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Panther Band Has Big Finish At Tournament of Champions

Band remains undefeated winner of Parade Grand Sweepstakes Award for third season in a row.

The Benicia High School Panther Band successfully competed in Fairfield on Saturday, November 19. They have now defended their ‘Parade Grand Sweepstakes’ title as best overall band for three straight marching seasons (, , Fall ’11). At final tally, their 16-hour day netted them First place for Color Guard, Jazz Band and Wind Ensemble; Second place for Symphonic Band; Sweepstakes for Showmanship and Marching, and top honors of winning the 2011 Parade Grand Sweepstakes Award.  

With four events in eight days; late nights and early mornings; college application deadlines and recording their auditions for upcoming Honor Band season, the rugged mountain climb ended at the summit that is the Tournament of Champions, signaling the end of the marching season.

Hosted by Fairfield High School, twenty six high schools competed, and Benicia received tough competition from the lofty scores of Armijo and Franklin high schools.  The Panther band fought hard for their Parade Grand Sweepstakes title. 

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Chilling cold was present at 7 a.m., and it taunted musicians who actually spent more time outdoors than indoors, despite seventy five percent of the competitions being held within a building. 

The Jazz Band played three pieces at 7:30 a.m.  They started full speed with , then put the brakes on for Samantha, and ended with Heat and its Latin flavor.   All pieces were enjoyed in a different way, because this venue was the cozy library, where the audience was level with the band in a more intimate setting.  

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Next, at 8:50 a.m., the Wind Ensemble performed two pieces.  One was Fire Works, played for the first time in competition after just getting the music a little over two weeks ago.  This piece had many cues and the musicians depended heavily on each other.  Then, the grandeur of Symphony #1: The Lord of the Rings: 1. Gandalf, pushed out the side walls of the gym.  As they ended one song and started the next, the percussion line traded stations.  They used different instruments for the second song, adapting very quickly to the multiple tools awaiting.  For this work, the Wind Ensemble won First  place, a title they have owned for the entire six and a half years since Mr. Martin has directed the band, and even several years prior to that. 

The garment carts, equipment and backpacks became a mobile base camp, following close behind the band to each venue with an almost gravitational pull.  It was very common to see boosters swirl and blend around the group like starlings, making sure nothing was left behind during their hasty retreats. 

The 10:50 a.m. step-off time was looming for the parade event.  The Color Guard spent twenty minutes in a stand-by area while they repeatedly tossed rifles and flags.  They expertly walked the fine line of keeping the engine running in ‘park’, but not overdoing it or depleting their energy.  

The band then walked several street blocks in formation.  At one point, Mr. Patrick Martin, Band Director calmly stood over an ominous pothole to mark it.  The band parted and flowed around him without missing a beat.  Mrs. Beth Carlson, Color Guard Instructor, gave them their last minute talk.  She said, “Let the audience remember you and love you.  Do it for them today.”  The band did a quick run through, as the reverberation of the passing sousaphones* felt like a street tremor. 

A parent overheard a bystander comment, “Now that's how you march." 

As an added bonus, Benicia Middle School marched earlier and waited for the high school.  During the methodical walk back to base camp, it was a touching moment to see the young band fall into step with the Panthers, as the future followed the present. 

The Middle School Vikings had their own respectable day, as they scored Second place in Drum Major and Percussion categories, and First place for Marching, Color Guard, Concert and Jazz Bands. 

As the band finished their event, they returned to their camp in single file. They easily went from a line to a vortex, spiraling inward as a whirlpool fed by more incoming Panthers, winding tightly to fit around Mr. Martin and the Drum Major.  All uniforms stayed completely buttoned as long as there was a body in it; on trips to restrooms for changes, carrying bags, heading to watch fellow band members…always in performance mode, always respecting the pride, unity and discipline for which it stands.

Lastly, the Symphonic band performed.  Tin Tin waltzed in with a sure strength, with some silences only broken by the sound of the judges talking into their voice recorders.  Abrams Pursuit came next, and thus closed out the end of the Panther marching season with a flourish.  

The pressure lifted until the award ceremony, and the campus became a place where everyone could relax while hearing the reassuring sounds of youth.  Some played frisbee, while others absentmindedly carried around their drum sticks and tapped on anything physical, because even in down-time, there's nothing else they'd rather do.

Booster parent Jenniffer Martin commented, “These hard working teens earn more than trophies; they also earn the respect of the boosters, parents and competitors with their talent, team work, dedication and professionalism.  They make us all proud and willing to spend 16-hour days supporting them.”  Band students are known for working long hours in substandard conditions, which most adults would never attempt.  The Panthers clap for other schools and always give standing ovations to bands scoring above them.  The parents get a standing ovation as well, in the band room at day’s end.

Be sure to check them out at the Tree Lighting festivities on First Street on Friday, December 2. 

*Band Factoid: The sousaphone is actually a tuba redesigned in 1893 by composer John Philip Sousa, who searched for an instrument with the deep sound of the tuba, but lighter in weight for marching.  The bell faces forward and not upward, thus throwing the deep throaty sounds outward for maximum volume, so the audience can feel it in their toes.



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