Change for the better

The Licking Valley Marching Panthers have encountered a bump in the road with this year’s competition show. The band competed at a Regional Bands of America (BOA) event where they placed second in Class A. The Licking Valley Marching Panthers returned home and listened to the BOA judges’ tapes. After listening to the tapes and hearing the judges’ opinions, the band decided to start from the beginning and rewrite the show.

The changes are happening and happening fast. You may ask “what is changing?” According to the band kids, everything. Katy Selfe, a sophomore in the band, feels the changes at the beginning of the show “are necessary and will help [the band] do better at competitions. However, it is going to be challenging for [the band].” The members of the band are very determined to get the whole show done and well known before the next BOA event. This will take effort from every person in the band to succeed with this accomplishment.

With all of these changes, the question is, how is the band staying focused? Mirella Burghy, a sophomore in the band’s color guard, believes that the band is “not focusing because [making the changes] is stressful.” The band is hopeful throughout the changes. When asked if she thinks the show will be better, Selfe explained that “the show was very much like the heartbeat of a dying person. It was flat and boring with random spikes of awesomeness. With the changes, I think it will be more gradual and exciting overall. I believe in Mr.Bradley and if he says it’s gonna be good, I’m going to work my butt off to make that true.”

Overall the band is going into these changes staying optimistic and working hard to stay focused, but their skills will truly be tested at BOA Nationals in November.