Held at Baldwin Park High School, Marching Band and color guard performed for the first time this year and wowed the crowd, on Oct. 22, in the hopes of winning awards at the Southern California School Band and Orchestra Association.
The first to perform for the 4A section, Downey lined up at the perimeter of the field and waited for the signal to proceed from the judges. As they prepared to start, however, the power went out and the ensemble was forced to delay their performance.
“It was confusing for a second, but I’m glad that the guys were able to solve the problem,” senior Jocelyn Herrera said.
After regaining their positions, Marching Band and color guard successfully went through their routine. The title of their show was The Heist, and it was based on stealing the sparkling diamond set on a pedesta. Color guard encircled the pedestal, arms outstretched, and dispersed when the music started. The members weaved and twirled their flags amid the tension-filled and ominous music that the marching band played.
The band played their instruments and moved about frantically, trying to capture the thieving color guard member. The technique of the ensemble was greeted with applause from the audience and was generally well received by the judges.
Downey Marching Band landed fourth place with a total score of 70.6, and color guard landed second place with a total score of 81, a highlight for them.
According to Herrera, color guard usually gains a high score around their fourth event. Receiving a high record early on, guard hopes to not only maintain their strong start but also grow and reach even better scores.
The marching band is not satisfied with their status and is well aware about what they need to focus on. Sophomore Ben Lopez, of the clarinet section, shares his feelings about the band as it currently stands:
“I’m kind of disappointed in us. We’ve definitely got potential, and we’ve improved since last year, but we don’t try as hard as we can.”
The band is much more uniform and their technique has become more grounded, but there is an almost tacit agreement between all members that the band is lacking something.
“There isn’t really a strong or a weak section [of band],” senior Diego Ramirez of the alto section said. “The people are the cause because some care and some don’t. When we spend time talking, we aren’t as strong as we could be, and that’s what’s holding us back.”
Regardless of the state within the band, everyone is hopeful and excited to grow and develop as better musicians, which is the main reason people joined Marching Band. The difficult practices and the time consumed are seen as secondary because members do something they love: play music.
