Pride of Cove put through its paces

By MALACHI MUNCY

Cove Leader-Press 

A forecast for rain last week fell short but the clouds and a dip in temperatures provided relief for the Pride of Cove Marching Band. 

On July 31, freshman band members began training for the 2017-2018 school year. On Wednesday, the full band and color guard joined the freshmen in front of Lea Ledge Auditorium to practice marching and movement with the Color Guard. There were 184 members lined up in the parking lot.

“Usually we have a few more members join as school starts,” said Tony Chapa, band director. “It can be tough to catch up for some.”

The first two weeks of the camp consist of eight-hour days, with marching in the morning and music breakouts in the afternoon. 

“In the afternoons we have five ex-students who are music majors at universities, who’ve come back to help with the music side,” said Chapa. “Many are aspiring band directors.”

The remaining two weeks of camp will be three-hour days to accommodate staff professional development days that lead into the beginning of every new school year.

“I’m really impressed with how well the newer ones are doing,” said Jason Aguilar, drum major. “We’ve just started training and they are already improving in marching and music.”

This year the UIL contest show will include a ‘Taste of Italy’ 

“Some of the kids saw the music for the first time last night,’ said Chapa. “We’re gonna have pizza on the field and a table cloth where the soloist will perform. Even the color guard flags are going to have garlic and tomatoes on them. I hate to say it’s gonna be a little cheesy.”

In addition to preparing for late-fall competitions, the band has to make sure to be on its game by football season to play the National Anthem, the School Song, the fight song and a handful of other numbers. 

Last year, the drumline received top honors at the Midway Classic Marching Contest, capturing first place. The Pride of Cove Band and Color Guard received second place overall in the state. The previous year, the Pride of Cove Color Guard won the state championship.