The Wolf Pride Marching Band lived up to their name in the Colorado State Fair Marching Band Competition on August 23rd, taking home two podium awards.

“We were second place in 5A and third place overall for all the bands,” Keith Farmer, the lead teacher of the Wolf Pride Band, said.

A large amount of preparation and hard work from students, staff, and parents alike went into creating a trophy-worthy marching band. Every Tuesday they rehearsed from 3:30 to 6:00, doing parade loops around the parking lot. The hours of hard work allowed them to continuously improve.

“When I’m conducting, I can hear the difference between the beginning of the season and now,” Lucas Engdahl (12), drum major, said. 

However, practice didn’t just start there. The marching band spent two weeks before the start of school at band camp, where they practiced together, all leading up to the big competition. 

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Two performances took place that day- the parade and a stage performance at the State Fair Shell. However, the actual scoring competition was based on the mile-long parade route up Union Avenue and Main Street.

“There are judges that are set up along the parade route,” Farmer said. “Grandview is a 5A school, so we’re competing directly against the 5A schools in addition to all the size schools for the overall awards.”

Every marching band at the State Fair is scored on a rubric, with different points for categories such as music performance, visual performance, and general effect. Within those categories, the color guard, 

drum major, drumline, and music ensemble are all individually scored. Last year, the marching band’s performance earned them an overall 794 points out of 1000. This year, their score increased to 834 points. 

“I’m really proud of everybody. I think that we all really tried our best and put in a lot of effort this year, so I think [our score] was deserved,” Engdahl said.

Categorical areas were also recognized such as drum major, color guard captain, and baton twirler, receiving individual trophies onstage.

“I think that sense of accomplishment is one of the best feelings, and I think it’s a big reason that I joined the band,” Engdahl said. 

Victory is not the only thing The Wolf Pride Band got out of the competition. Each year since 2010,  the team has stayed at Pueblo to compete, with the exception of 2020. The students spend time at the Colorado State Fair, where they ride carnival rides and try out fair food. Throughout the trip, students are able to enjoy quality time with their teammates while also furthering their marching and musical abilities.

“It’s a way for students to get to see people from not just our corner of Aurora, but from all over Colorado,” Farmer said.  “[They get to] go to the fair and see things that they wouldn’t normally see.”

The Wolf Pride Band’s dedication, even far from home, is what ultimately resulted in their success. 

“I think we had a group of students that really wanted to work hard and commit to things this year,” Farmer said. “The want and the desire of the students to achieve at the highest level is important in terms of having a good performance.”