People we see on the interstates heading away from D.C. and at wayside rests who are obviously returning home from the Inauguration (evidenced by bumper stickers, various state license plates, “Obama” window markings and T-shirts) are still beaming! The bright, sunny, snowless suburbs of D.C. give way to the snow-covered Appalachian Mountains of Pennsylvania as we head toward Pittsburgh. We’re still talking and thinking about our inauguration experiences. Marching in the inauguration parade was awesome in and of itself, but a big part of what made it so was the fact that it was done with a wonderful, wonderful group of people! We meet a few more folks from the various GLBT bands around the country at each event in which we participate, and they all are genuinely nice people that are fun to perform with and hang out with.
Dan and I woke up at 5 am on Tuesday morning, took showers, got dressed for the big day and went down to the hotel lobby to gather with the other LGBA folks who stayed at the Fairfax hotel. The bus that would take us to breakfast was ready to be loaded — well, kind of ready; the heat didn’t work, and the temperature was in the teens. But, plans already were in place to use this bus just to get to breakfast in Ballston and, then, switch to a replacement that would meet us there. So, we loaded the percussion and sousaphones into the undercarriage of the bus and traveled to Ballston. LGBA organized an excellent buffet breakfast for us. After breakfast everyone who would be marching in the parade boarded the buses. Dan took the Metro into D.C. to be on the Mall for the swearing in ceremonies and, then, on Pennsylvania Avenue for the parade. He’ll have to share his experience that day in a separate blog.
This was truly a day of moving, then waiting, over and over — not too exciting, but here’s how it unfolded. Our four buses traveled to the Pentagon on nearly traffic-free roads; we were heading toward an area where all the roads were closed, so there was little need to be traveling where we were. Once at the Pentagon, we waited in our buses for a couple hours, listening on the radio to the swearing-in ceremony happening just across the Potomac. We received direction to move to the security screening area, and the buses brought us there. At the screening area, we unloaded everything off of the buses, placing drums and sousaphones on wheeled carts to go through separate screening. I carried my drum harness and day pack with drum sticks, lyre, flip folder with music, water bottle and extra layers of clothing into the screening tent. My harness and day pack were hand inspected, and I walked through the metal detector with no problems. Exiting the screening tent, we were given hot chocolate and a box lunch with a sandwich, apple and cookie. We were now in the “clean” area.
We waited briefly in this area outside while waiting for our empty buses to go through their own security screening. After the buses were screened, they moved to an area where we re-loaded our equipment and re-boarded the buses. We waited on the buses in a large parking lot — still on the Pentagon premises — and ate our lunch. After some time, we began making our way out of the lot. We needed to have what they called “100 percent accountability,” meaning the number of people on our buses as we left the Pentagon area needed to match exactly the number they were given earlier. After an initial miscount, our numbers matched, and we were allowed to proceed across the Potomac, behind the Lincoln Memorial, past the tidal basin with a view of the Jefferson Memorial, past the Washington Monument and the crowds on the mall, and finally to the Ellipse in front of the White House, where warming tents were set up to hold bands as they waited to be called for step-off. We waited in the tents for a bit, moved out to the field to line up, go over some last-minute signals and play some warm-ups — of the wind instruments, that is; we would have needed to run a couple laps of the Ellipse to truly warm ourselves. Then, we moved onto the roadway composing the Ellipse and got into our formation. After running through some of the drum cadence and a couple songs, we noticed that some of the bands were moving back into the warming tents and wondered what was going on. After a couple minutes, we also received word that the parade was delayed and directions to return to the warming tents. We seemed to be in the tents for only about a half-hour before moving back out onto the Ellipse roadway to line up. Then, we moved out — yea!!
We walked as a unit up Constitution Avenue to 7th Street, where we took a left, stepped off to the drum cadence and, then, took another left onto Pennsylvania Avenue. We were on our way toward the White House! It was dark by this time, and the parade route was not very well lit. I’m so glad that I memorized my music! Also, I think, because of the delay and the cold weather, the crowds along the parade route were rather sparse by this time.
I was concerned that my fingers would be cold, which would result in less stick control. So, I kept my hands in my jacket pockets with my hand warmers until shortly before we stepped off. Initially, my fingers were cold, and stick control wasn’t the best. But since I play percussion, I was playing constantly, with the drum cadence alternating with our five songs, and my fingers quickly warmed after about a block. I was good to go!
My partner, Dan, was along the route — at 10th and Pennsylvania — and, normally, if I could hear anyone, it would be him. But, my focus on marching and playing combined with the darkness along the route prevented me from seeing or hearing him; I knew he was there cheering us on!
Continuing along Pennsylvania Avenue, we took a right turn onto 15th Street. At some point either just before or just after taking a left onto Pennsylvania Avenue north of the White House, we stopped playing both the drum cadence and songs, and marched along silently to drum clicks. I could see the bright lights ahead and the reviewing booth ahead on our left. The Howard University Marching Band was finishing its number in front of the booth. We were still in the darkness, but the bright lights shining in our direction cast an outline of light around my fellow band members ahead of me and also emphasized their warm breath rising into the cold air. Our drum majors gave us the signal to restart the drum cadence, and we happily complied with the single strike of the snare drum and bass drum, the continuing sixteenth notes on the high pitched tom, and the driving build-up to the start of the actual cadence. Marching to the drum cadence, we approached the reviewing booth containing the Obamas and the Bidens, among others, and were given the signal for the roll off. The band, snapping their horns to their mouths on the second “bum bum,” of the roll off launched into the oh-so-familiar march of Sousa’s, The Washington Post March. Keeping my head facing straight ahead, I was able to see President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama with my peripheral vision; they were both waving and smiling. We finished playing the march and went back into the cadence; we did it!!
We played a couple more songs before we received direction to return to marching to drum clicks. We marched and, then, just walked back to our buses, which brought us (Bus 1) back to our hotel in Fairfax, Virginia. Most band members staying in Fairfax went to Chammps in the mall across from our hotel for food, drinks and sharing of parade experiences.
Here is, first, a video with clips from our first rehearsal (last Sunday, 1/18/2009) and, second, an article about our (LGBA’s) participation in the parade.
First Rehearsal
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jJkJvlo4o00
Article
http://www.sovo.com/2009/1-23/news/national/9705.cfm
Okay, car moved.
timdan2