Kayla Samimi
Copy Editor
Mira Costa’s Marching Band placed first in the categories of High Auxiliary, Overall Band Visual Performance and Overall Band at the Royal Classic field competition on Saturday in Simi Valley.
This was the band’s first competition of the school year and the group performed its show entitled “Outside the Bachs.” The group practices at least three times a week. At the competition the band performed the opener and ballad components of the show, and they are currently working to perfect the third and final part of the show, Mira Costa Band President Emily Angstreich said.
“It felt amazing to win because a lot of us were worried about how we’d place,” Angstreich said. “This is the first year that we’ve had our first competition so late. However, it all came together and it was an incredible feeling to hear our name get called out for 1st place.”
“Outside the Bachs” features several solos and duets. At the beginning of the show, Angstreich performed a flute solo at the front of the field while the rest of the band moved around her. During the show, there was a flute duet as well as an instrumental quartet.
The props for the show included wooden angles that the marching band members carried. By the end of the show, which the band is still working to perfect, the band members will assemble the wooden angles to resemble a large cube, which corresponds to the show’s title, “Outside the Bachs.”
“The marching band put on a great show, but this being our first competition of the season, and considering the fact that the show we presented on Saturday wasn’t even the finished product, it was a bit of a surprise to receive such high marks,” Marching Band Drum Major and senior Bianca Dulong said. “But of course, everyone was ecstatic and our achievement really solidified and reminded us of the pride we have in each other and in the organization.”
This year, the band received new uniforms. In previous years, the uniforms were green and black but this year, the uniforms feature black jackets and pants with a large purple stripe across them. According to Dulong, the nontraditional uniforms give the band a more professional look, which is quite common in advanced drum corps.
“What is cool about the show is that instead of leaving the meaning in just the name of the show, we take it a step further,” Dulong said. “We step away from the traditional patterns of a typical high school marching band performance and we try more modern and innovative ideas, from our use of props to our atypical costumes.”
The band’s next competition will take place on Oct. 28 at Simi Valley High School.
“By [the next competition], I think we’ll have the show mostly finished,” Dulong said. “I think [our scores] will continue to go up not just because our show will be complete, but because the work ethic and commitment of our members increases. I only see us going up from here.”
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