After more than 200 hours of practice and four other competitions, the Monarch Marching Band earned a spot in the 4A Colorado State Finals. The coyotes upset the band ranked above them and placed 7th at the competition held at the Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs.
Their program, entitled “War and Peace”, depicted a battle with half of the members in orange and the other half in red. The performance began with a sword fight between the two sides and ended with the flying of a banner with a dove symbolizing peace. Music selections included “March to the Scaffold” by Berlioz and the “1812 Overture” by Tchaikovsky.
With over 100 students participating and practices starting in July; it was an arduous journey to get to the finals. Junior clarinetist Samantha Ripley said, “We got a lot of new people who didn’t know what they were in for and it took a long time for everyone to get it together. It was a struggle but in the end it really worked out.”
The band has seen a lot of improvement over the years. Senior mellophone player Jack Walker said, “It was amazing compared to my freshman and sophomore year, it’s so much better because we didn’t make finals [in previous years].”
The competition also marked the end of a big part of high school for many seniors. Walker said, “It has been an amazing experience being in marching band all four years. To be under the finals lights for the last time is just an amazing feeling.”
Underclassmen were emotional knowing that this was their last show with the seniors. Ripley said, “Honestly, because it was our last show and it was finals I felt like everyone came together and put their emotions into it. Losing the seniors is a big deal because I love them with all my heart and I just wanted the show to be awesome.”
With band over, each member has their Monday and Wednesday nights back. Walker said that he plans to spend his free time “wasting it watching TV, finally it’s time to destress and relax a little bit, band is over.” All of the band members definitely deserve a break after all of their hard work.
