Marching Band: one final hoorah

Marching Band seniors ended their final season in style, winning a first place trophy to match. It’s no coincidence these veterans became National Champions their freshman year.

Three years ago, Band Director Mike Lane hired motivational speaker Scott Lang to prepare his students for their soon-to-be award-winning show The Four Freedoms, by Frank Sullivan.

The outcome: a family motto.

“Committed to Excellence and Dedicated to the Love of Band,” Lane said following Lang’s program.

Hours upon hours upon days upon weeks upon months, the school’s Marching Band resembles the hands of commonplace clocks. But, their passion will never be commonplace.

The Marching Falcons began as a minuscule band, composed of fewer than 40, but still outperforming those composed of greater than 60 on brightly-lit football fields.

One missing soul, one misplaced beat, one miscalculated note, or one poorly positioned foot could be the difference between unanimous applause and sympathetic smiles. Each band member is necessary in creating their award-winning shows.

Senior Drum Major Cosmos Fristachi is no stranger to the amount of time that goes into being a member of the school Marching Band;

“Band Camp is a slew of constant work, whether that means marching in a parking lot while the 100 degree heat breaks your spirit or running the same musical passages over and over until you can’t remember your own name,” Fristachi said.

After dedicating four years to the school Marching Band, this year’s seniors are ready to march on to a whole new adventure knowing the underclassmen are in good hands. Four years ago, timid freshmen became National Champions. And, now, a new torch has been lit following this year’s final award-winning competition.

“I’m excited to see what the band will do next. I know they’ll make us proud,” Troci said.