Color guards gracefully dance onto the field in turquoise and green to a minimalist tune. All of a sudden, the music stops and a drum beat starts.
A fast-rising tone from the horns fill the air as the section marches onto the field in united beat with the drummers. The crowd begins to cheer as the sweet music of the band reaches their ears.
This is the 33rd annual Rampage, one of the biggest band events in Southern California, which took place at College of the Canyons on Saturday.
Thirty-five bands from different schools made up of 3,000 performers competed for the winning trophy as around 9,000 spectators watched over them.
“(The band) creates a common bond and common goal for everyone to work hard for,” said Anthony Bailey, the director of bands at William S. Hart High School, which has been Rampage’s host school since its inception.
The winner was decided by nine different judges who each scored the bands on different aspects of their performance such as percussion, color guard, visuals and more.
Bailey was proud that Hart High School has garnered the highest score for most of the 17 years he has been the director. They even won 12 state championships in that time.
Every band’s performance was based off a different theme and bitter-sweet symphony was the theme of Hart’s performance this year.
“This year, we wanted to go real simple and just create imagery that is music,” said Bailey.
Although being part of a marching band such as Hart High School involves a lot more than just making music, as 16-year-old Eduardo Perez, one of two leaders of the clarinet section, pointed out.
“Together, we make sure the clarinets are working cohesively,” he said. “It’s just helping others while I can learn from them at the same time.”
He said through working together, the band members can discover a new family and sense of belonging.
“(Kids) can find solace even if they don’t find it at home in a group of friends that can later become family,” he said.
“Band’s all about working together, (and being) a team, a family.”
Austin Westfall/ The Signal
