Every year, the Marching Band competes for the title of “State Champion.” But what exactly does that mean, and what things are necessary to earn such a title?

The Texas Private School Music Educators Association (TPSMEA) has various competitions throughout the year for students of private schools to display their musical talent, from solo and ensemble competitions to entire marching bands going for gold. And this year the mighty lions were back at it again in an attempt to become state champions for the third year in a row.

Seventh Grader Cody Stumfall said, “I thought it went well, it was a good experience for me to grow as a musician, musically and physically. It gave me the opportunity to become more social with our band members and members from other bands.”

Rain or shine, nothing would stop them from having the chance to defend their title. With rain all morning and most of the previous night, there was no way the band could complete their morning sound check and make sure the sound system was working properly. The rain would have damaged the electrical equipment and the majority of the instruments. So, the band opted for an indoor warmup and rehearsal to keep up with the schedule. Loading field props onto the truck and instruments onto the bus was quite the challenge as the rain continued to pour, but the band’s fighting spirit proved to be a formidable force, loading equipment in almost record time.

Sophomore Amari Barra said, “It was super fun getting to perform at state, and getting to see some of the other band’s shows all put together at the end of the season.”

Cody said, “I enjoyed performing the show in front of a big crowd of other musicians, it made the show feel like it had a bigger impact, especially during the final part of our show.”
The schedule was delayed over an hour for everyone, but when it was time to perform, the band was ready to roll. The show was a blast, and everyone gave it their all. Surely it was enough to beat their adversaries?

When it was time for the awards ceremony, everyone was in the bleachers, waiting with anticipation. However, Prestonwood didn’t have to wait long for their results. The entire band, band parents, and many spectators from other bands were all surprised when Prestonwood was given third place. What had the band done wrong? Or rather, what did the other bands do better than the Mighty Lion Marching Band?

Cody said, “I think we were somewhat fairly judged, although I think we should have gotten second place rather than third.”
Amari said, “There were lots of other cool shows, but I still think we could have placed higher than we did.”

Although we will never really know what areas they succeeded in, and what areas they could have done better, no matter the case, there is always next year for the band to defeat their goliath.