It's Dirty Laundry Day!

Safe Travels This Weekend

I wish all my girls safe travels and a wonderful time this weekend. Whether it be drum corps camp, just hanging out, or Prom....have a FABULOUS weekend! I will be thinking about you! Madam

Capella Summer Technique Classes

Capella Summer Colorguard Technique Classes

What are you doing this summer?

Have an audition coming up?

Do you want to keep your skills sharp during the off season?

Want to learn the correct technique on a new piece of equipment?

Interested in auditioning for Capella's 2009 cast?

Summer Technique Class Schedule

Saturdays

May 10th - 9am - 5pm

Jun 14th - 9am - 5pm

Jul 12th - 9am - 5pm

Aug 16th - 9am - 5pm

Good Shepherd United Methodist Church

6050 Summer Avenue Bartlett, Tn.38134

Cost: $30.00 / session

Technique Training

Movement

Flag

Rifle

Sabre

Lunch Provided

Each participant will receive an audio CD containing all music and written instructions for techniques learned.

Registration, Payment, and Release Forms are due one week prior to class date.

Register Online and Download Forms at www.capellawinterguard.com

Email: capellaguard@aol.com

Phone: Emily Abramson 901.485.3580

Another Manning Off the Market

Eli Manning is getting married in Mexico on Saturday! Congrats!

Hey Eli, tell your brother, I said "Hey!"

Oh No!

The hard drive on my PC at work crashed yesterday. When they installed my new hardware, my files were restored but only through 2005. So much for the network.

I love my life.

It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year!

Drum Corps move ins are just around the corner. Many of the Capella gang, are traveling to their April camps next weekend. Safe travels!

Drew - Visual Staff position with Phantom Regiment
Sara - Bluecoats
Midori - Phantom Regiment
Jana - Bluecoats
Jennifer - Colts

And good luck to Emily and Hannah at Regiment auditions next weekend!!

Its a FAT World After All

Remember riding on the It's a Small World ride at Disney World?

In the news today, Disney engineers are having to redesign the boats, because of the weight that Americans have gained in the last century, causing many of the boats to "bottom out" and stall the ride.

Hey Fatty! Put down the Dilly Bar, and step away!

From the Fifty

Your source for award winning designs for the marching & pageantry arts.

www.fromthefifty.com

Congratulations on your promotion!

Capella’s score after World Championships Finals was a 94.5, making us a candidate for promotion within WGI, to the Independent Open Class. What exactly does that mean? Here are some interesting facts about Open Class:

Maximum show time cannot exceed 6 1/2 minutes. Minimum show time cannot be less than 5 minutes.

Here is what WGI has to say about Open Class:
Open Class guards are an exciting branch of the WGI family. They are enthusiastic with a strong desire to grow and explore. They are open and eager to test their skills in a more challenging arena. Most will have achieved the level of training set in Class A and welcome the challenge of great creativity. There should be sound development in a logical growing progression of challenges while maintaining the premise that growth requires new and additional training.

The average age of Open Class guards varies, especially in the Independent Class. There are typically perhaps two to four instructors for most groups. Some hire outside designers to create the program. They rehearse between 8 and 12 hours per week. They usually utilize all three pieces of equipment. Rifles are prominent in Independent Open Class and are sporadically found in Scholastic Class.

Here is where the intermediate student explores new challenge through performance and realizes a greater sense of achievement as each more complex skill is learned. They experience a freedom in their process as creativity takes on a greater importance in their development.

Independent Open Class still contains a wide range of age and some skill difference. Performers within one guard can range from 15 to 21 years of age. The average age is 17 to 18. There is greater consistency in the range of skills and physical development. Programs are unique. A few individuals will demonstrate a high level of skills. Some advanced challenges will exist.

So there you have it. Open Class in a nutshell.

WGI World Championships

We are home from our exciting week in Dayton for WGI World Championships!
We are the 2008 Ind A Bronze Medalist!

Here are just a few of my thoughts about our week in Dayton:

First place in equipment and vocabulary! Hello?
WGI reviews that liked our modish, yet classic design.
Sara, Heath, and Drew, are genius’ and I know genius when I see it.
Ah hah to the Doubting Thomas’.
Holla to Sara and Heath, the grannie marching members! You guys saved the day!
I learned a new word….poostie. I hope its not a dirty word.
I will be getting a tattoo. Oh boy. Be careful what you wish for.
Panera Bread needs to come to Memphis.
Karma helmets are great on rainy days.
Bad behavior is a choice, and a true reflection of an individual’s character, regardless of age.
Mount Carmel – Favorite show of the weekend
Carmel – Second Favorite show of the weekend
Pride of Cincinatti – Gorgeous
Regiment - Spectacular Visual Design – should have placed higher
World Class Finals – Greatest Show on Earth
Mia Michaels – I was starstruck.
Being bumped is AWESOME!
I love ties, but not in drum corps.
I love Michael James.
Hotels should put enough towels in a room for the number of guests on the reservation!
Boo for bad directions around Dayton!
Our floor weighs 2000 pounds.
The UD Arena tunnel is just WRONG!
Yay for Nutter Center turning the performance to the side! No Lights!!!
Old ladies should get more than four hours of sleep.
Security Guard at UD Arena needs a happy pill.
Red Lobster Shrimp Feast – YUM.
Olive Garden Guard Lunch was WONDERFUL!
I love my Capella Star from J & J. I heart you.
Magda, you need to get your act together.

