Tracy High band continues its victorious streak as it placed first for parade at both the Franklin and Del Mar Reviews and first in the field show at the Del Mar Review in the AA division.  This is the first year Tracy High has included field show as a part of its already complex band structure.

“This is our first year doing the field shows, which is very different from what we have done in the past, so we aren’t looking for placing first in these events, but just to see a growth from where we’ve started from, which we have seen,” Jharen Rivera, senior band member, said. “Overall, we’ve been focusing on developing this show so we can pass it onto future generations of band members at Tracy High.”

Although it performed very well at these two competitions (also placing third for color guard and placing fourth for band line at Franklin) it did not perform as well at the Foothill Band Review, not placing in the top three scoring positions. In order to improve upon this performance they will continue to train hard.

“We have practices every day in zero period and every other Saturday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. We practice a lot in order to pin point the details and improve,” Rivera said. “These practices also create more disciplined students for we have to remain focused for hours during practices and this really helps for competitions. Yet, we still have fun and uplifting attitudes during these practices.”

“There’s a lot of cleaning that has to be done, as always, but as a musician you’re always seeing the worst in yourself, which is both a good and bad thing, it’s good because you are always pushing yourself for the next step and looking for what you can do better, and I think the students very much feel the same way,” Jeff Kumagai, band director, said. “So, there’s a lot of work to be done and some cleaning here and there. But really, I’m excited to see the final product from where we started at band camp since they’ve grown so much since then.”

“Practices can be aggravating at times to repeat the same thing time and time again, but it creates muscle memory and that really pays off when we place at competitions,” Jeremy Eggers, senior band member, said.

These members have greatly evolved and improved since the beginning of the season.

“The beautiful thing about marching band is that you can see the results. Whereas in concert band and jazz band you can hear the results, but in marching band you can see the results as well,” Kumagai said. “When we started band camp in the end of July, two weeks before school started, we trained here every day because we had members who had no marching experience. First, we had to get them in step, then we practiced marching with proper style, I mean you name it, we practiced it. So, the improvement to this point has been astronomical.”

Yet despite this eagerness to improve their performances, these individuals still are able to make the most and enjoy this experience.

“I enjoy the bus rides a lot because I am surrounded by a group of people who do not care what others think of them, and I love being surrounded by these types of people. We also sing, dance, talk, sleep, and work on homework on the bus,” Deena Morrir, senior band member, said. “Also even though our competitions can be extremely long, I love competing in them because it gives us a chance to show other schools that our band can perform just as well as they do, if not better.”

“I love being in band and having this family bond with my fellow band members, and, overall, just the silly things we do that separate us from other extra-curricular at school,” Rivera said.

The favorite experience of the majority of the band members was the Franklin Band Review due to their unexpected perseverance at this competition.

“Franklin was my favorite competition because we got first while competing with other really talented and competitive schools, so it made our victory even more shocking and rewarding. We were just really pumped,” Morrir said.

Although the atmosphere of band is uplifting, energetic and fun, much more than just how to play instruments has been learned by these members.

“I’ve learned a lot from band such as discipline, time management, teamwork, friendship, and people skills that not only helped me during band but will help me pro

Overall, this experience has developed them not only individually, but as a team as they unite to improve each other.

“It’s the universal care of the program that brings them together, beyond just the awards and the trophies, they truly understand that they are the pride of Tracy,” Kumagai said. “This is the band that has done the most competitions each year over the past many years. They want to maintain that pride and bring honor to it, so they are willing to put as much work as needed to maintain that.”