The week of homecoming is extremely stressful for all organizations, but it can be especially rigorous for band students as they participate in homecoming events while also preparing for a contest six hours away in Midland, TX.
Despite the debates on whether or not Columbus Day should be a holiday, it’s well known that most students enjoy getting that one Monday off in Oct. However, for band students, this day turns into an excellent opportunity for an extra rehearsal. The band got Monday off during the day, but ended the holiday with a rehearsal from 5:00-8:00 p.m.
“I felt it was necessary,” said bass drummer Christopher Abrams. “Even though it was hard, it helped our band improve for the upcoming events.”
Following this rehearsal, sophomores and juniors were required to take the PSAT, with the homecoming parade just five hours later. During the parade, the band marches behind the JROTC in a perfect block while playing the spirit show and drum line cadences.
“I was nervous about it at first because it takes a lot of brain strength to take such an arduous test and also to have to march for two hours with correct posture,” said junior mellophone player Ava Lamberth. “But I still had a good time getting to participate in a fun Texas tradition during one of the best weeks of the year.”
The next step to any homecoming week is, of course, the long anticipated football game. Due to the crowning of the senior court king and queen during halftime following the performance of the Sky Dancers, the band had to perform their contest show before the game in place of their spirit show.
“It was really exciting to play for such a large crowd, and the energy coming from the spectators was really high which made performing the show way more fun,” said junior Drum Major Jayne Margason.
On top of preforming the show at a different than usual time, the 2017 homecoming queen was announced to be a member of the band: Woodwind Captain Brenda Banda.
“It was definitely a struggle to perform the show with a full face of makeup,” said Banda. “I was terrified of sweating it off the whole time, but a band mom gave me a fan after the performance to preserve it. Trying to change into my dress after just performing show was a big challenge, but ultimately winning queen made it all worth it.”
To cap off this eventful week, the band traveled six hours to compete at the BOA Midland Regional Competition in Midland, TX. Despite minor transportation issues to and from, the band arrived just in time to warm up for their preliminary performance. They ultimately placed third in the competition, the highest they’ve placed so far this season.
“Getting third place at Midland was amazing,” said sophomore clarinet player Gentry Lamberth. “We have worked so hard for the past few months to make our show great, and it paid off. We are all very proud of what we have accomplished so far, and we can’t wait to see what we will do in the future.”
