By Ting Lian and Sophia Shin
Attention! Horns up! Set! As the summer’s final strife of heat drives up, it’s Marching Band season once more.
This year, the Westmont Warrior Marching Regiment prepares another spectacular show, Every Which Way – composed by Gary P. Gilroy and choreographed by Ryan Schlieper. The group welcomed 8 newcomers this year for a total of 34 members.
Here’s a message from our drum major, Maria Piskyuleva, a senior (who is amazing in every which way), about her experience of being part of this regiment.
“Being a part of the marching band makes me feel like I’m part of something bigger than myself. It has helped me feel much more connected to student life at Westmont, while giving me the opportunity to branch out, meet new people, and build lasting relationships. Marching band has also pushed me outside of my comfort zone, building my confidence and helping me grow into a more outgoing person.
Over the past few years, I’ve put a lot of effort into making marching band a positive and meaningful experience for everyone involved. Becoming drum major felt like an opportunity to take that commitment a step further, where I can make an even greater impact on the program–not only for the members who are part of it today, but also for future students. I hope to use this position to make a positive difference in the music department as a whole and help strengthen the sense of community within it. Ultimately, my goal is to create an experience that others can value and cherish just as much as I do.
I care about this band a lot more than I probably let on, and I’m really grateful for everyone who’s been a part of it and for all the experiences we’ve shared together.”
No marching band is complete without a color guard ensemble, so be assured that color guard captain Daria Egorova and co-captain Capri Cataldo will lead an elaborate (in every which way) choreography.
Q: How do you feel about this show, Every Which Way?
Daria: I like this a lot, it is a better show than my freshman year. I think this is gonna be [a] very movement-wise thing, we’re gonna go back and forth a lot, [with] really cool flag work and stuff.
Q: What do you look forward to this season, with the new guardies?
Daria: I’m looking forward to teaching [the new guardies], the fun of being in marching band and having fun at competitions, football games, and just building a bigger bond among the band.
Q: Why did you join Color Guard?
Capri: It just looked really fun to me, it looked like something I’d really enjoy, you know, I like dance, so at the start I was like, “Ooh let me incorporate this cool looking flag work,” and also I had friends on the team and stuff – they really inspired me to join.
Q: What would you tell newcomers who are joining marching band this year?
Capri: I would tell them to stay motivated – even though it can be hard sometimes – [in order] to really see the result in the end and find the bigger picture.
Here’s one of the flute/piccolo players’ thoughts on marching band.
Q: Why did you join Marching Band?
Ting Lian: For me, it was sort of an impulse decision, I was pretty bored, and music has always been something that I did regardless of if I was good at it or if anyone cared. Might as well get credit for it. There definitely was a lot of doubt in my abilities when I joined marching band, haha. But we ball I guess.
Q: If you could choose any show to perform, what would it be?
Ting: I would love to see any Kpop song as a show. Stray Kids and Aespa’s discography would make an epic show!
Thank you to everyone who took part in the interviews!
Please support and look forward to the marching band’s performances! They promise a mesmerizing, enthralling, and captivating show, in every which way.
Below is the Westmont Warrior Marching Regiment’s performance schedule (they are also present as Pep band at all football games):
October 3rd: Feste Del Mar at Del Mar High School
November 7: Hollister High School Competition
TBD: Leigh Benefit Show at Leigh High School
November 14: WBA Regional Championships at James Logan High School