From practicing every day after school to winning one of the biggest competitions for a high school band, the Thousand Oaks High School band won overall band, color guard, and percussion at the Cleveland Field Tournament, on Saturday, Oct. 25, at Los Angeles Pierce College.
The 3A Marching Band division defines how many people are in your band, with about 70-100 people performing.
In preparation for the show, these Lancers performed musical and physical warm-ups, practiced their drill, and modified the choreography.
Sophomore Katherine Baldwin is a part of the TOHS Band and was there playing the Sousaphone for their performance of “Soaring!” with her bandmates.
“Every marching show has a theme,” Baldwin said. “This year they chose soaring, since the theme is flight-related.”
At this competition and their previous one at Moorpark, they performed three flight-themed songs: “The Flying Circus” from The Rocketeer, “One Day I’ll Fly Away” from Moulin Rouge, and “Defying Gravity” from Wicked.
Since this competition, TOHS’ Lancer Band has taken first place in the 3A Southern California School Band and Orchestra Association (SCSBOA).
The Lancer Band has competitions for the next two weeks at West Ranch on Nov.15, and if they do good enough on that one and qualify, on Nov. 22 is the prestigious SCSBOA Championships.
At the SCSBOA Championships, they are being graded in all divisions, not just 3A, meaning there will be much more on the line and the band needs to keep their eye on the prize.
Sophomore Ryan Henry shares the band’s focus to ensure they at least qualify and possibly win.
“We’re really working on detailing the show, and making sure we have all the visuals and music down to a science,” Henry said.
Dedicated to perfecting their performance, the TOHS marching band plans to continue practicing day and night with discipline, in hopes of showcasing their hard work and skill at upcoming competitions.
If you are interested in attending, go to the TOHS band website for more information.
