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Coppell High School Band students know the true meaning of hard work and dedication.
Sometimes they know it can pay off big like last year when they won the bronze medal at the 5A UIL State Marching Contest.
And sometimes it is just about enjoying the ride and becoming better musicians in the process.
The marching season, which officially started Aug. 3 with band camp and twice a day rehearsals, culminated Oct. 24 with the final competition of the season at the Bands of America Super Regional Championships in San Antonio.
The final marathon weekend of competition started with the usual Friday afternoon rehearsal and then continued with performing at the halftime of the CHS football game at Flower Mound Marcus.
The band was allowed to leave after halftime so students could go home for a couple of hours to get ready for the trip to San Antonio. Then six charter buses hauling about 300 band students and 30 chaperones left CHS at 2 a.m. Saturday.
The students got a brief rest on the bus before having to stop at a high school outside of Austin for yet another rehearsal at 6 a.m.
Then it was a short drive to the Alamodome in San Antonio for the BOA performance at 10:45 a.m. And some eight minutes after that it was all over.
“The band performed a fantastic show at BOA San Antonio,” said head drum major Arnold Hechanova. “It was definitely something I, and the rest of the band, can be proud of and will remember for the rest of our lives.”
The CHS Band earned 15th place out of 50 bands competing in the contest and missed making the finals by .2 of a point.
CHS head band director Scott Mason also said the band had a great performance.
Hearing the band play so strong in the Alamodome was the highlight of the contest for him.
“Most of the music judges said we had an unbelievable music performance,” Mason said, adding that the toughest part for the Coppell band at BOA competitions is the emphasis that is placed on the visual elements in the show.
“We work all year long on musical elements no matter what contest it is,” he said . “There is a great deal of cost added to your show when you decide to go with more of a visual emphasis.”
The CHS Band competes in the BOA San Antonio contest every other year when it is not competing in the UIL State Marching Contest.
Daniel Sanchez, who covered the BOA competition for TxBands.com as a moderator, apparently agreed about the band playing strong.
“This isn't just loud. This is pure and utter raw power being exuded through the instruments,” Sanchez blogged about the CHS Band. “Everything about this show is just pushing power and fullness and richness,” he said.
This year’s marching show is called “Shades of Victory” and the music is by Ottorino Respighi. The music incorporates images of festival, darkness and light and victory and defeat.
With the competition in San Antonio over, Hechanova said it is unfortunate that the band won’t get to perform the marching show again.
“However, we still have quite a few games left which means we have lots of fun and entertaining new music to learn and play in the stands,” he said. “We also get to cheer on our Cowboys as they make their way through the playoffs.”
The playoffs will mark the official end of the 2009 marching season and also for the bulk of Hechanova’s duties as drum major – a position he’s held for two years.
Leading one of the state’s largest marching bands has been quite an experience for Hechanova.
“There's a lot of pressure in being the leader of such a large group of people,” he said. “But that's the great thing about it; you get to work with some of your best friends in achieving such a lofty goal.”
The most important lesson he’s learned from being drum major for two years is how to work with people.
“What's great about band is you get to work with a great variety of personalities. From the innocent freshmen to the all-knowing seniors, you can't work with everyone the same way,” Hechanova said.
“To unify and inspire 300 students into doing their very best is a hefty challenge. This is a life lesson very few students get to learn in their high school careers,” he added.
Hechanova was assisted by senior assistant drum major David Dreier and junior assistant drum majors Violet Coker and Emily Hyslop.
