got me here.
00:57:37
Speaker
Pretty cool. So any high school kids that are out there feeling like they want to quit, maybe you're a freshman. I also wanted to quit band as a freshman, but my parents made me stay. And I am very thankful they did that because now I will be going to the Eagles home opener, lifting that banner. And hopefully soon, I really thought I'd have it by today.
00:57:56
Speaker
i will have a little championship ring on my finger from all my good years playing bass drum. So... Nice. Awesome. That's my gush and go for today.
00:58:06
Speaker
But what do you have, Nicole?
Anticipation for Fall Season and Judging
00:58:09
Speaker
Oh, goodness. um I don't know if I should be gushing and going about how busy I'm going to be, but... But I'm excited for it. Like it always makes like the lull between ah DCI and then the beginning of um marching band season worth it. But like, um yeah, I'm excited to start seeing all the different marching bands and all around. I'm doing a lot more shows in upstate New York this year.
00:58:33
Speaker
um And yeah I'm actually going to be doing two different traditional style shows. So that'll be fun. And one of those shows I'm doing course style and traditional style in one show.
00:58:44
Speaker
So that's going to be fun. It's going to be a long day. i did for And it's just, um I like being able to see the different ways of doing things too.
00:58:57
Speaker
The only, i guess you could say style that I haven't judged yet for marching band is, um I don't want to say historic. Maybe it is. Military, military. And they only have those marching bands in Texas, as far as I know.
00:59:11
Speaker
But I would love- Yeah, never even heard of it, actually. This is the first time I'm hearing this. Oh, and they always have it. UIL, which is like that governing body in Texas, um they when they do their different categories for, you know, whatever year, um they have a historical military.
00:59:30
Speaker
yeah They have a military style or caption. So they judge them on that too. And I remember the first time I saw it, I was just like, this is amazing because the drum major stays with them on the field and they do everything to together.
00:59:45
Speaker
And it's, yeah, yeah. If you have looked that up on on Huntington High School, I wanna say, and out of Texas. Yeah, look cool.
00:59:57
Speaker
Jace. I think that's me.
Gratitude and Community Connections
01:00:00
Speaker
yeah For Gush and Go, um I just wanna say, first of all, thank you guys for an incredible summer since I've been running around promoting Twirl. I have gotten to reconnect with so many wonderful people in your activities.
01:00:14
Speaker
um And I also just, I've loved hearing from so many of you, whether they like you love the story or you want to talk about your own stories, please like keep them coming. I just, I love this activity and how it has really, this list last summer has reminded me that it has given me lifelong friends in an extended family that reaches far beyond even what I thought before.
01:00:33
Speaker
so thank you so much. I can't wait to see some of you as we continue this journey.
01:00:41
Speaker
Yes, i come to WGI. right Definitely.
01:00:48
Speaker
Oh, Jade. Yeah, we, so we, we do have some big news right now.
Jade's Son and Toddler Contest
01:00:53
Speaker
Uh, Finley is a quarter finalist right now, which means he has, ah surpassed 99% of entries to get this far.
01:01:02
Speaker
Uh, but he is a quarter finalist for toddler of the year, which if I'm being honest is like a easy competition to criticize very, you know beauty pageant and, oh, my kid makes everybody smile. And, and, and,
01:01:16
Speaker
I love that. That's wonderful. This entering Finley into toddler of the year is much more about rewarding his hard work ah because he I just want him to have the payoff of marching band, which is the harder you work, the luckier you get. Hard work pays off and he is putting in the work. Feels like play to him.
01:01:38
Speaker
ah But he is memorizing. He is paying attention. And we just wanted to give him a reward for that. And toddler of the year, part of the grand prize, is leading the Hollywood Christmas parade. Could not be a better fit.
01:01:53
Speaker
ah Right. Exactly. And then... um There is also a cash prize, which would more than cover an opportunity for us to take a special a special trip from South Carolina to Ohio and give him that big Ohio State marching band experience.
01:02:11
Speaker
Every time you say we're going to competitions, he wants to know if Ohio State is going to be there. He doesn't quite understand. But I want to just give him a little taste of manifestation.
01:02:24
Speaker
So um that's we we have a Facebook group right now. We're kind of collecting and um ah giving daily reminders for because this is the type of contest where you can vote for free every day.
01:02:38
Speaker
ah And ah it actually, the voting began eight minutes ago. yeah So it just started. ah He ended his last group as number one. We have to get to number one of this group to move on to semifinals.
