As the band marches to the football field, the students can feel a sense of tension in the air. This is the biggest competition of the year, the Missouri State Marching Association Festival held at Battle High School in Columbia. Despite their nervousness, the band is ready to put on their best performance all season.
The band ended up placing fourth in the 6A class during prelims and second in finals, also winning Best Percussion.
“My favorite [competition] was the last one at Battle High School,” junior Ingrid Richard, head drum major, said. “We didn’t expect to make finals but ended up placing well and performing in finals.”
The MSMA competition was memorable for the band, not only because they performed well, but also because it was an opportunity to compete against different bands, as it was the marching band’s first year attending.
“MSMA [was my favorite] because it was really fun to see the bands that were there. They were definitely a different level than what we usually get to see,” junior Morgan Nickell said.
MSMA wasn’t the only competition in which the band did well. This season, they placed second in the Tiger Ambush Classic at Edwardsville High School, fourth in the Missouri State Ozarko Marching Contest, eighth in the River City Showcase at Ft. Zumwalt North, and they won Grand Champion, along with Outstanding Guard and Outstanding Visual performance, at the Music on the Meramec competition at Fox High School.
“I was in shock [when we won Grand Champion],” Mr. Chris Miller, band director, said. “I never thought we would beat every other team at the show. It was a complete shock.”
The strong performance this season was a huge contrast from last season, since their previous show didn’t place well. Members of the band feel proud of how far they have come since prior seasons.
“It’s just really nice to see our hard work pay off and be recognized for what we do, even though we have a smaller band,” junior Icarus Nordeen said.
When someone puts in hard work, it shows. For the band, it took trial and error, but they found something that worked.
“We addressed the musical and drill difficulty [of the show],” Miller said. “It gave our students the best opportunity to succeed.”