McLean’s Marching Band came in first place this weekend at the USBands Marine Corps Invitational, outplaying 32 competitors. McLean won the categories Best Music, Best Guard, Best Visual, Best Effect and Best Percussion. 

“The thing that stands out about this year’s performance is that the students have been super reliable,” Band Director Chris Weise said. “They’ve retained information well. Every time we start rehearsal, we don’t have to review all that much. We get to move on to the next step in whatever it is that we have to do.”

For the country music-themed show, McLean performed “Country Roads, Take Me Home” by John Denver, “Big Country” by Béla Fleck, “Hoedown from Rodeo” by Aaron Copland and “Devil Went Down to Georgia” by Charlie Daniels.

Schools primarily from the East Coast came to Annapolis to participate and were split into different classes based on size. McLean, with its abundance of student musicians, was classified in Class 5. 

“This happens to be a year that the students are achieving really well,” Weise said. “They’re a little bit ahead of where I feel like we normally are at this point. They’re working hard, so it’s not surprising to me that they did as well as they did.”

Students were delighted upon hearing the announcement that they came in first place.

“It’s always a funny moment in the awards ceremony as they’re going down through eighth, seventh, sixth,” Weise said. “Each one gets a little bit more nerve-wracking, as they call it. And then when you hit second and it’s not your name called, then you know that you did it.”