Super States for the marching band

The McLean marching band wins its third States in a row

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Photo courtesy of Lydia Rivera

The marching band is positioned on the field for a group picture.

Skye Sunderhauf, Reporter

Drums pound, trumpets blare, hundreds of feet march in unison to create a symphony of noise. The McLean marching band performs on the football field as judges and other bands look on in admiration. As the show ends, the judges record the scores and the winner is revealed: McLean wins for the third year in a row.

The McLean marching band travelled to Marching Band States in Towson, Maryland on Saturday, October 20, 2018. This was the final major competition in the 2018 season.

To prepare for the upcoming season, the marching band begins practicing the first week in August, playing Monday through Friday from eight a.m. to nine p.m. with long breaks for lunch and dinner. During the school year, the practices continue with two-and-a-half hours after school on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. On Friday, the marching band performs their routine during the half time of Highlander football games.

The marching band perfected their routine at all those practices until it was ready for States.

“It was a big deal [to win] to us because we spent all summer working really hard, like nine hours a day, and then ten hours per week during the school year,” McLean Color Guard member Lydia Rivera said.

Due to all their hard work, they ended up winning states for the third year, but it’s not all about winning.

“We put in so much time and work into this, and no matter how good we do, whatever the outcome may be, we are still going to feel good about how we practiced so hard and spent so much time together,” mellophone player Gavin Pin said.

The marching band spends so much time together which allows them to bond and become closer. Then, on the field, they are able to coordinate steps and movements more easily with each other.

“I like to make music and it’s really fun to do with my friends, it’s fun time and effort,” euphonium player Kelsey Bachman said.

Even with the rehearsals being so long and frequent, everyone who is in marching band loves it. Being able to win States for a third year in a row was just an amazing result of doing what they love. Marching band is a great way to bond with people while doing an activity you love, and McLean’s marching band is the top one.

“We hope for the best, but, at the end of the day, awards don’t mean everything to us. All that time we spent together is rewarding enough,” Pin said.