On Saturday, October 21st, the Halifax Wildcat Marching Band placed 1st at the USBands Pennsylvania State Championships in Downingtown, earning their first state championship title. While this accomplishment marked the end of a phenomenal season, the staff in charge of the marching band knew very early on that something was different about this group of students.
"By the end of the first day of band camp back in early August, I knew right away that this was going to be a good year for us." said Mr. David Eagleson, director of the marching band. "The focus that the students demonstrated, from our veterans to the newest members, and the way that they worked together and lifted each other up, really set the tone for the entire year."
The Halifax Marching Band season officially begins in early August each year as the students come together for their annual Band Camp. From 9:00am to 8:00pm every day for a week, the students are at the school learning essential skills such as marching, playing, leadership, teamwork, and how to forge a community. This week of camp is where the majority of the show is learned, and prepares the group for the season ahead.
Each year, the Halifax Wildcat Marching Band staff meets to create the show itself. Planning for the next season begins a week or two after the end of the current year. From selecting music, to designing props, costumes, and programming electronics, the staff spends months working to set the group up for success. Their show this year, titled, "Eye of the Hurricane" featured music by Luke McMillan, Simon & Garfunkel, and AC/DC, and told the story of a passenger lost at sea in a storm. It featured a color guard solo by 7th grade student Elizabeth Swigart, as well as a flute duet performed by seniors Sydney Teeters and Lylah Buffington.
In addition to performing at Friday night football games, the marching band also competes against other marching bands throughout the fall as part of the USBands circuit. At their first competition, the group placed 2nd in their class with a score of 77.9. Not only was this their highest season-opening score, but it was also the highest score that the Halifax Wildcat Marching Band had achieved overall in the last three years. "We had a completely different approach this year, and believed in our ability to do it," said sophomore, Nina Goodling.
As the band continued through their competition schedule and continued to see their score improve each week, they continued to be pushed by their instructors. Students were challenged to step out of their comfort zone, try new things, and work harder than they had before. First-year member Quinn Wright had this to say: "It was more difficult than I expected, but also more rewarding. I wasn't prepared for how much our practices would push me. There were times where I'd get upset or frustrated, but at the same time I had a good experience, and I'm proud of all of our success this year."
On October 21st, the students traveled to Downingtown, PA to compete for the Pennsylvania State Championship. Their division, known as II-A, was made up of five total schools with between 30-50 members. Not only did the students come away in 1st place, winning their division, but they also received the caption award for Best Music, meaning their music score specifically was the highest in the division. “It feels amazing to see how far we’ve come. Three years ago, I would’ve never dreamed we could have accomplished something like this,” said drum major, Natalie Scott.
When asked if he had any final thoughts, Mr. Eagleson had this to say:
"When I took over the marching band program here at Halifax three years ago, we were coming out of COVID-19 and down to 20 members. Our biggest challenge was changing the culture of this activity; making sure that it was a positive environment where students wanted to be. We've worked extremely hard at building relationships and establishing marching band as something that students truly want to be a part of which has resulted in our competitive success and seeing our numbers double. Honestly, the biggest reason for our success has been not only the phenomenal individuals we have on staff, but our dedicated student leaders who have truly built this program back up. I am incredibly proud of these students, not just because they won a state championship, but because they have continuously been willing to put in the work to be part of something greater than themselves."