Marching Jays overcome heat, distraction during Minnesota state fair

The Waseca Marching Jays were part of a competitive parade at the Minnesota State Fair on Sunday, Aug. 30. Besides the drum marching cadence, or “street beat” that was played during music down time, the students played the song, “I Wanna Dance With Somebody” by Whitney Houston.  

 

Devon Lawrence, Marching Band teacher for Waseca High School said, “We didn’t have any heat related issues, no fainting or anything like that.” There were 70 Waseca students at the fair that day.

 

Lawrence continued, “W also had a lot of parent chaperones along: they kept an eye on everyone, marched right along with the students, and had plenty of water for those who needed it.” The original plan that band members would wear their uniforms was changed; students wore their matching t-shirts in deference to the heat.

 

Lawrence complimented  band members for maintaining their composure and performing without interruption when members of the crowd stepped into their path. Charlotte Griffith, a Bari Saxophone player in the band summarized, “They see seven bands per day during the parade. There’s a line that says, “Judging starts here” then a little further down the road it read, “Judging ends here” so we would know where the judge’s booth was.” She said scores will likely not be available to bands until after the fair closes on Monday, Sept. 7 and winners are announced. Griffith said her choice for fair food was a bucket of Sweet Martha’s Cookies, a Deep-Fried Oreo, and a Pickle on a Stick. She said she had gone looking for the pickle pizza stand, but never found it.

 

Lawrence chose to try a brand-new fair food item, brand new to him at least, “I tried the pumpkin bar funnel cake, it was good. I had never heard of that before.” He also said some of the kids were raving about a pickle pizza, but he didn’t get to try that himself. Lawrence added, “There was a stand called Taulelle’s Jurassic Corn Dogs. Some of the kids were really hyping it up so I tried it and they were amazing! I also never found the apple fries.”

 

Lawrence said he was proud of the band members for their composure throughout their day at the fair, and especially during their performance.  “I can’t point to a single student who made a mistake. They all played well. Toward the end of the parade they did get tired, one end of the fair to the other is a hike and they all have a load to carry. But the students pushed through that with a lot of energy and that was really cool. Well done guys!” The total attendance at the state fair on Sunday, Aug. 30 was 171,054.