Familiar with the glare of the bright lights, the pair of directors take the stage, their heads already playing back the melodies which are about to commence. The two part ways at the top of the stairs, one going to sit down, the other calmly pacing toward the podium, each knowing the next few minutes will prove if all the hours of practice and preparation were worth it. 
Sensing the motion of the director moving towards the podium, the musicians’ eyes lock on to him with laser focus, preparing for the count-off and quick down beat to start off the performance.
On Friday, March 28th, the Jesuit Ursuline Ranger Band performed at the Judson Performing Arts Center in San Antonio as a part of their annual Spring Trip.
In order to make the deadline, they took a four-hour drive to the performance hall early in the morning. The band played for three judges who scored them on different criteria based on their overall performance. Once the judges concluded, the head judge guided the band in a special adjudication. With about a third of the band, particularly upperclassmen, having other extracurricular commitments to attend to, many band members had to learn new parts or play on a new instrument altogether. Spencer Vilicic ’17 also added that “the point of the band trip is to end the year on a harmonic note (pun intended),” which, after their impressive performance, was clear that they had indeed done so. Although being undermanned, JURB earned a couple of big trophies for the boys and girls back home.
With the end of their performance, the band packed back onto the buses for the final drive to the Holiday Inn, where they would be staying overnight. For some JURB members, the fun was in the journey, with Mary Emma McLaughlin ’16 remarking, “the best part of the band trip by far is the bus ride.” Once at the Holiday Inn, the band members split up into their assigned groups for rooms. After everyone was accounted for, they were set loose to do as they pleased until dinner. At this point, the performing aspect of the trip was over, so many members used this time to go explore the Riverwalk, relax, eat food, or just hangout in their rooms. McLaughlin again stated, “It’s about the music, yes, but it’s also about making memories,” which portrays the trip as not only a band activity, but a time for members to form tight-knit bonds with each other. The band ate dinner that night on the Riverwalk, a relaxing scene full of riverboats and restaurants, riddled with sounds from the Mavericks and Spurs basketball game. Finishing dinner, the band hit the town and had opportunities to visit the Alamo, countless ice cream shops, and the hotel pool, with Vilicic saying that he “was surprised by the amount of freedom we had.”
The next morning, after a delicious breakfast, the band hopped on the buses again, this time heading to Six Flags Fiesta Texas. Six Flags proved to be fun for many people, with McLaughlin agreeing, “even though I’m not a fan of rides, it was just fun to be there with everyone.” The band members rode rides, ate food, and “just [had] fun,” explained Michael Gasper ’17. With rides involving spinning chain swings multiple stories up in the air, death defying drops, and the pressure of G-forces, JURB thoroughly enjoyed the park.
At the end of the day on Saturday, March 29th, the band members crowded back onto the bus to make the journey home. Popular activities on the ride home included bumping music from the early 2000’s, playing Sour Apples, sleeping, and having great conversations about whatever topics came to mind. In the end, the band trip proved to be a successful expression of what JURB is capable of in regards to music, but it also proved to be a great time for the members of the band to grow closer to one another and grow as a community.
