With band performance season coming to a close, band director Brandon Martel reflects on the highs and lows of the season.

“The band did really well at competitions this year,” Martel said. “They consistently scored high in the class, and we had great audience reactions to our show.”

Coming into the season, Martel set expectations for his students and the experience, and reflecting back on the competition season, Martel wishes the band could have precipitated in activities closer to home. 

“I wish we could have done more at football games.  When we are back in Trentini Stadium, the band will be able to drive energy a lot more.” 

In having a competition season of four performances, the team acquired further knowledge on how to perform and entertain an audience. 

Although the season was successful, one moment in particular stood out from the rest to Martel.

“The 2nd competition we went to was at Middle Creek.  We had a big audience for the first time and the stands were almost full.  They were cheering for us and clapping along to our music. It was so much fun, and it was the first time that I felt like the band had really come back from the pandemic,” Martel said.

In setting goals, and being determined to achieve them, Martel and the band were able to have a fun, rewarding season. 

“My main goal was to recover the quality and band spirit we had from before the pandemic. I wanted the students to achieve at a high level, but also have fun doing it.  We had some tough rehearsals, but in the end, our hard work paid off.”