Bearden band swept the 3A division last month at the Peach State Marching Festival, and color guard and drum majors achieved first overall, regardless of division.
Under head drum major junior Jenna Easley, Bearden’s halftime show “Mirage” showcased unprecedented visual and musical effects.
“In a way, this was a test year, with all of the new visual aspects we included,” Easley said.
This new experience put new and returning band members on an even playing field, which senior color guard captain Nicci Smith said impacted the band’s newfound drive.
“There was a willingness to fight and try something new,” she said.
All the band’s honors made for a fitting end to competition season.
“I really enjoyed seeing all of the improvement as head drum major,” Easley said.
“It was cool seeing the sections take what they learned and apply it during competition.”
Prior to the advent of marching season, the annual “band camp” – a week-long series of practices – held the student musicians to a standard of excellence.
“[The seniors] have set a standard of what is to be expected, and I think we are leaving [the band] in a place to continue growing,” Smith said. “Don’t think about it as, I have 30 minutes until I get to leave, think of it as, I have 30 more minutes to get better.”
Establishing an expectation of near perfection led the band to success in the latter half of the season. The band’s competition results trended upward going into the Peach State competition.
Easley said this underdog mentality was beneficial to the group’s performance in their final competition.
“We don’t see most of those schools regularly, so they didn’t expect us to perform as well as we did,” she said.
“I think that if we can start applying what we learned this season earlier next season, it would be really beneficial to us. We saw a lot of really good bands this year and will use it as our motivation going into next season.”