After missing a full week of school due to weather and illness-related closures and not having a rehearsal with every person present for days leading up to the district contest, the band qualified for state contest for the second year in a row, under the direction of Kelli Taylor. They had practiced their music since the beginning of the semester and some were shocked at the result, as they thought they did not perform well.  

“I felt great,” said junior clarinetist Sophia Doonkeen about the score. “I was a little shocked actually, and I was proud of us.” 

Scores are based on a scale of I-V, with a I being a Superior rating. The band earned a Superior rating on stage performance and a one on sight-reading for the first time in school history. The group qualified for state based on their stage performance score as sight-reading does not affect state eligibility.  

The two pieces performed at the district contest were “Big Four March” by Karl L. King, arranged by James Swearingen and “Quixotic Episode” by Robert Sheldon. Both pieces had their own parts that were difficult to perform.  

“’Quixotic Episode’ was the hardest to learn because of all the tempo and dynamic changes, along with figuring out when to breathe and when not to breathe,” said junior bass clarinetist Lucas Helm. “I ended up liking it more in the end though.”   

“The hardest to learn was probably ‘Big Four,” Doonkeen said. “Marches look simple, but they require a lot of technique like dynamics, march style, tempo and learning not to play over each other. There is also a trio in every march where you have to keep a quiet sound but maintain the march style.”