Competing against the best high school marching bands in Texas, the Cedar Ridge High School marching band earned 7th place in the 6A division during the University Interscholastic League (UIL) State Marching Band Contest held from Nov. 8-10 at the Alamodome in San Antonio.
It was a difficult journey to get to the state band contest. The band had to place in the UIL regional competition to earn a slot in the area contest and then compete in area contests, bringing together bands from five different regions to compete for a spot in the state contest.
“At the start of the season, we were uncertain of the impact the previous two years would have on the students’ proficiency level,” Cedar Ridge Band Director Daniel Musacchio said. “Right off the bat, it was evident that we didn’t need to worry about these kids. They are resilient. The bar of excellence was raised beyond our wildest expectations. It was clear they wanted to be great and have a season that, competitively, was second to none in school history – and that’s exactly what they did.”
At this year’s competition, the Raider band performed their show entitled Superstition. It used the music of Samuel Barber’s Medea Dance of Vengeance, Berlioz Symphonie Fantastique, and Stevie Wonder’s Superstition. The show featured a combination of themes typically seen in common superstitions such as black cats, walking under ladders, and unlucky numbers.
