After several challenging seasons, FHN’s marching band is hitting a new high this year. With plenty of practice and hard work, the band’s improvements have paid off on the field.
“In our first competition we got second place overall, and in our second competition we got first place overall,” senior Amir Abunaembh said after the group’s second competition. “We just keep getting better and better.”
That steady improvement has become the band’s biggest area of pride this season. After the recent competition in DeSoto, the band got first place in their division, best score overall, and five outstanding awards. What started as small progress in rehearsals has turned into grand results on the field.
“Everybody’s actually taking it more seriously than the past few years and that’s why we’re getting first place in a lot of our competitions,” Abunaembh said.
The shift in focus has been one of the most significant differences in the marching band this year over past years. According to Ryan Curtis, the band director at FHN, some changes in the system could take part in the improvements.
“With this show, we have a slightly different style of marching than we’ve had in the past, which might be a little bit easier to communicate those ideas to the audience and the judges like it a bit better,” Curtis said.
Several students shared that while the new marching style took some time to adjust to, it ultimately brought the group closer together and made them feel more unified during performances.
“If we didn’t have any of the friendships we do, or any teamwork, we wouldn’t do good at all,” Abunaembh said.
With contributions from the band teacher, the students, and the team as a whole, students and teachers say FHN’s marching band has improved remarkably.
“I just try to put them in a position where they can be successful, if that means adjusting practice or parts to make sure that what they do they can do well,” Curtis said.
