Vista Ridges award winning band is one of the largest, hardest working, and well known organizations at our school. Even though they’re under new direction this year, it hasn’t stopped them from working hard to put together this year’s performance, “A Journey of Hope”. During afternoon practices, performances at football games, and their additional individual marching competitions, they are constantly improving and trying to make a mark on our school.
Even though “Bandtober” might be over, Vistas marching band still has some competitions left. On top of their last performances at football games, they will perform and compete at BOA San Antonio, and the Texas State Marching Contest.
“We are preparing for the end of our marching band season,” symphonic band director Ms. Allen said. “BOA San Antonio and the State Marching Contest are approaching. We have already competed in BOA Round Rock, Texas Marching Classic, and UIL Region. We placed well and we did the very best we could. We are grateful to have such a wonderful group of students that work so very hard.”
This year, the band’s marching performance “A Journey of Hope” consists of 4 movements. Each movement has specific marching stances, and most importantly, difficult music that must be learned. In order for the band to place well that their competitions, they must perform their movements and music simultaneously, and perfectly.
“My favorite piece of music we are working on right now is the final movement of our competitive show,” senior symphonic band member Luke James said. “It’s very very difficult and it really shows the strengths of all sections of our band and how loud we can play it.”
Marching band has one of the most intensive practice schedules at Vista. Starting in the heat of July, and running all the way through chilly November, band is out on the blacktop almost everyday running through their music, and most importantly their formations for their marching performances.
“Our practices during marching season usually consist of running through challenging sections of our music and cleaning up our drill for competitions,” sophomore symphonic band member Claire Kellington said “Occasionally, we will rehearse at stadiums that way we make sure we can march our drill without using certain reference points that are on our rehearsal pad that aren’t on fields we perform on.”
With around 260 students in band, you might think it difficult for them to be a cohesive group. However, it’s quite the opposite. Whether it’s through each section, or the band as a whole, the students have a way of making this band their second family, and this school their home.
“The dynamics between sections is very family-like,” James said. “We all give each other a hard time about random stuff but we all want to improve and we are always trying to up each other. And the group dynamic with the entire band is very similar. We all want to improve and we are all one group doing it together.”
At bands final competitions of the year, they placed 6th at BOA super regionals, and 4th at the Texas state UIL marching competition!
