The Lifespan of A Winterguard Show

In the music world, a six minute performance may seem brief, but there are hundreds of hours spent to perfect each second of it.  This is the reality of the larger-than-life sliver of time that is wedged in between two marching seasons in a typical Benicia High School Panther band year.  More than a third of the band took the challenge to be part of this intense time called the Winterguard Season, which runs from December to the beginning of April.

The Winterguard months are a welcome time in the band year.  It is very different from marching season, which involves standard uniforms and a strict format when competing on the street. As Winterguard performers, the students (drumline and Color Guard) have a chance to enjoy the liberty and adventure of indoor competition.

Before the 2012-2013 school year even started, members were recruited and welcomed to try out, no matter their experience level in this specialized unit. Once school began, they started to work on technique and consistency during weekly practices lasting late into the night, after attending school all day.  In December, there were the first signs of life as the show developed a pulse and a direction.  Throughout the holidays in January and February, they added practices that lasted from breakfast until dinner, as the show started to grow and lengthen in time. 

The first competition was on February 9, 2013.  The routine was revealed, where it is common practice to present it in an unfinished state as a sort of ‘test-run.’  Then, for the next 8 weeks, each weekend was booked with competitions, with many having back-to-back Friday and Saturday events.  Their visual and musical elements were scored and critically timed to set-up, perform and retreat, all within less than 15 minutes. Judges’ comments were studied after each show.  Sections would be added, some moves were removed entirely or retooled, while others were cleaned up to their full potential.  Such a dynamic process is admirable and exciting to watch, because the students quickly adapted when several moments of a routine were slashed or changed from day to day. 

Most schools prefer to purchase pre-written shows with known track records.  However, the Panther band is one of the few teams whose instructors write the music and choreograph the show.   Thus, the BHS show is a living, breathing creature and this is what is important to the Panthers. Since it is never the same one twice, it is always interesting to the performers and the audience. In addition, when the Panthers place first or last, it is still meaningful because it was a victory or loss which they worked for or owned.  Their experienced instructors are Jon Boo, Adam Clay and Matt Lowe, who have had a close relationship with many of the students since middle school.

The indoor show for the drumline was called “The Machine.” A drumline is known for its percussion and swift movement, theatrical expressions and precision. A handcrafted mobile rack, called the Rack Hack, was born by show #6.  A wheeled apparition of angles, metal posts and rusty car parts became an active entity in the show. The routine perfectly mimicked the operation of an old machine, whose gears cranked to life, encountered some glitches, blew a few circuits, clogged itself and then cleared the jam as it sputtered back down to the ‘off’ position.  This show earned them a steady climb to several first place finishes towards the middle of the season. 

The Color Guard is separate from drumline but also performs under the Winterguard title. New instructor Kayla Ford helped guide their graceful and athletic routine “’83.”  It was an elegant show which allowed this small team of eight, tiny in comparison to other schools, to move easily about the floor while keeping the focus on their beautiful flowing movements.  Their theme was soft and uplifting to match their cool-as-mint costumes. But there was nothing tranquil about the deftness and speed with which their rifles, flags and sabers had to be caught at precise moments.   Tosses and catches would happen within seconds of each other, with pressure on each performer to catch everything in order to keep the flow alive.

The Color Guard and drumline typically become a tight knit group during this season, and nowhere was their bond more obvious than when helping each other with the drudgery of folding up their 500lb. vinyl floors, minutes after finishing their exhausting shows. The portable performance mats cover an entire gym and need many hands to fold them to the size of a small cot. 

To the parent helper, instructor or performer, the ‘life’ of a Winterguard season is tangible.  Everyday items take on an elevated significance: the dollar for lunch, the tank of gas, the camera battery, the booster shirt and sunscreen…they all have a job.  Everything is alive, whether it’s the carpool vehicles, the instruments or the igloo cooler.  They all have a special energy surrounding them as each item plays a part in leading the students and parents through the season.  Even the tail-lights of the trailer seem different in the middle of a season, touched by the magic of a recent road trip win, still buzzing with the good energy of the hands who recently filled it with equipment.  The days and weeks are framed with purpose. The minute the season ends and the trailer is unloaded for the last time, an inner light turns off.  Movement ceases and an instrument just becomes an item in a locker, waiting for the kids again, holding out for instruction, a reason to be picked up once again. 

This Winterguard season is concluded, but only temporarily.  Plans are already being made to revive it in August where the steadfast lifecycle will begin again.   But this week, after a quick switch to formal wear again, they can be seen as elegant concert musicians performing for the community in their student-run Small Ensemble concert at the high school this Wednesday, April 17.

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