First Tattoo Performance
Mary Beth Hicks
Last night we had our first did our first Tattoo performance in front of 10,000 people! Suprisingly I was not at all nervous which suprised me because I always got so nervous when I played in front of anyone. I think it was the fact that there were so many people that I knew that there was no way that they were judging me. Someone put it well today when they said that everyone in that crowd wants us to succeed no one wants us to fail. I can hardly explain how awesome the show was last night.
Since the Golden Eagles are the first ones to go after the massed pipes and drums, the flutes and drums stand up behind the draw bridge inside the castle. It is so cool to see all everyone in the beginning before the whole show starts. To start off the show the Massed Bands of Her Majesty's Royal Marines start out the show, when they are done they shoot off the cannons on the castle, it is so loud but so amazing at the same time. Then the massed pipe and drums take off and walk through the castle gates. Then it’s time to wait until it is our turn to go.
When we went on last night words cannot describe how amazing it was. The crowd was fantastic and so excited for us. They clapped so loud after the songs that we couldn’t hear the drum majors start us into the next song. That was kind of unnerving at times but it was so cool that the crowd was that loud. During one of the song we have a section where we all put down our instruments and dance, it was so exciting to see the crowd get so into what we were doing I laughed through the entire thing because I was so happy that they liked us that much. When we got to America the Beautiful, I have a small solo during the middle of the song, and last night was the first night that I was so proud to play that during the show. I don’t know how many people could really hear me but I didn’t care because I was there and playing a solo. When we marched off to Stars and Stripes forever, the crowd clapped so loud while we were marching off it just filled me so happy that people from Scotland and Great Britain would cheer for us even though we are from America and it seems like fewer and fewer countries like us. It seems like music brings everyone together, no matter where you are from, or what you believe, music is the one thing that ties everything together.