The Marist War Eagle Marching Band has finished a record-breaking competition season, having won numerous awards for their visual and musical efforts on the field.
In late July 2023 they began to learn and refine this year’s halftime show, which features the music of the Police, including the songs “Message in a Bottle,” “Roxanne,” “Every Breath You Take,” “Synchronicity II,” and “Every Little Thing She Does is Magic.” While memorizing music, they also took to the soccer fields to mark down drill and perfect marching technique.
The marching band performed for thousands of people this season, broadcasted on television and during football games and competitions, of which they attended two: Blue Ridge Mountain Marching Festival at Fannin County High School and the Southern Invitational Music Festival at Sprayberry High School.
They received first place in the visual effect and drum major categories, second overall in their division, and fifth overall in the entire competition, which hosted bands over ten times their size.
The results of the spectacular season have come at an important time for the marching band, especially after the passing of their longtime Band Director Mark Craddock, last June.
Leading the band for over thirty years, Craddock’s loss was a devastating blow to the morale of the band, but thanks to the brazen persistence of Band Directors Aaron Schmitt and Ben Barber, the band was able to make this season one of the most successful in years.
If you are a student seeking a welcoming, creative, and friendly environment, marching band may be the place for you! Whether or not you have prior musical talent, we’d love to see you marching, tossing flags, or jamming out on the stage with the rock band.
As for next season, the marching band has even bigger and better plans. “Marching Band will continue to pile on success next year,” Schmitt said. Schmitt also emphasized the program’s desire to “prove to our entire community that we’re able to punch well above our weight at competitions and games.”
