One week down

One week down, three more to go. My deepest apologies go out to my loyal readers for having to wait an extra day to discover the most recent happenings of the Phantom Regiment. However, our staff is certainly pushing us to reach the highest of expectations, and quite frankly, last night I was just too tired to write. Things are still going strong here at Rockford College. Our show is quickly reaching completion, and all sections of the corps continue to improve at dramatic rates. Surprisingly, morale is still quite high. This is typically the time of the season where everything starts to break down, before building back up. This year, however, everyone seems to bounce back from the toughest of rehearsal moments. I'm really glad that this is my ageout year. I honestly don't think that I could put my body through another season of this. Drum corps is definitely the hardest thing that I have ever done. I am reminded of this fact multiple times throughout the day, be it during basics, or tracking, or the 27th production run of the opener. OK, so we haven't actually done 27 consecutive runs of the opener, but it sure has felt like it at times. I've dubbed this season the "Farewell to Fat" tour, as the physical demands of the show will leave all of us discovering much skinnier versions of ourselves. I've already noticed a difference in my physical condition, and I must say, I'm quite pleased. Of course, I still feel like an old lady every morning, but I definitely notice myself becoming stronger and stronger everyday. These next three weeks will be the hardest three weeks of the season. It's all about the delayed gratification -– working hard now, to reap the benefits of performing an amazing show later. Now is the time to buckle down and get the show ready for the most important part of the summer –- the performance. All I have to do is get through these next three weeks. If I can survive that, then I can survive anything. Speaking of survival, many members have developed their own methods of coping techniques to get through the roughest of rehearsal moments. My method of choice comes in the form of a candy bar, specifically a wafer covered in chocolate. That's right, I'm talking about Kit-Kats. There's nothing like a little bit of chocolate to lift my mood, and remind myself that life really isn't all that terrible. I hand them out to other members that seem to be having a rough time, and I have to say, it almost always has the same effect on them as well. Let's just hope that I have enough for the rest of spring training! Lanah Kopplin is a third-year euphonium player in the Phantom Regiment, and previously spent a year with the Pioneer. Lanah recently graduated from the University of Wisconsin (she's a Milwaukee native) with a political science degree, and will age out in 2005.