Marching to Greatness

On Saturday, September 21, our marching band competed in the showcase of the year, performing top tier in front of judges and a live audience. This festival brings people from all over to our beautiful valley each year. Thirteen schools competed in the 47th annual competition, and Palisade was one of the standouts. Avery McCouch, a senior who has been involved in the band for the past two years of high school, states: “We did pretty good, our first performance was better than our second but I’m proud of it.” Avery plays trumpet in the band and has shown her commitment by working her way up to co-section leader. The show is called “Darkest Before Dawn” and includes a handful of notorious songs such as You Are my Sunshine, Gotham’s Reckoning, and a mashup between King of Pride Rock and the Circle of Life. Compared to last year’s performance, Avery has to say this one was just as good if not better. “We usually always do good when it comes to performing, it’s just Palisade’s thing.” The marching band practices everyday after school for an average of two hours, perfecting their craft. The work they put into practice showed in their performance, as they got first place in the 3A division. “I love the connection the whole band has, we feel like a family. I also love having the opportunity to show off all our hard work,” Avery said. As judges tallied these scores, the CMU Maverick Stampede performed before the results were announced which was also a great way to see what college marching band has to offer. The end goal for the band, like always, is to make it to State. Unfortunately, COWest isn’t the determining factor to make it to Denver, but the Bulldogs are still ready to march 110% to perfection. The band has regionals in mid-October and the score they earn there determines if they go to state. If you still haven’t watched the mesmerizing performance, don’t worry! Come support our fellow Bulldogs at the next football game!