Drenched in rain and fighting through heavy winds, the marching band nevertheless placed third in the Fairfield Field Show at Fairfield High School on Nov. 17. Though the weather made playing more difficult, band members worked to ensure they could still perform.
“The rain and wind kicked in as soon as we got on the field. Although the rain itself can set the atmosphere, the water dampened my tenor drums, completely lowering the sound. But I didn’t let that rain tell me what to do, and I continued regardless,” junior Josh Hutton said.
Despite the rain and wind, the band’s preparation before the competition helped ensure they could make their last performance of the season a successful one. With practices on Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays after school, the band spent hours working on songs and routines.
“During rehearsals, we practiced the drill and music extensively because we wanted to improve our scores (of 83) from the previous competition (in Napa). We also had a clinic on the Wednesday before the competition with a former marching band instructor, who I worked with during my sophomore year. We improved a lot in the last few weeks before our final competition because we really wanted to end the season with a bang,” senior trumpet player Kristyn Lorek said.
Placing in this competition and every other one throughout the season is particularly significant, as they have fewer members than other bands in their division and are marching in the class AAA division for the first time during this season. Though other bands have more members, the band is still able to compete with them.
“At this competition there were four schools competing in our division, which was class AAA,” band director Mr. Kris Harper said. “They’ve done a great job in just keeping up with bands that were larger than they were and we really had an awesome season.”
For some members, this would not only be the last competition of the season but also the last competition of their high school career. Seniors received boutonnieres to commemorate their last performance in an awards ceremony before the show.
“The hardest part about this competition was probably hanging up my uniform for the last time, since this is my final season of being a part of something spectacular,” senior Brandon Nguyen, section leader of the Front Ensemble, said.
Saying goodbye to the seniors was a bittersweet moment, as some students have been a part of the marching band for many years.
“It’s always bittersweet, because a lot of them have been there for four years and they’ve basically built the program to what it is. It’s always a happy time for them to be leaving, but then it’s always a sad time because they are going to be gone, and they’ve been a part of the band for so long,” Harper said.
Like Harper, some younger band members will also miss the seniors and their contributions to the marching band.
Sophomore Natasha Szombathy said, “My least favorite part of this competition was realizing it was the last time I would ever march with our senior class.”
by KAVYA PATHAK & ILAF ESUF