01:02:53
Speaker
ah So please join us at our Facebook group, Finley's March to Toddler of the Year, ah where you can get links to vote. We have someone in our cast um of um panelists host Jacob, and he is a twirler for Ohio State. Oh, that's so cool.
01:03:13
Speaker
My kid would just love that. You need to get y'all get. We really believe that Ohio State's fan base, like the the Buckeyes, are going to be what opens this wide wide open for him ah if he's able to to get that far. So we need their support um and would love would love to see them in the group.
01:03:36
Speaker
Doing it. Thank you. the word out for you. Thanks.
01:03:41
Speaker
All right, Jackie. What you got for us? What you gushing going?
01:03:49
Speaker
I am so excited.
Returning to Judging Post-Motherhood
01:03:51
Speaker
i'm mentioned it earlier, but I'm getting back into judging this year and it's been a long time. So I did a little bit, just very little bit last year and and I've gotten like training and stuff and, um you know, just brushing up on some judging techniques. Some I'm like kind of enjoying it at the same time. I'm like, okay, I've got the kids and and I'm figuring out like when to fit this in, like the time to do it and the time to like schedule it and getting help with them when I go do judging. So I'm,
01:04:23
Speaker
That's kind of what I want to gush about is just like getting back into the swing of things. It's been ah such an experience and I feel like obviously motherhood has changed me a lot from the way I was before, but I'm also utilizing all of the skills and like experiences that I have from like marching band and drum corps and everything else to get myself into this position and be able to actually like do everything and balance it all.
01:04:53
Speaker
I am super happy for you. Like, honestly, he's just speaking from the other side, come on. look Come on. They need you. They need you. Just stay off the field.
01:05:05
Speaker
never I stay in the box. In the box. yeah I'll never do that once. And man, i was that was the scariest experience of my life, waiting on the field.
01:05:17
Speaker
Oh, sure. Especially Color Guard. No doubt. Hey, it's called Gus and go not Gus and Let's go.
01:05:36
Speaker
All right. Well, thank you everyone for a great rehearsal this week. Thank you everyone that spent the time with us today. like oh
01:05:47
Speaker
And we really mean it. this is We do really mean it. Say it twice. All right. ah Jackie, how about you do it? I'll bide some time here until the connection gets through to you.
01:06:00
Speaker
And then you got it. I feel like any second now you'll hear us.
01:06:06
Speaker
It's all you.
01:06:09
Speaker
Okay, it got you. Thank you everyone who was spending time with us today. um Steven, Nicole, obviously I love seeing you guys each each month, this this whole like live stream thing. I know sometimes it can be crazy, especially when you have technological issues like I've been having all day.
01:06:25
Speaker
ah Jace, can you shout out where all of our listeners can find you on social media? Oh yeah, you could just find me at jacepeoples on Instagram. And if you're interested in ordering a copy of Twirl, you can find it on Amazon and also Barnes & Noble.
01:06:44
Speaker
And Jade, one more time, you want to shout it out where we can find you and vote for Finley? Yeah, there are two places you can find us. We've got some cool videos on TikTok of Finley's marching.
01:06:58
Speaker
ah That is at the Roadhouse. And Road is spelled R-H-O-D-E. It's our last name. but ah But really what what i I'm hoping to do for my kiddo is to have as many people in his Facebook group as possible. That is where the voting takes place in Facebook. You must have a Facebook.
01:07:17
Speaker
And that group is... finley's march to toddler of the year please join yeah
01:07:31
Speaker
i will be there ah right after this podcast awesome it it voting is open so let's all you like if you got a question or a good topic to talk about make sure you email us at on a water break podcast at gmail.com or you can find us on all of our social media And DM us if you want to be on the show. we also have a form for you to fill out. So go check that out in our link in bio on all of our social media.
01:07:57
Speaker
You could also just take out your phone and make a little video recording and maybe we'll add you into the podcast. One more thing, don't forget we have a YouTube channel, so go and subscribe so you can see all of us there and you can watch our live streams actually live. We love to include our viewer comments in the video. We love to do shout outs and things like that.
01:08:22
Speaker
All right. So make sure you subscribe to that. And then before you close out of your podcast listening app, go subscribe to our podcast. Write us review. Share this episode with a friend. Follow us on social media at On a Water Break. And we'll see you at the next rehearsal on a water break.
01:08:41
Speaker
Good practice.
01:08:47
Speaker
The On a Water Break podcast was produced by Jeremy Williams and Christine Green. The intro and outro music was produced by Josh Lida. To learn more, visit LidaMusic.com. And until next time, thanks for tuning out