Marching Band Competition

photo by Pamela White

On Saturday September 30th, 2023, the Walnut Grove Marching Warriors performed in their second event of the school year. The competition was held at Baldwin High School in Milledgeville, Georgia.
by Cassidy Bailey, Drew Caraway and Ty Cameron

WGHS Performance
The Warrior Marching Band is most notable for their Friday Night performances at football games, playing during the game and performing their halftime show, Sherwood. On Saturday, they earned 1st in Class-AA Band honors, along with earning All-Superior honors in Drum Major, Overall effect, Music Performance, and in Overall Band rating. In the competition, they placed 6th overall out of the competing 19 bands.​

WGHS Insight
Before the performance nerves were running high throughout the band. People trying to remember counts, their music, visuals, and so much more, performing in front of judges for a trophy, making sure you don’t let yourself down or anyone else. Hours were spent making everything perfect, and everything came together for this one moment. Adrian Garcia, a Senior and the Band's Woodwind Captain, was asked how he felt during the performance: “I felt good during the performance and I feel like those around me did good, so it made me feel good.”  It can be nerve racking before, during, and after the performance because there are no stops or redos, and it can be hard when you're trying to remember so many things at once. Everyone made at least one mistake during the performance, but it’s how they grow from that. Jackson Carter the Band Captain said on how the individuals can improve, “We listened to tapes, we were talking about how certain individuals need to start stepping up their performance themselves like with all of their basic marching and stuff so it all comes down to the individual at this point.”

​The atmosphere at the competition had a great impact on the band members as stated by Alyssa Menendez, the Drum Major in the band, “[The atmosphere] was really fun. We got to see a variety of bands… They had a lot of cool shops and places to eat. It was a little hot though; they had no shade anywhere.”

Alyssa also did very well at the competition, she placed 1st in Class AA out of 3 bands, and overall she placed 10th out of 19 bands total.

The Marching Band is doing great so far. This past Saturday was just a glimpse at the potential they have.