For the fifth consecutive year, the Whitesboro High School (WHS) Marching Band has advanced to the State competition after having been declared Area Champions at last Saturday’s marching contest at the C.H. Collins Athletic Complex in Denton.
The 120-member band competed against 19 other bands in their division for the chance to advance to the State competition in San Antonio on Nov. 6.
This year, the WHS band is performing “When the Dust Settles,” a musical and visual telling of a time in the 30’s and 40’s during the Great Depression.
“It hearkens back to an era when times seemed impossible. It’s a story of perseverance,” WHS Head Band Director Jesse Speer said. “In the end, hope will prevail.”
The band’s competition season began at the Sounds of Fall contest in Princeton. There, they earned 2nd in their classification and 9th overall.
“It was a good start to the season. It showed us where we matched up with other programs,” Speer said.
Next, WHS competed at Bands of America in Prosper, where they again earned 2nd place.
“That contest is really designed for larger schools, 5A and 6A. There aren’t many smaller schools at that competition,” Speer said. “It was a great opportunity because the judging panel is so specialized and unique, they give amazing feedback. We can then take that feedback and use it to better guide and teach our kids.”
At their Regional contest in Celina, the band received straight 1’s (the highest achievement possible) and at their recent Area competition, they landed in the top seven in prelims. This earned them a spot in the finals where they placed first and were declared Area Champs. The top three bands advance to State.
“Everyone was very happy with what they put on the field on Saturday,” Speer said. “A lot of things clicked into place. It was also the first time all season we’ve performed the entire show, start to finish. Perfect timing!”
This is Speer’s first year with Whitesboro. While the advancement to Area is exciting, it’s a smaller part of his overall goal.
“I really focus on the growth of our students and moving forward,” Speer said. “Things are going great. The students and community have really opened up and made me feel at home here, and I treat these kids as if they were my own. I’m very happy with where the program is, and I’m grateful for the opportunity to work with this group of kids.”
Although the marching season will end soon, there’s no rest for the weary as the band must immediately prepare for concert season.
The high school band will perform a Veteran’s Day program on Nov. 11 with the Fine Arts Department, and students are working toward All-Region Band. On Dec. 14, the bands will host their Holly Jolly Food and Folly fundraiser concert to kick off the holiday season. Over spring break, the band will travel to Branson, MO to open for the Haygoods, Branson’s most popular musical show.
Also vying for a spot at the State competition is the Collinsville High School (CHS) Marching Band. This Saturday, the 49-member group heads to Mineral Wells to compete at their Area contest. The top three bands will advance to State.
Under the direction of Jeffrey VanOort, Director of Bands, and Amanda Lunsford, Assistant Director, this year’s show, “Uncharted Waters” by Luke McMillan, features original music from McMillan as well as Simon and Garfunkel’s “Bridge Over Troubled Waters” and “How Far I’ll Go” from Moana.
The show’s featured visual element is a lighthouse, which is a central theme for the show.
“Life is all about navigating uncharted waters,” VanOort said. “This show is an inspirational message.”
The CHS band’s competition season began in Whitesboro with the Chris Lovejoy Invitational on Sept. 28.
“It was great to see so many competitive bands early on in the season,” VanOort said. “It really helped us get locked in and focused for the season.”
They also competed at the Aubrey marching contest, where they earned a clean sweep of 2A awards. These included Best Music, Best Marching, Best Guard and Best Visuals. This means
CHS has been a top 2A band for the past five years.
Next, they competed at the Celina marching contest where, for the first time ever, they earned a 2A exhibition spot and recognition for their marching and percussion section.
“That was a really special contest for us,” VanOort said.
After winning first in their division at Regionals, the band advanced to Area. Regardless of whether their marching season continues after this weekend, the band will soon transition to their concert season as they prepare for their upcoming holiday performance on Dec. 12. The concert will feature sixth grade through 12th grade bands.
Meanwhile, at S&S High School, the marching band’s season has come to a close, but it’s been a highly successful year.
The 49-member group performed “Phoenix Rising,” and is one of the most elaborate shows the band has ever done.
“We’re in a highly competitive region,” Director of Bands Dustin Hensley said. “There’s Whitesboro, Howe, Van Alstyne, Anna – all high-performing groups. S&S is coming up to that level.”
This year’s show featured big equipment and synthesizers on the field as well as some interesting props. The show earned two Excellent ratings and one Superior, with an overall 2 rating.
“We noticed that some schools that earned straight 1’s last year earned 2’s this year, while we’re working our way up the ranks,” Hensley said. “We’re seeing growth in our kids, and we’re excited for the future.”
This year’s show featured Stravinsky’s “The Firebird,” Mozart’s “Symphony No. 40” and “My Shot” from Hamilton. The performance included a French horn soloist, CJ Monoghan, and a clarinet choir.
“It was a great way to showcase even more of our band students on the field,” Hensley said.
Hensley took over the band director position last year after the previous director, Jesse Speer (now of Whitesboro), talked him into applying.
Hensley taught middle school band in Waco for a year before teaching elementary music in Sherman for eight years. He had just decided to start his own business when the S&S position became available.
“My son goes to school here, and my other son will eventually go to school here, so I thought this would be a great opportunity to spend more time with them,” Hensley said. “But now that I know all of these amazing kids, I realize this job is much more fulfilling than working for myself.”
With competition season behind them, the S&S band will now focus on preparing for All-Region Band in December and upcoming holiday concerts (high school on Dec. 17 and middle school on Dec. 12).
The band is also looking forward to traveling to Branson, MO over spring break for a fun performance opportunity.
Overall, Hensley feels good about the S&S band program.
“I have the experience of a long-time teacher but the enthusiasm of a new teacher,” he said. “I know what we need to do and how to get us there. We’re definitely moving in the right direction.”