Band to compete in new circuit

The marching band, shown practicing under the direction of drum major Isabel McPherson, will compete in a new circuit this year.

With a new season comes a new circuit for the marching band. Despite past participation in the Western Band Association (WBA) circuit, this year it is competing in the Marching Band Open Series (MBOS).

Band director Seth Jones had originally planned for the band to participate in Bands of America, yet another circuit. But this plan dissolved when Saratoga’s division in Bands of America didn’t have enough competitors and was cancelled. By the time of the cancellation it was too late to join their old circuit again, so they decided to join MBOS.

While their show’s theme “In the Beginning” was originally created for participation in BoA, they are optimistic about the show’s success in MBOS.

“I was so excited when we were told that we were going to BoA,” senior drum major Isabel McPherson said. “It’s the level every band aspires to be at. I was bummed when it was cancelled, but now I realize it’s good to change it up every so often.”

Many students are unsure of how to feel about this new circuit.

“We’re used to competing against Amador Valley and Homestead High Schools, but right now I don’t even know which schools we’re competing against,” senior mellophone player Connie Wang said.

The new circuit also means that the band is now placed in a different division, the Sapphire Classification, which includes any band with more than 100 members. Before, the band was in the 5A Division, the largest, which only allowed bands with over 140 members. Band members are bittersweet about the change.

“We will have more people to compete against in the new division,” Wang said, “but I will also miss my friends at Amador Valley and Homestead who we have been competing with for the past few years. Now, we won’t see them as much.”

The competitions, however, are not limited to MBOS shows. The marching band will compete in some Northern California Band Association shows, but will go to MBOS’s championships in Chino Hills the weekend of Nov. 12.

“Something I don’t think a lot of people realize about this circuit is that SoCal has some amazing bands,” McPherson said. “The competition will most likely be fiercer than it was in WBA. We just need to make sure the threat of the exponentially harder competition always drives [the band] towards excellence.”