Troy High School’s stadium does not include any sort of tree coverage or awnings for fans to find protection from the Texas heat. With an average temperature of 95 degrees this week, it was hard to believe that we are slowly transitioning into the cooler months of Autumn. The sun certainly was beaming down bright and hot enough to make a fan believe that we are trapped in a never ending summer.
Donning their new uniforms and a completed contest show, the Connally High School band seemed to do just fine in these conditions. In fact, the only thing brighter than the sun during their performance was their future.
On Wednesday, October 2, the high school band performed at the Troy Marching Festival. The band received a first division for their performance of their 2024 contest show - “Shattered”, featuring the music of Linkin Park, Snow Patrol, and David Guetta.
“I was really impressed by how our students really focused during the entire process,” Director of Bands Dr. Nora Mosby said. “From the moment they started warm ups to the very end of the clinic process, they remained committed to the process. That’s what really shows growth.”
The band began rehearsing the music and drill for their contest show before the school year began. In the time leading up to Wednesday's contest, they’ve put in countless hours each week to hone their performance.
“We have really worked hard to overcome the challenges that have come our way,” junior drum major Daniel Escobedo said. “Finding success at this contest has been really nice; it means that all of the rehearsals out in the heat have been worth it.”
Members of the marching band have had the opportunity to work with a variety of clinicians and consultants throughout their season, providing them with additional feedback in preparation for their performances.
“It is really important to have a lot of different viewpoints as we rehearse,” senior color guard member Laura Sitton said. “Honestly, sometimes they tell us things that we’ve already heard, but for some reason it just clicks when someone different says it.”
While the ensemble is excited about their rating at the Troy Marching Festival, they are eager to continue improving.
“Getting a first division at this contest shows me that we’ve made a lot of progress since last year,” sophomore band member Kenniddi Shed. “Honestly, tasting this success motivates me to do everything that I can to make sure that we keep the work going so we don’t lose this feeling.”
Each week, the ensemble performs a run of their show for the public during the varsity football game’s halftime segment. The students are encouraged to treat these performances as though they were being done in front of official UIL adjudicators.
“If you don’t treat every single performance as if it’s the UIL contest, you’ll get sloppy,” junior color guard member Naim Soto said. “When you practice like every performance is as important as the official contest, you get the confidence to do the real thing.”
Without a football game this week, the band looked for as many opportunities to rehearse and perform as possible. After finishing their contest on Wednesday, Dr. Mosby shifted their focus for their upcoming performance at the Midway Marching Preview on October 5.
“We take every minute of each and every rehearsal to keep working and shining our final product,” Dr. Mosby said. “Our goal is to take every single moment and keep making strides.”