Written by: Zulaykha Ganatra, Staff Writer
There was a mixture of shock, disbelief and heartbreak when our Band and Angels found out that they had placed sixth, just one spot away from advancing to state.
Despite the disappointment, band members and Angels say it was a season filled with growth and some of their best performances yet. Facing new challenges, tougher choreography, and months spent intensely rehearsing, they walked away proud of what they had accomplished, even if the rankings didn’t reflect their efforts.
“I found out the results over a facetime call, and I was absolutely shocked when I heard our school be announced for sixth,” said dancer, Andrea Menchaca. “Of course, I was sad.”
For many, this season had brought a lot of major changes as the teams adjusted to new members and a more complex show.
“We had a lot of new members, and at first it was a new experience helping them transition to a high school band,” said band member, Emma Liao. “But it was very rewarding as a captain to see my section grow.”
Others said that the difficultness of the visual performance pushed the group even harder than last year.
“Our biggest challenge was perfecting our visual performance,” said band member, Rayyan Dulvi. “This year was the hardest show we’ve had in the past four years.”
The Band and the Angels spent days leading up to area locked into intense rehearsals, especially with the rescheduling that happened.
“We had a lot of rehearsals leading up to the competition,” said Angel, Ella Hsu. “We all worked hard and motivated each other.”
Even with the ups and downs, students felt area finals were a powerful moment of the season and still kept up positive energy.
“Everyone was embracing one another, and the environment was just so positive,” said Andrea. “I don’t want to forget that part of the day, despite not advancing.”
While their hopes of going to state ended earlier than they had expected, students from Band and Angels said the season left them with growth and memories that they won’t forget.
