El Paso Gridley’s marching band show “Coloration” paints the way to their first competition in Washington! All of the parents and guardians of the marching band students are thrilled at the prospect of their child participating in these big (or little) competitions! But, do you ever wonder how those who are competing feel? Well, let’s hear it from them! Our interviewed marching band members are Miss Wierenga (band director), Kamri Witzig (first-year drum major), and Olivia Bohlander (saxophone section leader)
“My biggest hope is that our band feels proud of the show they put on the field and that they enjoy getting to perform for an audience,” states Miss Wierenga. She hopes that the band scores well in competition. “But more than anything, I want the band to walk away knowing they gave their best performance and represented EPG well.” She’s very thrilled to see their hard work over the past few weeks pay off on those fields. “Our main goal is growth—both individually, and as an ensemble.” She believes that every rehearsal and competition is a chance for the band to get stronger, more connected, and confident. The show features fun, recognizable songs like “Paint It Black” by The Rolling Stones, “Yellow” by Coldplay, “Firebird” by Stravinsky, Grainger’s “Green Bushes,” and Strauss’ “The Blue Danube.” Miss Wierenga is confident that they’ll find success at competitions, though “competition placements are unpredictable.” She notes that every band is working hard to be successful, and they’re in a tough class, competing against much larger bands and schools than EPG. She feels confident that if the band stays focused and improves, they’ll be very competitive. “Regardless of where we place, this band has grown tremendously over the past few years, both in talent and in character. That alone is worth more than any trophy.”
Kamri Witzig, our first-year drum major in band, has a very strategic way of handling the pressure of the crowd. “I think having the pressure of having a crowd behind me helps me focus better, especially in practices.” She knows that the first competition may make her nervous, but when she gets used to the crowd, she’ll use it as an advantage to focus on her role. She keeps her composure up on the podium by zeroing in on the more important things, rather than everything all at a time. “It’s similar to marching, working on who to cue and when to cue them.” She practices a lot at home with continuous reps. “When you listen to the music and practice enough, you’re just able to understand what those movements are, and when to use them.” She would definitely come back as drum major next year, and finds making the band feel like a fun, safe place to be is her favorite part of the job. “Being a leader in band is not about bossing others around; it’s making sure people feel like they belong, and that they feel safe.”
Saxophonist Olivia Bohlander, section leader, has a couple of goals set, one being that she wants her section to have the music memorized by the first competition. She continued, “Most of all, I hope they feel like they fit in, and don’t feel secluded like I did when I first started.” Her section doesn’t exactly need to focus, but food bribery goes a LONG way. “One time recently, my section wasn’t focusing, so I bribed them with cookies.” Her section has been taking little parts of this show and combining them when they all feel as if they’re ready to go over the whole part. “It makes it less stressful for everyone, and we aren’t doing too much at a time.” The most difficult part of being a section leader is being patient. “I’m honestly not the most patient person in the world, and some people in band need a little more patience than others.”
Come check out the marching band at our next performance this Friday during halftime of the football game.
