Saturday, October 9th, the Viper Band and Legacies performed in the Bands of America Regional Competition in the Woodlands. Not only did the Viper band place third overall, they won first place in their class and received many caption awards – outstanding music, outstanding general effect and outstanding visual. The band and Legacy Dancers are very excited about the big win.
“The students worked hard, they performed at a high level, I knew they would represent our school and what we stand for well,” band director Jeremy Spicer said.
Early Saturday morning dance and band students packed up their instruments and uniforms, loaded busses and made the 3 hour drive to the Woodlands to Compete in the Bands of America Regional Competition, in hopes of receiving first place in their division, just as they had the week before in San Antonio.
“I didn’t know how good we were going to do because we are a second year band,” Matt Callia, sophomore said.
Mr. Spicer, on the other hand, had a feeling the band and Legacies were more than prepared for the competition.
“I knew the kids were doing exceptional but I did not expect what happened to happen,” Mr. Spicer said.
The band and Legacies have worked very hard and vigorously prepared to compete in these various competitions. They began rehearsing the last week in May and picked up heavily during the month of August.
“We spend a lot of time preparing. We practice every Tuesday through Friday 2 hours outside of school plus 1 and ½ hours inside class. So almost 4 hours a day,” Michelle Favor, freshman, said
Although the marching band may be small, with only 113 students, and lacking seniors, they pack a powerful punch in competition. The Legacies dance team offers a major contribution to the success of the band as a whole. The legacies joined the marching band this year to offer a visual to the music; they replaced traditional flags with a skirt routine, which sets Vandegrift apart from other competitors.
“The Legacies contribute more than can be put into words,” Mr. Spicer said. “Their poise, elegance, and talents provide an aesthetic beauty to the product. They represent the music visually better than I could have ever imagined.”
Adding to their success, the band performed on Saturday October 16th at District UIL and earned sweepstakes. Next up on October 30th the Vandegrift Band and Legacies will head to San Antonio to compete against 55 other bands for the Bands of America Super Regional Competition.
Mr. Spicer is looking forward to seeing what the band and legacies can accomplish in the future.
