On October 10, the Wildcat Marching Band received first place at their competition in Manhasset. Led by drum major Brittany White along with field majors David Grey and Melissa Shaiman, the band is prospering during this competitive season. Their final score was a 78.075, and they received all three Caption Awards under the categories of Best Music Performance, Best Visual Performance and Best Overall Effect.

This year’s Wildcat Marching Band’s show is titled “Earth: Construction in Four Movements.” It is about the four elements of earth: air, fire, water, and land. Don’t be confused—it’s not just some Avatar rip-off. The beautifully written show, paired with the band members’ hard work, creates an engulfing experience. The show opens mysteriously to express the feeling of weightlessness and portray the quietness of nature right before a strong gust of wind hits, accompanied by a color guard solo from sophomore Nadia Lubrano. This leads into loud and intense music representing strong winds. Next is Fire, a fast-paced piece as intense as a burning flame. Senior Jefferson Hector strongly illustrates this fire with his strong, powerful trumpet solo. After Fire comes Water. This soothing ballad is meant to produce feelings of calmness and serenity, likened to gentle rippling waves in a pool. A mellophone solo, performed by junior Jordan Roiland and accompanied by fellow junior James Reilly on the tuba, opens and closes this movement. The show closes with Land, a fast song “as regal as a lush European countryside.”

New changes for the marching band are also occurring as they compete in a whole new circuit this year. Much like a league, the circuit has a classification style based on band size, placing the Wildcat Marching Band in class 3A. The circuit, US Bands, holds competitions around the nation and showcases bands with varying degrees of experience and age groups. Although Allen Dietz, the marching band coordinator, is very happy with the new circuit, its opportunities for the band and the band’s current success, he still believes that there is much to improve on.

The marching band’s next competition is their New York Championships performance at Mitchell Field. For more information about their upcoming competitions and how to join next year’s competitive season, visit http://www.wwhsmb.com/.

Update: The Whitman Marching Band was recently declared New York State Champions as they took first place last Sunday.