Tuesday, Oct. 22, the Marching Band filed into position on the Woodforest football field for their UIL Marching Contest performance. For eight minutes and 40 seconds, the crowd witnessed a performance that not only reflected the band’s hard work and dedication to this production but one that was worthy of the high scoring they received. 

This performance consisted of four songs, all beautifully composed into one piece and executed with precision. Opening with the classic, “This Land is Your Land,” the audience was transformed into an intimate setting somewhere between town and country. Progressing to a more upbeat and climatic display, their second selection was established by a dominant sound from percussion, where passion resonated from the drums into the crowd. Moving into the third song of the performance, Desperado, captivated the crowd when senior, Rachel Marquez complimented the band’s sound with her beautifully refined voice. Careful not to overpower the instrumental sound she came in with stealth, blending well, for the most part, into the proceeding sounds. At times Marquez’s microphone level was not loud enough, making her sound sometimes unclear and hidden beneath the powerful band. Giving the audience something to remember, the final song of the performance made it apparent that the band is made up of exceedingly talented individuals. Stepping out from the rest of the band, Sophomore Alex Bass played a seemingly effortless solo, hitting notes so articulately, that I questioned whether it was pre-recorded. 

At first sight, the band’s uniform, meant to match the theme of town and country, seemed unclear or too busy to the eye. But with context, coordinating choreography, and song selection the theme became more evident. 

Their choreography displayed their hard work and long hours of practice that got them to the point they are at. This was rewarded as they received the highest-scoring one can receive at a UIL competition. 

To wrap up their competition season, the marching band competed in their last competition of 2019 in San Antonio, Texas, last Saturday, Nov. 2.