-Liz Valvano
Band members celebrate first place in Duncanville to closer to marching season
Waking up at 5:30 every day really takes its toll, but when competition season heats up, marching band
members realize it is worth all the work. Besides, who needs to sleep when you’re winning first divisions at UIL?
On Nov. 3, the 220-member marching band competed at their biggest competition of the season, the Duncanville Invitational at Duncanville High School, just outside of Dallas. In years past, the band has performed at Bands of America, a competition in San Antonio, where they won 10th and 11th place awards for several years. However, the judging techniques at BOA lead the directors to enter the band in Duncanville instead. At BOA, the judges focused on more visual effect, while at Duncanville, bands are judged in a more UIL fashion. The band competed against 25 other first-division UIL bands, and during prelims, the band placed first overall, as well as first in the guard caption. Then, for finals, they marched an even better performance, and got grand champions, winning the competition.
“We worked for three months for this,” drum major senior Elizabeth Bandera said. “After all that, winning this competition was a fabulous way to end the season.”
After the performance, strong emotions were present, from seniors celebrating their last show to underclassman enjoying the feeling a first place trophy brings. The winning award wrapped up the season.
“I didn’t care if we won the competition or not,” president senior Michael Tomae said. “It was a great performance either way.”
The marching band celebrated another first-division performance at UIL competition Oct. 16 at Burger Center. The band was required to be there almost all day, with a very in-depth warm-up to guarantee success, as well as a rowdy bus ride home.
“I’m glad we pulled it together in time to make a first-division in UIL,” Michael said. “It was a great achievement.”
The Westlake Marching Festival on Oct. 13 was one of the band’s biggest performances. Although the band didn’t compete, they performed an exhibition show.
In addition to the show, each band student was required to work at least one two and a half hour shift, but overall, every parent and student put in about four hours, before, during and after.
“I have rarely seen such commitment and dedication from a parental organization to run such a huge program and do it so effortlessly,” new assistant band director Craig Davis said.
Expectations run high in marching band, during both rehearsals and performances. Anything less than perfection must always be improved.
“I expect the performers first and foremost to be good people all the time,” new assistant band director John Parsons said. “My expectations for them, execution-and performance-wise, are ‘what was good enough today isn’t good enough tomorrow.’”
Both new band directors have high expectations for the band they have come to teach.
“I see Westlake building upon the standards that are already here and establishing new standards for this school that are higher than the ones already achieved,” Davis said. “I believe we can take it a step further.”
Glenn Fugett, former assistant band director, left last year to pursue a job as a head band director at Legacy High. “Mr. Fugett focused a lot on the intensity of the program,” Elizabeth said. “With the two new band directors, it’s more ‘let’s step back and analyze this and make it better.’”
After being in the program for four years, seniors can understand why they’ve chose to pursue music so long. The true meaning of early morning marching rehearsals reveals itself in the final hours of the competition season.
“As I drive to practice in utter darkness, I think about why I do this to myself,” Michael said. “It is not about the five-foot tall trophies that blanket the walls of the band hall or the huge banners the band receives from our supportive parents and friends; it is the feeling that I am a part of something special. Band has given me an opportunity to rise as a leader. I spend more time in the band hall than I do in my own home. The band acts as my second family."