The Golden Regiment Marching Band traveled 35 miles to Mount Olive High School, where the band won fourth place out of nine other bands.
On Saturday, Oct. 31, the Golden Regiment performed their show “Marian: The Ladyhood of the Sherwood Forest.” In the show, the roles of Robin Hood and Lady Marian are reversed, displaying Marian as the real hero of the story. The performance showcased solos from senior Tyler Crowl and junior Charlotte Lilly. The band had a score of 83.3 and Crowl was proud of how he is leaving the band.
“It’s definitely something to be proud of as far as placement and score goes,” Crowl said. “But it’s more than that. It’s not just getting a placement and it’s not just getting a score. It’s a performance we can feel proud of. We did very well for ourselves, and that’s what matters, that we did a good job for what we’re capable of, and we worked hard and put a good performance out there.”
Not only did the Golden Regiment score high but the band earned director Thomas Hayden’s highest placement in states. Hayden has watched many performances that the Golden Regiment has displayed over the years and after the performance he already knew that there was something different.
“We knew that was the best the show could have been,” Hayden said. “My feeling walking off of the field after our performance was like, ‘I don’t remember ever feeling that way after a performance.'”
The road to states was not an easy road. The Golden Regiment practices tirelessly from late night rehearsals to football games to competitions, and the ensemble never backed down and always increased their score. The band received scores and feedback that allowed them to get this amazing result at states.
Crowl explained that the score does not define the ensemble. The score only reflects how the band has grown through the season, symbolized through numbers.
“I hope [the band] can learn that they are really great and they did a fantastic job, but there’s always room to grow and improve as a musician and an ensemble.” Drum major Maya Sliver said.
Even though the band season is over, the marching band is still performing in the stands at the football games. The ensemble is already gearing up for next year too.
“Registration opens in the spring,” Hayden said. “Come be part of next year’s [season.]”
