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Pride of the West Marching Band members (front row) Edward Leal and Jonah McGuire and (back row) Abbey Stephens, Zack Lewis, Zach Nobles practice for the upcoming season. -
Pictured are (l-r) Brianna Martinez, Andrea Malmsten, Zack Miller and Johnny-Dean Maresch keep in time with the music. -
Percussion members Brody Thompson (left) and James Ashlock practice on Tuesday.
Despite a challenging marching routine, Snyder High School’s Pride of the West marching band and its drum majors have high expectations entering the 2016-17 season.
Band Director Jeremiah McCurdy said this year’s routine will be more difficult than any piece of music his band members have experienced. The routine, Silk Road, incorporates the music of Duke Ellington with an Arabian sound. McCurdy said he chose the arrangement for multiple reasons.
“I think it fits the strengths our band has,” McCurdy said. “You’ve got to know the ability levels of your kids. We also wanted something challenging that we believed could be state-worthy.”
The University Interscholastic League (UIL), the governing body of Texas high school extra-curricular activities, alternates years for the state marching competitions to accommodate all the schools. Classes 1A, 3A and 5A have state contests in odd-numbered years and classes 2A, 4A and 6A have state contests in even-numbered years. For a Class 4A school like Snyder, the 2016 state marching contest in November represents a chance to impress judges with intricate musical arrangements and equally detailed marching formations.
“This is the toughest music these kids have ever played for a marching competition,” McCurdy said. “When you add the marching on top of the music, it gets pretty complicated.”
The band has four drum majors this year, all seniors. Trumpet player Zack Lewis is the only one entering his second year as drum major.
He said the major difference between this year and last year is the difficulty of the music.
“Not only is it my senior year, but it’s a state year,” Lewis said. “What we’re doing with this arrangement is way more challenging than anything I’ve done.”
Each drum major helps conduct the band at various times and each has a solo in the performance.
Alto saxophone player Jonah McGuire said he embraces the role of leader and that while the four drum majors might not agree on things all the time, having multiple drum majors can be an overall positive for the band.
“You have four different brains, so you might have four different ideas or ways of looking at things,” McGuire said. “That can be difficult at times. But if I’m struggling with something, somebody else might have an idea.”
Fellow alto saxophone player and drum major Edward Leal said being a drum major in his senior year brings a new level of responsibility and expectation.
“Being a drum major is motivating me to help this band be the best Snyder High School has ever had,” Leal said. “It’s exciting because a 4A school doesn’t usually do something this challenging.”
Trombone player Zach Nobles said there are some aspects of being a drum major that he did not anticipate.
“Now that I’ve been conducting, it’s a little strange,” Nobles said. “Low brass instruments don’t usually keep the beat, so when I’m conducting, I have to listen to different things than I’m used to. You have so many jobs to do as a drum major. We all spend a lot of time running around, doing different things. That’s not just an expression, we literally run around trying to get stuff done.”
Being a drum major is a large responsibility, especially with a complicated show to perform. Lewis said the show is challenging, but believes it is the type of show that could take the Pride of the West to new heights.
“It’s a state-level show,” Lewis said. “If we work hard enough, we could go to state.”