CVHS Falcons marching band completes a stellar season reflecting hard work and earning accolades.

Contributed by Marla POTTER

After four parade reviews, six field show competitions, 12 football games and countless hours of practice, Crescenta Valley High School’s marching band 2011 season is coming to a close.

Parade reviews, as well as field show competitions, are an exercise in marching precision as well as musicality. The CVHS Falcon marching band improved dramatically in both of these areas during the season. At their first band review at the Azusa Golden Days Parade, the band took second place in their division, the highest score for the first band review of any season in the history of the school.

Each year the band creates a theme for their field show competitions. This year the theme was “Up – The Spirit of Adventure” featuring music from the Pixar Movie, “Up.” The band performed the selections “Spirit of Adventure,” “Hungarian Rhapsody No. 2,” “Russell like Fine Whine,” “Seizing the Spirit of Adventure” and “We’re in the Club Now.”

The end of the field show season culminated on Nov. 12 at the Granada Hills Highlander competition. The Falcons created a strong visual and musical story on the field, earning them the highest level Sweepstakes Award in percussion, auxiliary (color guard), drum major, visual and band.

The band is under the direction of CVHS Music Director Mat Schick who was named the Crescenta Valley Chamber of Commerce Educator of the Year. Many under his tutelage attribute the success of the band to his patience, talent and perseverance and acknowledge also the efforts of Mac Wright, this year’s drum major.

“I am proud of all the hard work which was put into the show and am pleased by the results.  We’ve spent three months and over 160 hours working on the show in the blazing heat, misty mornings and freezing evenings.  Those kids had to memorize over seven minutes worth of music and learn almost a 100 pages of drill,” Schick said. “Few bands compete in both Band Reviews (Parade Marches) and Field shows.  We were able to earn five sweepstake trophies in our field show from The Granada Hills High Field Show Tournament (the highest scores in various categories out of 29 bands), and third place out of nine bands at the 58th Annual prestigious Arcadia Band Review.”

The marching band is preparing now for the Montrose Christmas parade on Saturday, Dec. 3. They will also be part of the CV Music Department winter concert on Friday, Dec. 7 at 7 p.m. at the school’s MacDonald Auditorium.

The entire music department, including the jazz band and symphony band, will be performing holiday favorites. Admission is $1 for students, $5 for adults.

The auditorium is located at 4400 Ramsdell Ave. in La Crescenta.

  Marla Potter