WCHS Marching Band Excited About State Finals Next Week
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David Slone-dslone@timesuniononline.com
Members of the Warsaw Community High School Marching Band are excited about going to state finals next Saturday. “It’s the first time we’ve ever been to state finals. I’m really excited, but also nervous, but the excitement I feel pushes over the nervousness I feel and makes me want to do the best I can,” senior and drum major Megan Smith said Thursday afternoon. “I’m also really excited and a bit nervous,” agreed Jenny Crim, also a senior and drum major. “We came so close the past few years and we finally made it our senior year.” The Tigers’ Pride Marching Band qualified for state finals after earning a “Gold” rating at the Indiana State School Music Association Scholastic Class Preliminary Oct. 12 at Homestead High School in Fort Wayne. WCHS’s marching band earned the Gold rating in the Scholastic Class, Class A, as well as “With Distinction” awards in music performance and visual performance. Warsaw performs in the ISSMA Scholastic State Finals at Lawrence Central High School in Indianapolis at 5:30 p.m. Oct. 26. Band Director Mickey Ratliff said the Scholastic Preliminary was like a qualifying round. There are three sites around Indiana, with Warsaw’s being at Homestead. Bands perform and receive a score and a rating, with bands earning a 60 or higher earning Gold and a trip to state finals. ISSMA doesn’t allow for bands to publicize scores or ratings, Ratliff stated, but obviously the Tigers earned a Gold rating “and it was a very good performance.” “I felt very confident that was going to happen. I told them our goal was to perform better than we have ever before. I feel like we accomplished that in spaces,” Ratliff said. “We did like awesome and I know we made a lot of improvements and he’s added a lot of stuff to our show so we’re going to be even better,” Smith noted. “(We) worked really hard and had a lot of energy throughout the show,” Crim interjected. There are three different “With Distinction” awards. To get one, Ratliff said a band has to achieve a certain score in those categories. In music performance, an award is given based on what a band plays and how it plays the music. The visual award is for the entire visual package, including how the band marches, color guard choreography, design as well as performance and how well the performance piece’s ideas are coordinated with the music. The third award is for general effect and WCHS did not earn that honor. Ratliff said it is for, more or less, the aesthetic qualities of the performance and how the performance affects the audience. “We didn’t get it, but we were not far off,” he said. “Of the 12 bands (in our class), only four got any With Distinction awards at all, so that kind of gives you an idea where we rated.” Crim and Smith both agreed that the hardest part of the preliminary competition was that they didn’t know their competition under the new classification system. “Twelve bands there and we only competed against four of them before,” Crim said. Until the state finals, Ratliff said his focus has been on that general effect category, particularly the visual aspect of it because that’s where his marching band fell short. He’s adding some visual ideas, including choreography and movements, with little changes to the marching. “Beyond that, it’s more or less the consistency,” he said. Warsaw plays and performs well, but it’s just a matter of doing it consistently throughout the whole performance, he said. “We want to be at the level where we know every single element can be at the highest level we can achieve,” he remarked. A 9 out of 10 sounds good, but it’s not enough if that 10th time comes at state finals. The theme for the band’s performance this year is “Dreamland,” based on the music of composer Michael Markowski. It includes two of his pieces, “Dreamland” and “Shadow Rituals.” The 41st annual Indiana State School Music Association Marching Band season has a new classification structure this year, according to the ISSMA website. Indiana High School marching bands participate in the Festival, Scholastic or Open Class. The Festival Class is a non-competitive classification which places a greater emphasis on the musical aspects of the performance. The Scholastic Class was created to take into consideration band size as well as school enrollment. The Open Class is for those bands wanting to perform at the state finals at Lucas Oil Stadium, Indianapolis, through qualification through a regional or semi-state event. Ratliff said Warsaw is going to the state finals for the first time under the new classification system and the students are excited “definitely.” If the Tigers’ Pride wins at state, Smith said she would be speechless. “If we win, all the work, not only this year, but all four past years, it would feel like it was totally worth it. It kind of is now, going to state,” Smith said. “If we win, we can perform in exhibition at Lucas Oil Stadium during the Open Class State Finals. We wouldn’t be in competition so the pressure would be off,” Crim stated. Tigers’ Pride will not have a public performance before the state finals. However, Ratliff said, “I have been putting the word out that if people are available and want to come watch rehearsals, they can.” A person doesn’t have to come to a full two-hour rehearsal. “If they come for the last 10 to 15 minutes, they’ll get to see a full performance of the show as we always end with that,” he said. Rehearsals will 3 to 5 p.m. Tuesday, Thursday and Friday. On Tuesday, it will be on the band’s practice field, while it will be at the football stadium Thursday and Friday, weather permitting.
