ONWARD MARCH: Greyhound Band aims for another state year

(Photo by Angelica Chavez)
Senior members of the San Benito High School Marching Band are shown at the band hall during picture day on Friday.

By HEATHER CATHLEEN COX
Staff Writer
reporter@sbnewspaper.com

While many of the rest of us have been enjoying our hot summer days at the beach or with friends, members of the San Benito High School Greyhound Band have been practicing 14-hour days in hopes of securing their place at the state competition this year.

Of their upcoming show, SBHS Band Director Mark Perea said, “Our show this year is called ‘What a Tangled Web We Weave,” and it is loosely based on spiders.

Perea expressed that this year, the Greyhound Band is the largest it’s ever been. With over 250 on the field in marching band and over 300 students in the band program this school year, Perea said, “This is a good problem to have.”

Perea explained that sometimes, bands with too few students cannot participate at advanced levels of competition. “Usually, bands in the Valley can’t compete because they are too small,” he said. With enthusiasm, Perea added that he feels “we have a really good shot at going to state this year. Our likelihood of advancement…is better than ever before.”

“This is the farthest ahead we’ve ever been,” Perea said. “And with Band Preview this weekend, out of all the other organizations at (SBHS), we have the most rigorous rehearsal schedules.” Practicing 14-hours a day five days a week and some Saturdays, band members are definitely aiming to be prepared to bring their A-game this year.

Further improvements noted by Perea include a higher level of parent involvement. “Parent involvement is helping heal a broken Band Booster,” he said.

Additionally, Perea asks the community to “come to games to support the band. Your support is really a morale builder for (the students),” he said. “The more support we have generates an amount of ‘talking about’ San Benito.” He said the ‘talk’ can actually assist in building hype around the band if and when they proceed to state.

Perea wanted to note that there ‘are a lot of good kids’ in band. He feels band “occupies so much of students’ time, it doesn’t leave time for (their participation) in unwanted activity…. I really feel (being in band) can show them how to be disciplined for life.”

The Greyhound Band would like to invite everyone out to their Band Preview at Bobby Morrow Stadium at 8 p.m. Saturday to see what they’ve been working on since July 23.