The Eaton Marching Band hosted a competition at the High School, and 15 different bands attended. This was their first competition, and they have three more competitions not including state. Starting practice back in the summer, the practice seems to be paying off, and they will continue the hard work up to state. The band has had a great start to the season.
The competition is separated into scoring divisions, due to a mix of classification between schools. Mr Corneliusen, the band director, said, “We took 2nd in 2A and 3rd place overall which is a great showing for our first competition this year. We will have some good competition with other 2A schools who are working just as hard as we are this year.” It’s clear Corneliusen has strong faith that the season will go well.
Undoubtedly though, a great teacher is the cause of a great season. Corneliusen, in his third year of being the marching band director, has been staying busy this year. “It’s always one of my favorite times of the year. I really enjoy the marching band season, even with how busy it is, because I get to see our band students so often, and because we’re working towards the completion and refinement of one big cohesive show.” said Corneliusen. But he didn’t become a teacher to just lead a marching band. He is passionate about teaching students, and seeing how they express themselves. “I love being able to see students express themselves in such beautiful ways through music. I really enjoy that our band (and music department) is one big family – most classes and teams don’t get as much of that as we are able to in the music world. I am really passionate about making the arts (and music) accessible to everyone, regardless of their background. I really enjoy teaching young beginners, intermediate/advanced musicians, and even adults who want to put the effort into bettering themselves. I think music is a powerful tool to unify people in a society that’s otherwise pretty divided,” he said. But this season doesn’t come without its struggles. Corneliusen said, “Some of the biggest difficulties I think I face throughout the year is just the busyness of the schedule and doing as much as we do. It’s a busy year – marching and pep band in the summer and fall, honor band auditions in the fall and winter, pep band in the winter and spring, and honor band performances in the spring… not to mention our own yearly concerts, rehearsals, and other events that we host here!” Corneliusen said. A busy season, to be sure, but that’s sure to make the season interesting and never tedious.
Marching band is a very unique sport, in the sense that competitions aren’t really all that competitive. Corneliusen said, “That’s the beauty of these marching band competitions – we can’t control how well or poorly the other bands will do, we’re just excited to see what they’re creating out on the field to show the public. I think if we continue to push further this year and realize the only people holding us back are ourselves, we’re going to be a real contender for higher & higher scores and maybe even a school record.” Gathering motivation from improvement rather than competitiveness, the team strives to keep growing, keep going, and be the best they can be. The Eaton Marching Band is going to Wyoming October 5th, so be sure to show your support!
