Puttin' the Pep in Pep Band

My high school experience was enormously enriched by being in band. And, if you were in band, you were also in marching band. And just for good measure, you were also in pep band. Pep band provided some of the best times of high school... playing at basketball games, football games, assemblies... Always a ton of fun!

To help deliver the fact that our program was to be taken seriously, we had fairly strict uniform requirements. For basketball games and assemblies, the uniform consisted of an official Interlake High School Pep Band T-Shirt and jeans. That wasn't tough to follow! For football and marching in parades, however, we kicked it up several notches, and put on matching, traditional Marching Band uniforms, complete with Q-Tip hats and white leather Spats over our shoes. During football season, we would learn fairly elaborate marching patterns and formations for the halftime show, which was both fun and stressful, but ultimately rewarding.

It's easy to look back now, and feel good that we were so professional in our appearance and performances. But there were many times when I was actually in it, that I wished we could just have fun.

Well, now Ellysa's in band at her school, which like mine, includes being in Pep Band. And being in Pep Band includes playing at the home football games. Unlike my band, her school doesn't have matching fancy uniforms... They take a different route, emphasising the PEP portion of Pep Band. Each home game, the Pep Band has a theme, which becomes their uniform. So far this season, we've had Toga Night, Tropical, and most recently, "DECADES."

For her decade, Ellysa chose to be a scary an '80s Rocker Chick. Since Cindy had had some personal experience with that particular style of dress, she was eager to help out.

Luckily, the effect was somewhat diminished when she was holding and/or playing a flute, but man... Cindy proved without a doubt that if you ever need to look like a parent's worst nightmare, she's your go-to design girl!

This coming Friday, the theme is "SuperHeroes" and I don't think "Scary Rocker Chick" is a well known SuperHero, so Ellysa will have to come up with a new idea.

I should also mention that with the help of the Decades-themed Pep Band, the football team destroyed their cross-conference rivals and even made the front page of the local paper!