Banda de Guerra

November 20th, Mexican Revolution Day, celebrates the beginning of the ten-year war to bring democracy to Mexico. School children dress like revolutionary heroes and bandas de guerras (bands of war) keep time as students parade through the city in long, jubilant lines.

Colegio Sinaloense, the middle school around the corner from my house, marched in the parade every year. The school band practiced in the park behind my house from early September until mid-November, getting ready for the big event.

Band members, about fifteen students in all, played either drums or bugles. None of them, as far as I could tell, had any previous experience on their instrument. What they lacked in talent and technique, they more than made up for in enthusiasm and volume. The noise was deafening.

Practice began every day at 5:00 with drummers beating out a rough cadence as they walked across the street toward my house. At 5:30 the buglers arrived and spent the next hour warming up. They were elephants on a rampage. They competed with each other to see who could play the loudest and highest notes. They played the same four measures over and over, but not in unison. Every once in a while they hit the right note.

At 7:00 the band master showed up. By that time, the buglers had no chops left and the drummers were exhausted, as well. Only the girls remained standing. The boys played sitting on the curb. They practiced like that for the next hour. The director tried to make them all play the same notes at the same time but since it was dark outside no one could see him. 

The students were proud as they marched in the Revolution Day parade. I loved the parade, too, but I was mostly happy that band practice was over for another year. Viva la Revolución!