Over the years, the Lewis Cass Marching Kings have had countless amazing performances. One would expect our marching band would constantly improve, and they have yet to disappoint. Once again, our Marching Kings are heading for the state competition they are all too familiar with; however, to understand such an accomplishment, you must understand the high standards of getting to state and the hard work and dedication the band has to put forth in order to reach these standards.
The ISSMA Semi-State Competition consists of three categories, music, visual, and effect. Each of these categories is vital to a performance and is judged as such. These categories are judged by six judges, and only the top ten scoring bands are allowed to move on to the state competition. The Lewis Cass Marching Kings competed against eighteen other bands and were able to triumph over enough bands to make it into the top ten. This is nothing new to our marching band, as they have been to the state a total of 41 times within their history. “Obviously, these students have not been here all 41 years, but the students understand the legacy of the program and work hard to keep it going,” stated Mr. Hinshaw, the band director. “Now that they have continued the legacy of going to State Finals, their success is not found in what place they come in, but the quality of their performance. I hope they walk off the field feeling like they had their best performance.” In order to be able to achieve such a prestigious accomplishment, the band has to rigorously practice. The marching band spent a portion of the summer learning their routine and three months of school perfecting it and getting their performance state-ready. After the band had the routine mastered, the band then practiced it the exact same way to maintain consistency.
The performance that gave them the opportunity to participate in the ISSMA State Competition is called “Crossroads,” based on the poem “The Road Not Taken” by Robert Frost. This performance is meant to demonstrate coming to a “crossroads” of life. The band means to portray we are all loved and should not feel we have to be alone during the tough times, otherwise known as the “crossroads of life.” This performance can be emotionally impactful for some and demonstrates we always have someone to count on during our lives, both the good times and the bad.
In conclusion, the band has once again exceeded their high expectations they hold themselves to. Their performance this year is emotionally impactful and perhaps needed for some people. I feel as if it would be a shame to miss such a performance. As stated by Nora Craw, a senior and a band captain, “It has been a big push, and it is definitely harder with newer people, but I believe everyone is doing very well and we spent a lot of hours on the field and Saturday we are going to show off that hard work.” In conclusion, I encourage you to head on down to Indianapolis at Lucas Oil Stadium this Saturday and go and support our Marching Kings!
