Photo by Brandy Myers

The marching band had an impressive haul from their first competition of the season.

The marching band had a strong performance at their first competition of the season Saturday, Sep. 28 at Cleveland High School. Despite facing several obstacles prior to the competition, they still managed to take home the prestigious People’s Choice Award out of seven competing bands. 

In addition to the People’s Choice Award, they also placed third in five out of six of the categories, including guard, percussion, visual design, general effect, and overall. 

However, the band did not place in the music category, despite their extensive preparation. The band had been rehearsing exclusively indoors, due to weather conditions.

The band’s movements were another impacted area, due to the lack of outdoor rehearsal. Rain also left the field at Cleveland soggy, making it difficult to perform the marching formations critical to their visual performance. The windy conditions also proved particularly challenging for the colorguard group, whose routines require precise flag work and dry flags. 

Band member Kenzie Leighton said, “I think we did okay through the circumstances we’ve had. We can do better.” 

Despite these challenges, their determination and raw talent shone through as we can see by their success in several categories. Their third place ranking in guard and percussion highlights all of their hard work and perseverance as they adapted to difficult conditions. 

They could have improved upon some things, but it was only the first competition, and now they know what they need to improve for next time. 

Leighton said they are working on “focusing more on staying on time, and being confident in what we play.” 

With more time to practice outdoors, ideal weather, and more confidence, this team has potential to be a top contender in upcoming competitions like the one this Saturday, Oct.5, at James Madison University.