In any competitive activity, there are occasions, when the pressures of competition, can test the character in all of us. I would like to share my story, of sportsmanship, at its finest.

When checking in for our semifinals performance at the Nutter Center, we were pleased to see our friends from The Mark of NSA. They were performing right before us. It was their words of encouragement that helped our performers feel at home, and eased their pre-performance jitters. Thank you, Mark and congratulations on your finals performance. You are a credit to the SCGC and we love you!

We were elated to be named an Ind A finalist, and entered the UD Arena, with great anticipation, and excitement. My husband and I took the floor to the ready area at the arena, not knowing what to expect, as we had never been in the backstage area before. We do not have a floor crew, other than our 14 members and 5 staff. As we looked down the tunnel, into what I can only describe as, the scariest thing I have ever seen, we looked at each other, without saying a word, and took in a long deep breath. I thought to myself, how embarrassed my members would be, to see me roll down the hill, and land in a heap, at the bottom. I frantically scanned the area for the freight elevator, as the sweat beads began to form on my upper lip.

We were fortunate enough to be lined up behind Northgate Independent, who had parents there, ready to wrangle their floor, down the steep hill. Upon seeing our dilemma, the Dad’s promised that they would come back to our rescue, once their floor made it down to the first level. They returned just in time, to help us with the daunting task. We were safe…so I thought.

There are two levels to this thrill ride. Once you get to the first level, the guard stops and waits for their turn to proceed. The ramp then makes a steep curve, and descends deeper to the performance floor below. When it came time for this next move, to our relief, one of the Dad’s had returned to our rescue, and helped us get down to floor level, in time for our unit to enter for its performance. Because of his selfless act, he watched his daughter’s Finals performance with Northgate, from the wings, with us, their competitor.

As if this act of kindness was not enough, the Northgate guard members appeared from backstage, after our finals performance was completed, to help snake our 350 pound monster, back up the tunnel. They knew that our members and staff would, literally, have an uphill battle ahead of us.

Looking back on the week, and all that we accomplished, I must say that my fondest memory, will always be, The Mark of NSA, Ginger Armstrong and Northgate Independent, their parents and staff, who came to our aid, when it would have been easier for them, to look the other way.

Thank you, Northgate and Mark. You are the true champions.

Two Days!

Way to Go Tigers!

Wow! What an exciting game. Congratulations to the Tigers for an OUTSTANDING season!

SCGC Gold Medalists!!

We are home from Nashville, and were thrilled to be named the Ind A Gold Medalist at SCGC Championships.

It has been a rough week. We lost two of our girls to broken wrists, hours before championships. After alot of scurrying around, and safety pins, we were able to get the holes filled, and still came out on top, for which, we are extremely grateful.

We are grateful that our Seidi and Megan were not seriously injured, and were able to travel with us this weekend. It was obviously difficult for them to go and watch from the sidelines, but they were supportive and extremely helpful at a difficult time.

We are grateful for Heath and Sara, who learned the show in six hours. Way to go grannies...you rocked it. It is one thing to write a show...it is another to actually step in and march it, at a moment's notice. Well done ladies. You are our heroes.

The Southeastern Color Guard Circuit has a HUGE membership, and the awards ceremony was like sitting through the Oscars. All of the units were excited and had a wonderful time. Congratulations to the SCGC Board of Directors and Officers for pulling off a successful contest.

Thank you to all of our SCGC friends, who have been so supportive, and quick to give us encouragement, as we get ready for Dayton. We appreciate your support and friendship. Good luck to you all at World Championships. We will be cheering for you!!

We will use the next couple of days to get packed up and head to Dayton. We are extremely excited and wish everyone safe travels! See you there!

Four Days!

Murphy's Law

I know, right?

I could be sitting in a field of four leaf clovers, in my karma cap, with little Jesus in my pocket. Luckily for me, I have Heath, who is my hero.

I will never say "Break a Leg" again.

Seven Days!

Eight Days!

Nine Days!

Have you been fooled yet?

I hate April Fool's Day. I don't like to make others look stupid, nor do I like to feel stupid. I have enough problem with that, every other day of the year.

This is my friendly reminder to all of you...don't believe anything anyone tells you today.

IT IS A LIE.