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Performing their feature, Suhaan Ferris ‘26, Kieran Beltran ‘26, and Sterling Vaughn ‘27 play towards the audience. Each member of the trio had to go through an audition process at the beginning of the season to earn the part.
Courtesy of WABB Volunteer
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Playing marimba during the 4-hour hour rehearsal, Tanner Dean ‘28 focuses on making sure he is playing in time. During March-A-Thon, the band directors experimented with tempo during part two to make the music flow better.
Courtesy of WABB Volunteer
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The mellophone and trumpet sections play and perform part two of their marching show Red. March-A-Thon was the first time the band performed part one and two together for an audience.
Courtesy of WABB Volunteer
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Performing with his rifle, Michael Flagg ‘28 performs for the March-A-Thon crowd. March-A-Thon was the bands first time performing in uniform.
Courtesy of WABB Volunteer
With bright stadium lights shining down on the field, the Westwood Warrior Marching Band hit the final pose of their show, Red. Their performance of parts one and two of the show marked the end of the band’s annual March-A-Thon fundraiser on Saturday, Sept. 16 at the Kelly Reeves Athletic Complex.
The band members had a fully scheduled day, with four hours of rehearsal, followed by dinner before the evening’s performance. The event was attended by alumni, sponsors, parents, and other attendees.
“March-A-Thon was a really good practice for a competition,” Noah Revelett ‘26 said. “It was really special getting to perform for my parents and friends that came back to watch after they graduated.”
During the rehearsal, students worked on their competitive show, Red, mainly focusing on cleaning the forms and running parts one and two without a metronome.
“The drum majors are basically the heartbeat of the band and keep us in time,” Jillian Riethmiller ‘27 said. “It’s important that we are always watching them to keep time or subdividing when we can’t see the drum major.”
After rehearsal ended, the students had a short amount of time to put on their uniform, put their hair up in neat show buns, and eat dinner. It was the first time students wore their show uniform for the season.
“I think our first run with uniforms made me envision how great our show is gonna be this year,” Riethmiller said. “When you’re just in regular clothes at rehearsal, you give it your all, but there’s something special about looking the same, and being cohesive as a group that you wouldn’t really get when not in uniform.”
As the stadium began to fill with audience members, seventh and eighth graders from Grisham and Canyon Vista arrived for a brief rehearsal and to meet the high schoolers. This annual tradition allows the younger band students to experience what marching band is and get excited for their future.
