SHS marching band advances to area contest

The Snyder High School Pride of the West Marching Band will compete at the Area 4A UIL marching contest in Lubbock after receiving a division one rating at the Region Six UIL Marching Contest at Wylie High School Monday.
The band performed its show The Fall of Troy, which is based on the Trojan War, and was judged on musicianship and marching abilities.
“This is a music contest before a marching contest. The music has to be there,” Band Director Jeremiah McCurdy said.
The success was welcome news to the band, which has received division two ratings the past two years.
“The difference for us this year is that two years ago, we had a very difficult show, and we just ran out of time. It was a good show and it was a good performance, it just wasn’t good enough,” McCurdy said. “Last year, it was attendance and eligibility that really hurt us. We lost 15 people the week before the contest, so we went from marching 53 people to marching 38, and it’s hard to recover from that. This year the big difference for us was that we didn’t lose a single person the first six weeks. Everybody that started in their marching spots, competed in their marching spots. It makes such a huge difference when everybody’s there.” 
“I think one of the reasons we’re doing better this year is because a lot of the students have the will to be better, unlike how it has been the past couple of years. Another reason is that there is a better respect of authority among the underclassmen, and they are a lot more willing to learn,” Nirvana Campos, who plays clarinet, said.
For the area competition, McCurdy said the band will stick to what it knows and only fix minor details.
“The preparation for area is going to be very detailed-oriented. There are not huge game-changing changes that we can make in the short amount of time that we have. We have until Saturday, which is a few days away, so we’re going to work on the things that we can polish and make the current show that we’re performing as good as it can get,” McCurdy said.
Campos, who is a senior and one of the drum majors, is happy with the work and effort that the band has put into the show this year.
“The things I wanted to accomplish this year was to get a first division rating and advance to area and to become a better band in general. We accomplished the first goal of mine through our hard work, which is amazing. In regards to my other goal, I would say we’ve definitely improved as a band. We have confidence in our playing and are getting better and better at all of the small things that make up a great band,” Campos said.
McCurdy is also happy with the band’s achievements.
“I’m very proud of this group. It was a very well-performed show,” McCurdy said.