At O’Fallon Township High School, the Silver Falcon Marching Band competed in their first competition of the year. Their show, titled “Luxe,” includes music compiled from songs like “Diamonds and Dancefloors” by Ava Max, “Diamonds” by Rhianna, and more. The show proved to be a hit at the competition on Saturday, winning a total of six awards, including Overall Grand Champion.
The Metro East Marching Classic hosted a total of 23 bands from all over the St. Louis Area and parts of Illinois on Saturday, Sept. 13. Head Band Director, Daniel Pace, said he was pleased with how the band performed.
“I thought [Saturday] was a great performance. [I am] proud of the student’s preparation, and [how they] showed up on our first competitive show. They showed up and played really well,” Pace said.
One of the challenges with the competition was the heat. As “second summer” rolls around, the temperature highs are increasing; the high that Saturday was 96 degrees. Sophomore Henry Kim, a Baritone player, said the heat had an impact on the band’s performance.
“[The heat] definitely [affected our show]. I think everyone was just a little tired. We weren’t used to that heat, and being in our uniforms, it got really hot,” Kim said.
Despite the high temperatures, Pace said the band’s preparation set them up for success.
“I’m really proud of the students and how they were able to focus and overcome the heat. We brought water around with us throughout the whole warm up process, so we were well taken care of, I think, but we were able to overcome all that because we were well prepared,” Pace said.
Every year, a new group of freshmen join the band, wanting to try out the experience. As a member of the colorguard, freshman Stella Skiles said her first performance went fairly well.
“I thought [the performance] was all right. I think [we] definitely could have been more prepared, but I actually think we did pretty [well]. [I was] not really [nervous] since I’d already done two football games. It just kind of felt like a regular football game except at a different school,” Skiles said.
During the show, Kim has a baritone solo. He said he gets nervous about his solo, and said how it went at the competition.
“I really like [having a solo]. I think it’s cool, but there [are] times I get kind of nervous. There’s [a] high note I’m not 100 percent consistent on so that worries me a little, but I know with time, I’ll be able to get it. [My solo didn’t] really [go well]. Some of it was good, but I just don’t feel very confident,” Kim said.
The band won six awards, including Best in Class, first place in Class 2A, Best Music, Best Visual Effect, Best General Effect, and Overall Grand Champion for the small schools. Pace explained how he thinks the outlook is good for the rest of the season.
“Our competitions will be a little bit stiffer as we go along in October, but we’re in a good place right now competitively, and I think we’re going to continue to get better. So [I’m] hopeful for a successful rest of the season as well,” Pace said.
