Band concludes season with success

Band+concludes+season+with+success

Marielle Curcio, Reporter

The band worked long, hard hours preparing for the 2014 competition season leading to their success at events this past fall.

Band teacher Joel Tucker said the marching band rehearses outside of school from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. every Tuesday and Thursday, and 2:30 p.m. to 3:45 p.m. every Wednesday. They begin rehearsals in mid-July and rehearse all the way through the last week of October.

“We also have a two week band camp over the summer where we learn the bulk of our show,” Tucker said.

These hours prepared them for the busiest month for high school bands.

The band attended competitions on Oct. 4, Oct. 11, Oct. 18 and Oct. 25. They did the best at the competition on Oct. 11, placing 1st place drum major, 1st place percussion, 1st place color guard, 1st place music, 1st place General Effect, 1st place visual, and 1st place overall in class 4A.

At the competition on Oct. 4 they won 1st place color guard, 1st place drum major, 1st place visual, 2nd place overall in class 2A. At the competition on Oct. 18 they also placed 2nd overall in class 2A.

On Oct. 25 they placed 3rd overall in class 3A, concluding their season.

“We work together extremely well,” sophomore Gabriella Dangler said. “We have been improving a lot this year, and we’ve had a lot of returning members from last year, so we’ve been able to improve more than having to train new members.”

Many members expressed how tight-knit the band is and how it affects their performance.

“How close we are as a family and how much we love getting out there is definitely one of our biggest strengths,” senior Carly Gordon said.

A few members took leadership and helped guide the new students in band.

“I got to be captain this year, so I got to help the freshmen learn their instruments and help with the transfer from middle to high school, which was one of my favorite parts of being a part of the band this year,” Gordon said.

The band’s hard work and team skills show their dedication to the activity.

Freshman Matthew Lorenzo said, “My favorite part of being in band is all the people we have, and all the new songs we’ve learned. It’s really fun and intriguing to learn about music.”