Puget Sound Festival of Bands
After a lot of hard work and help from the community, it is happy to say the Cadet marching band successfully fundraised $10,000 in order to go to their last competition. They could not have done it without the help from band parents, the Davis marching band, and the community. Puget Sound Festival of Bands was a competition to remember.
This was not an easy competition for them. They had to face the challenge of rain throughout the entire day. Setting up tents to keep members, staff, and volunteers dry and out of the rain. This will have been the first time since 2022 that they will have had to manage to perform while it is raining. They managed to persevere through it all. The band went into their last competition with the intention of having fun. It wasn't until October 15th that it was told to everyone they'd be going to their last competition, being able to go brought immense joy.
The band got lucky with almost no rain during their preliminary performance. They had a 2 hour break before they had to go to the preliminary retreat. During that time, members were able to go up to the stadium to watch other bands perform or explore the nearby area. The band regrouped at camp before they all headed up to Everett Memorial Stadium to watch retreat. They placed 4th in open class or 4A, with a score of 79.18 out of 100. They were 5th place overall during prelims.
The band had until 5:45 pm to get ready for their final performance. During their downtime, the seniors received a gift from one of their techs, Brad. The band was also given dinner made by band parents. They warmed up for an hour before it was time for them to take the field. One last salute, and it was go time. This would be the last time they’d be performing their show, “The Circle.” In the end, they placed 5th, with a score of 78.18 out of 100. They couldn't be prouder of their work. After asking a few seniors, one thing was for certain: they’ve grown as a band. The class of 2025 recalls chanting “not last place” their freshman year. Now, they expect top 5 no matter what. Their progress was built from the very beginning. Starting fresh with a new-to-Ike band director their freshman year, to gaining a new band director on top of the previous, to gaining another band director while saying goodbye to the first.
Here's what the band directors have to say:
Ms. Pierce: The Puget Sound Festival of Bands was the perfect way to cap off our marching band season. We earned a well-earned fifth place, as we encountered many changes and worked through many challenges. I enjoyed crafting our performance on the field each week, watching friendships form amongst the band members, and collaborating with Mr. Millett and the rest of the marching staff! I am super proud of the work everyone put into the season!
Mr. Millet: I am extremely pleased with the effort, performance, and perseverance of all marching band, color guard, and student assistants who participated in the program this year. Although this year I was the “new guy,” students in the program made me feel like part of the team. Working alongside Ms. Pierce and the marching staff, we experienced the developmental journey students had on the field and in the classroom. We saw their improvement and maturation in real-time. As they developed their show and locked in, they ended their season, placing in the top 5 bands against great competition. I couldn’t be more proud of their accomplishments! As we push forward to our next concerts, I will bring with me the memories made during our trips together. What an amazing group of students I get to work with.
