Hello LVW parents, friends, and Groupies!

We joined forces at St. Paul Lutheran Church in East Troy. There we had some great rehearsal time and a quick supper before heading to UW-Whitewater’s Perkins stadium for the “Madisonic” show. If you have never been to this stadium, it is one of the most beautiful settings our kids will ever march in. From the huge concert-side stadium to the field turf field to the beautiful pine tree-surrounded stadium bowl - it truly is one of the marching activity’s gems! LVW was on second, and marched a wonderful show. It is good to see the progress from one performance to the next. It is also a good thing that we have some time to rehearse before our next show at the MACBDA finals. Adding more visuals and cleaning up music and drill will be the focus for the next week’s rehearsals. Since LVW was on early in the show, our kids were able to watch many of the bands who followed us. We especially liked the Sun Prairie and Shadow Armada (Oregon) shows! Performing in exhibition were the awesome Madison Scouts Drum and Bugle Corps. One word - WOW!!!!!

Following a night of travel on the bus, we have now entered the second day of our tour. Less than an hour ago the band was treated to a WONDERFUL breakfast at Bob Evans Restaurant in Maumee (Toledo), OH. The kids had a choice of the hot cakes, French toast, or “classic” breakfast (two eggs, choice of hot cakes or French toast, choice of two bacon strips or sausage). Guess which one Mr. Neujahr got! It was great to receive the bottomless cup of coffee also. I asked the waitress how long that deal was good for, and if interested could accompany us to Boston. I guess the deal ended when I walked out the door.

When we arrive at Perry, OH and our housing at the Perry HS, we will unload and let the kids sleep for a few hours. Then it’s right back to rehearsal in the Perry Stadium. I know the band is excited to take last night’s performance and improve on it in today’s sessions.

Your kids are all a joy to be with! From our 3:00 AM stop at the rest area in Indiana (can you imagine 80+ zombies with bad hair?) to the breakfast in Toledo, they continue to impress those with whom we come into contact with their kindness, behavior, and smiles. Thanks parents for giving your children this opportunity. Thank you also, Lord, for giving us the gift of LVW and the ability to do what we enjoy so very much - to be a part of the LVW family!

This message is from Nick Lane, the President of MACBDA:

SUMMER IS HERE! And with it comes a brand new season of marching, music, and memories.

We’ve added something new and exciting for our MACBDA Grand Championships this year. It’s called Webcasting. For you or those of you who aren’t traveling to the event, we have made arrangements for you to watch it LIVE on your computer simply by going to the MACBDA Home Page, and clicking on the webcast link. Here is what you have to choose from:

SkyCast is what we call our Webcast where you can watch the entire contest. If you can’t watch LIVE, then watch it at your own convenience. Just subscribe and watch it On-Demand, any time you or they want to, such as when your band member comes home.

Also available are ClearCords which are basically High Definition DVD’s that are downloadable directly to your computer. They are recordings of the individual bands, including the award ceremony.

Visit www.macbda.org and click on the Clear Sky Webcasting link at the top of the home page. And we’ll see you on the field!

Nick

p.s. DIRECTORS: Please forward this on to all of your band families and fans. We’ve had a few sign up but we need more to run the event! Thanks!


Nick Lane
Director, Oregon High School Bands
Executive Director, Oregon Marching and Athletic Arts
President, Mid-America Competing Band Directors Association
www.omaap.org
nel@oregonsd.org
608.692.0525

I just found out that The Great Escape admission includes an attached water park. Sorry for the late notice. Kids may pack a swimming suit for our visit to the park on July 6.

I will update this post as I have more information. Check back periodically, as there will be more parade maps and driving directions added periodically.

Bristol, RI Driving Directions

Bristol Parade Map

Manchester-By-The-Sea, MA Driving Directions

Manchester-By-The-Sea Parade Map

Traverse City Parade Map (Good for BOTH Parades)

All LVW members should remember to pack your uniform items (Black shoes, socks, A4 Shirts, gloves, spandex, color guard items) in your CARRY ON BAG, and NOT in your suitcase on Wednesday. We will not be unloading the luggage bays when we get to East Troy, so we want your uniform items to be easily accessible.