In a time filled with student camaraderie, bonfires, trips to Steak n’ Shake, Kickin’ it with Kenny, and so much more, the Revere Marching Minutemen’s 2016 season appeared easygoing and fun. Aside from the festivities, endless hours of dedication and practice were essential to the weekly Friday night football games, as well as the weekend band competitions. To conclude the band’s fall season, the Marching Minutemen received the opportunity to attend the OMEA state competition.

Attending the state competition on November 4th, the Revere Marching Band received a superior rating at Brunswick High School. This is the second time Revere earned a superior rating at the state competition, the last received five years ago in 2011. In past seasons, the marching band has attended the state competition a total of thirteen times, as the qualifications to be invited to states requires at least one superior rating during the regular marching season. Although a school has the option to not attend the state competition, Revere has chosen to attend every time possible, with each year hoping to earn a superior rating.

Revere High School band director Darren LeBeau says the 2016 Marching Minutemen worked hard as a group in order to achieve their end goals. Each day, students critiqued and worked on their competition performance, “Let It Rain,” so that they were prepared when it became time to march. LeBeau says the judges enjoyed the new and current style the band depicted during the performance, the new cutting-edge acts, and the overall new aspect the band imposed. In the regular season, the Marching Minutemen will only perform this specific competition piece for the 2016 season.

“Let It Rain,” a depiction of a storm passing through, was supported through a series of sound effects and props, including weather advisories, rainbow umbrellas, and colorful flags. Emily Albert, a sophomore and woodwind band member at Revere High School, says she enjoyed competing in the performance.

“I thought our music sounded amazing . . . our body [the band’s dancing and choreography] looked great, and overall it looked really awesome,” Albert said.

Throughout the 2016 season, the Marching Minutemen worked extensively with this performance piece, starting as far back as August in band camp to learn the basics. For the highest preparedness, LeBeau says in addition to fifth period band class, the Minutemen worked for three weeks before the beginning of the school year for six hours a day and five times after school for more critiquing.

With a combination of upper and underclassmen coming together for the marching season, cooperation was an integral piece in order to perform with fluidity and quality. Gina Ciolli, a senior at Revere High School and a field commander for the marching band, says the weather during the competitions were sometimes hard to deal with, making warm-ups difficult.

“There were rough parts in our performance, but we recovered from them really well which showed how hard the band wanted the superior rating and all the work we put in this season was worth it,” Ciolli said. “Hopefully this will give the band the confidence in the upcoming years and will push them to continue what we started this year.” Ciolli said.

Not only did the band become closer from the many practices alone, they also grew together as a group as well. John Wilson, a junior at Revere High School and Field Commander for the marching band, says the entire band grew together throughout the season in order to become closer as a group.

“The band focuses on camaraderie throughout the whole season. At the start of the season, we do many activities to help the freshmen . . . We also have spirit week where sections participate differently on the theme for the week. At the end of the season, everyone was given a chain link. The idea behind this is that we all come together to make one strong and united band,” Wilson said.

In addition to team unity, the band also received multiple opportunities to express leisure and fun through events outside of school and band competitions. Macy Keaton, a sophomore and woodwind band member in the marching band, was one of many band members to host band activities on the weekends.

“At the beginning of the year we always do some get-to-know-you group activities . . . and then throughout the season people would have bonfires at their house after football games,” Keaton said.

Additionally, the band built up team camaraderie through other events such as trips to Steak n’ Shake after Friday night football games. The band also was given the opportunity to star as the high school band for Kickin’ It with Kenny on Cleveland’s Fox 8 News. This March, the band travels on buses to Florida for a week-long trip.

Overall, the band’s season was filled with fun and excitement, as well as an opportunity to express their dedication in the performance “Let It Rain.” Since LeBeau says the 2016 band season was “extremely pleasant,” he hopes the marching band students take from what they learned this year and use it to help the Marching Minutemen learn and grow for future marching endeavors.