Cypress High School’s band and pageantry competed in the Placentia Band Review and the Kennedy Field Tournament on October 19, 2024, marking the start of their competitive season.
On the streets of Placentia, The Sound in Motion performed “The Centurion” by Dave Martyn. The band got 4th place out of all Class B bands with a score of 88.55. Colorguard won Auxiliary Sweepstakes with a score of 85.70.
At the Kennedy Field Tournament, the Sound in Motion competed in the 6A division along with Anaheim High School. Cypress High School took home first place awards for band, color guard, and percussion.
Pageantry Co-Captain Annika Kim (10) felt confident with her performances at Placentia and Kennedy. The team, coached by Andrew Padilla and Emily Troxel, is preparing for future performances. Kim shares her hopes for the season, “Trophies are great, but I want to see improvement.” She added, “Help others, because it’s a team effort.”
The band and pageantry competed at various locations in the following weeks, including at the Loara Band Review and Field Tournament, Irvine Field Tournament, and Bellflower Field Tournament. At the Second Annual Bellflower Field Tournament, held on November 6, the Sound in Motion performed their show “Unforgiven–A Western Saga,” and took home sweepstakes trophies for Band, Auxiliary, Percussion. They also won the High Music Award.
At parades, the band is led by Drum Major Julian Lopez (11). As the main spinner for the Sound in Motion, he hopes to improve. “Performing is a skill, as well as everything that comes before it,” he said. Lopez advises the band and pageantry to pay attention to their mindsets. He emphasizes, “A lot of people focus on how the other schools beat us… if you focus on how you’re going to beat yourself, then you’re going to do a lot better than other people. It’s not about other people, it’s about us. It’s about your performance and about how you do.”
Flute player Alyssa Punsalan (9) hopes to try her best this season. She emphasized how, “Preparing for the rest of the season takes a lot of dedication and commitment.” Along with sectionals and morning rehearsals, many members of the band and pageantry program have been practicing on their own time. Punsalan, who takes her instrument home to practice, shared, “Just remember that you can do anything if you keep trying.”
David Blackinton is a student teacher and visual staff for the Sound in Motion. Part of his job includes helping wind players with musical skills and technique, making sure there’s uniformity and clarity in how students march, and helping design and improve the show with other staff. As the field season ends, the Sound in Motion is getting ready for the second half of the year. Band has their concert season, while pageantry and percussion have their own competitive seasons. “Marching season is a very long process and at this point, it’s easy to lose focus. We are starting to work with some more minute and smaller musical details in the classroom, which we are able to do in the concert season,” Blackinton said. He reflects on the Sound in Motion’s competitions. “They showcase all of the students from band and pageantry…and it gives a good representation of who we are as a school and as a program,” As the season is wrapping up, Blackinton says that the band is, “working hard on…the fundamental building blocks of creating great music, and using those skills to express ourselves.”
The Sound in Motion’s season has started off strong. Both students and staff have been working hard, and are continuing to prepare for the rest of the year.
