Update:

At the HEB Marching Contest, the Wakeland Band competed in the Bands of America DFW Regional and finished as Class AAA Champion, Class AAA Outstanding Music Performance, Class AAA Outstanding Visual Performance, Class AAA Outstanding General Effect and placed 5th overall.

Following the Bands of America DFW Regional, the band claimed Regional Champion, Outstanding Music Performance, Outstanding Visual Performance, Outstanding General Effect, Class AAA Champion, Class AAA Outstanding Visual Performance, and Class AAA Outstanding General Effect at the Bands of America North Texas Regional.

In the final competition of the season, the Duncanville Marching Contest, the band finished strong, earning achievements of Grand Champion, Outstanding Music Performance, Outstanding Visual Performance, Outstanding Content and Design, Outstanding Percussion, Class 5A Champion, Class 5A Outstanding Music Performance, Class 5A Outstanding Visual Performance, Class 5A Outstanding Content and Design, Class 5A Outstanding Percussion, and Class 5A Outstanding Color Guard.

With the fall season continuing, the competition season for Wakeland Band is getting underway.  Students in band have been working diligently since the summer to prepare for competition season.  

“We start [preparing for competition season] in the summer…it’s almost like a full day of just band for an entire week,” sophomore Ben Alldredge said.  

When the school year began in August, band students saw the timing of their practices change to ensure that the band was still getting an adequate amount of practice time.

“Once school starts, we have to start having a regulated schedule…Mondays are after school practices.  [On] Tuesdays, we don’t have practice.  Then, [on] Wednesday, Thursday, [and] Friday, we have morning practice[s].  They’re [for about] two hours before school or an hour and a half and two and half or three hours after school,” Alldredge said.  “On Saturdays, occasionally we’ll have 12 hour days.”

A considerable amount of practice during the summer and school year has already led to some success.  At the HEB ISD Marching Contest on Saturday, October 1, Wakeland Band earned a ranking of 1st overall and were named Class 5A Champion, 5A Best Music Performance, 5A Best Visual Performance, 5A Best General Effect, and 5A Best Percussion in the preliminary round.  In the final round, the band finished 2nd overall and tied for overall best music performance.

“We went out there, and we gave it our all.  [Ultimately], we ended up performing to the best of our abilities,” junior Patrick Daddino said.

Success in the HEB ISD Marching Contest was a result of not only physical preparation but also mental preparation.  

“We also have to get in a mindset to perform because [of] the judges.  If you pretend like you’re the best, [and] if you act like you’re best then they’re going to give you more points,” Daddino said.

The band’s next competition, the Bands of America DFW Regional, will take place this Saturday at 8:45 a.m. at Pennington Field in Bedford, Texas.

“Competitions are always fun.  You work towards achieving something and then you finally get to show it,” Daddino said.