On the last Saturday of Sept., the White Station Marching Band participated in the Marching Band Invitational at Briarcrest Christian School. This was the band’s first competition since director Brian Sims has been at White Station.  

Given that this was the band’s first marching competition, Sims opted to participate non-competitively. This meant that the band received comments and suggestions from the judges rather than numeric scores. 

“I feel like this was a good… experience for juniors and underclassmen to get a general idea of what to expect,” band president Daniel Harvey (12) said.

The band’s performance consisted of its 2019 football field show, which features the music of famous Memphians in recognition of the city’s bicentennial. In an effort to perfect the field show, the band began working on the drill as early as mid-July. 

“We were more prepared because we began to focus more towards the fundamental basics of our marching style,” Harvey said. “Mr. Sims made sure to put us in this mindset and keep us there towards the beginning of band preparation camp.”

According to Sims and the band’s leadership, the drill has been difficult to perfect in previous years, but this season has marked a noticeable shift in what the band has been able to accomplish in a short span of time. 

“​I think the band is far more passionate and eager to excel than those I’ve worked with in the past,” Sims said. “There seems to be a more earnest desire to improve and have fun than in the past.” 

With a new notch in its belt, the Spartan marching band hopes to pursue more competitions in the future. 

“I think the competition has shifted many mindsets for the better as they understand [that] those comments made during rehearsals are the same as those given from the judges,” Sims said. “They are all things to help make them better at what they are doing.”