Since mid-February, almost every single group, ensemble and portion of the band will have been active during an intense three-week period, which runs through this Saturday. The only thing they needed was a phone booth to change their roles quickly and often.
On the weekend of February 16-19, five members of the Panther Band attended the prestigious All State Honor Band conference in Fresno. A stringent audition process took place in November, and as finalists, they were able to connect with other music students, teachers, professional ensembles and composers from all over California. The students attended clinics and played selected pieces of music during the holiday weekend.
Also working that weekend, was the Winterguard portion of the band. The drumline and Color Guard are in the midst of their indoor performing season, and were seen practicing in six to eight hour sessions, again on their day off from school. They competed this past Saturday, March 3 in Fairfield High School’s winter review, where they had a chance to unveil completed routines.
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The drumline finished in Third Place, with only nine tenths of a point separating them from First Place. The Color Guard had two performances, where they convincingly earned First Place finishes in both. Their non-stop routine was visually beautiful with many heart-in-your-throat tosses ending in firm catches. Both groups have strong routines which place them in position to be robust contenders for their event in Sacramento this Friday.
Next, to prepare for their New York City performance on March 17 in the St. Patrick’s Day Parade, the marching band (normally dormant during this time), geared up and managed four practices in this same time period. The parade route is estimated to be a mere 42 blocks, so endurance is key.
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As if this wasn’t enough, the band also saw two concerts on their calendar. Wednesday, March 7, the Music In Our Schools event will be held at the High School gym, where the elementary, middle school and all high school band ensembles will perform. It starts at 6:30 p.m. and provides a tremendous sampling of music education in our district.
The second concert, which took an admirable amount of work, was the Wind Ensemble Concert on March 1st. The theme was “Travel The World” and the Wind Ensemble burned the midnight oil for weeks to prepare and reach out to a broader audience with their brilliant marketing ploys. Their ‘commercial’ (seen here) was filmed by a band member, where it was featured on the high school website and also piped into classrooms during announcements.
It was well attended and hosted for the first time by the Varsity Improv Team’s current and alumni members. Their engaging skits helped to mark the evening with levity, where even the formally dressed musicians (and Mr. Martin, conducting) could be seen laughing at the antics. He thanked the hosts and embraced them as ‘.” It was also a bittersweet night, for more than half the band is comprised of seniors who will be departing soon.
Once the audience was in place, four trumpeters blasted notes at the rear of the theater, heralding the onset of the show. The guests knew they were in for a treat. The lighthearted format, designed to attract all types of listeners, had ninjas popping in and out of the percussion section, Cuban videos, A cappella announcements at intermission, and times where the musicians became caught up in their own polka music. Rosalind Sasse, a non-band parent, stated she was almost moved to tears by the hard work she saw that night. “The precision they have when they stop their pieces on a dime, within milliseconds of each other…so suspense-filled, it made me feel like I was in an Alfred Hitchcock movie. Every time I’m in this building, I’m amazed by the kids.”
Leslie Swan, a community member, noted the dynamic of the close-knit ensemble. “Benicia gives me a fabulous opportunity to hear high level music played by local kids right here in our town. I would drive to the city to hear this. There is top-notch talent right here, which entertains and enriches us.”
When the community is reached in this way, it is so satisfying for the musicians to know they can make such an impression, where the audience is left wanting more. We’ll keep you posted on the additional concerts coming up this season. But for now, all eyes are on the shamrock prize, when the band departs next Tuesday for their trip to New York City.