Maxville: A New Beginning The dust has more or less settled on an amazing Maxville & Montreal weekend, and the next steps are looking forward to building on that for next year. When you consider that we weren't too sure what we had going in January, and were still trying to find clarity in April, having a good-sized band compete in Grade 2—and at the Grade 2 level—was an astonishing turn around, given how few of the players have had any contest experience outside Grade 4, and how many new faces we worked into the mix.

I have heard from a lot of people who both liked the music, and loved the fact that the band was able to overcome such odds and make a showing. And, it was a pretty special feeling to play with so many young people having their first go in the grade. That was great.

The results speak for themselves. We have some things to improve. We need to deliver better tone start to finish: blowing is an issue, and we need to articulate and execute at a higher level so that we can get the unison happening, front and back. And, we will.

Hope that you're all there for the next leg: it was a great start, but it was a start, and the band needs your support and commitment to take the next steps. Have a great August, and see you in September.