The members of our prestigious Band and Colorguard have been preparing for many months to perfect their marching skills and put on a spectacular show at every single performance. Their parade show, “Marines of Women’s March” and field show, “A Swan’s Journey” were seen by audience members at their first competition on Oct. 13 at the Placentia Band Review, and were recently put on display at their Bands of America (BOA) Norcal Regional Championship event. This competition, which is often recognized as the premier marching band event across America, occurred on Oct. 20 in the San Francisco Bay Area at Diablo Valley College and allowed the performers to show off what they have been working on to a larger audience.

With sectionals on Monday from 3:30 p.m. to 5:00 p.m., rehearsals on Wednesday from 5:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m., and daily practices in the morning, it is clear that the members of our Band and Colorguard put in a lot of hard work and dedication into their shows, which they hope will pay off during their competitions. Not only do they wish to do well during competitions, but the members also strive to maintain a strong record overall, to improve from their season last year, and to be able to gain a spot as a Southern California School Band & Orchestra Association (SCSBOA) Champion. The band events that they attend before the SCSBOA Championship, including this BOA Norcal Regional, will allow them to grow as a band and gain feedback or criticism on what they can do to enhance their performances.

This competition was a three day trip to San Francisco for the performers. The day before the event, the performers boarded their buses early in the morning to ensure they would arrive in Norcal with ample time to check out the stadium, get a couple hours of rehearsal in, and have a good night’s rest before the competition. On their big day, sophomore Ethan Truong revealed the performers “went in with the mindset that [they] would not place due to the fact that BOA competitions were a national circuit, while SCSBOA competitions were a local circuit.” After a couple of warm-ups to prep for the preliminary performance, Ethan says that the band “ran through the entire show like it was a normal competition” and “walked off believing that [they] wouldn’t place higher than 6th.” However, after the preliminary awards, the Apaches were informed that they placed within the top 5, which meant that they would be given the chance to perform again during the finals. The award “hyped up every single member” and “introduced a new sense of confidence” in them, allowing them to put on a very musically and visually strong performance during the final performance. Their strong performance entitled them to place 2nd against 11 other critically acclaimed bands, with only West Salem High School from Oregon placing higher.

Despite the fact this BOA Norcal competition was different from the usual SCSBOA competitions that they attend, our Band and Colorguard definitely performed outstandingly during this event. We wish the best of luck to them for the remainder of their season and are hopeful that they will be able to reach the goals that they have set for this year!