It’s that time of year again—marching band season for the district’s Marching Knights of Sewanhaka! Another year with new members, new costumes, a new theme, and another chance to compete for first place at the New York State Field Band Championships. The band is already off to a promising start, with more members than ever before in the district band’s history. 

     The competitive marching band has just completed their second competition this past weekend at Copiague High School. As mentioned, the show’s theme this year is pirates which means bandanas, island props, and buried treasure. The students from all five schools have been more determined than ever to work hard and improve their scores. For those unfamiliar with competitive marching bands, each band presents a show with around three to four movements that tells a story based on a theme. They are adjudicated based on their music, their visuals (the shapes and forms the band makes), and their marching, specifically their technique and synchronization with each other and the tempo of the music. In New York State, bands compete at local competitions in preparation for the State Championships at Syracuse University. 

    For the past three years the band has placed in the top three of the state and are aiming for first this year. While the band didn’t receive the score they were hoping for this weekend they had the opportunity to have fun and get comfortable performing in front of a large crowd. Superintendent Ms.Regina Agrusa came and watched the show and offered a few words of encouragement after the performance. She said that the hard work of the band was evident and she was amazed that when looking at everyone’s faces, she could tell they were having fun and were proud of the show. The championship is still a month away, and the band has many rehearsals and competitions remaining to improve.  

   Dead Men Tell No Tales” by Gary P. Gilroy is this year’s show. It is a story that follows the band as they search for treasure after landing on an unknown island. The band follows the show through 4 movements: “Ghost Ship,” “Fog Dance,” “…And a Bottle of Rum,” and “Treasure Sunken.” Additionally, the story is developed with the new props, costumes, and flags used by the band. They ditched their typical shirt uniforms and replaced them with coffee dyed shirts, bandanas, and sashes giving them the appearance of bedraggled sailors. Props including palm trees, and rocks were bought from the professional DCI band, The White Sabers, and they are just the right touches to make the field seem like an island. Overall, the band is on the right track to tell a thorough story with their music.

  While the MKOS are a competitive band at their core, they also offer a unique opportunity for students to learn and gain valuable experiences. Students can learn leadership skills, how to read music, how to form new friendships, and work towards a common goal. For those considering joining, it’s important to know how large of a commitment it is. The band practices six hours a week and has a competition about every weekend. Nevertheless, the same kids return every year to compete and try to improve because they love it. If you ask any of the members about the band you can see their faces light up as they describe it. They are a tight knit community and you can just tell how much it means to everyone involved. Even the parents are dedicated to helping the students perform their best. They help run fundraisers and show up to every competition not only to support from the stands but also to load and unload instruments and equipment. 

 With only four local competitions remaining before the Championships, the band must stay focused and continue receiving support from FPM and other schools in the district to succeed.. Anyone interested in attending a competition to support the band should follow their instagram @schsd.march for more information.