SBHS band takes second in nationals
By Senior Anushka Desai, Viking Vibe Staff
On Nov. 15, The South Brunswick Vikings Marching Band competed at Metlife Stadium with hundreds of other marching bands at the US Bands National Championships.
The marching band won second place, losing by a .037 margin.
Some band members felt this precise scoring was unfair, but others decided to focus on the bigger picture.
“The band should be proud of what we accomplished regardless of what a panel of judges thinks of us,” said senior drum major Aarona Fong.
Virginia Kraft, marching band director, added that given the band’s level of competition and large size, the students are often the last to compete at night.
“They have to compete very late at night, sometimes with 26 degree temperatures at 11 p.m.,” said Ms. Kraft, “So it’s a question of doing the show well and fighting the elements.”
Ms. Kraft added that the audience was captivated by their performance, giving SBHS a standing ovation.
“The show was amazing and fantastic,” said senior bass clarinet player Aparna Seshadri, “No trophy could measure just how great we were.”
This year for the marching band was different due to their newest director, Steven Cooney.
Fong commented that “Mr. Cooney learned how to work with the band and vice versa so we grew better together as a band.”
Ms. Kraft added how proud she was of the marching band students.
“Every year and every show is different because the band’s makeup of students changes each year. This group had their own unique personality,” she said, “They were a great group of people to work with. They all worked for the same goal.”
At the end of the season the marching band also competed in Group VI Open State Championship. It won, for the second year in a row, which means that SBHS still remain undefeated.
“Overall the marching band had a great season. It was tough because we had such high expectations to live up to, but we succeeded in performing our best at every competition,” said Fong.
This season, the marching band performed the unique piece, “Vertigo”.
“I think (the piece) was really interesting because of the ladders,” said Ms. Kraft, referring to the props used, “We always try different things.”
Senior Chelsea Anglin added that overall she enjoyed playing this season.
“I think that we did great and I loved everything about it. It was a fantastic way to finish off my senior year,” she said.