On September 24, the Linganore High School Lancer Marching Band attended their first competition. The competition took place at Severna Park High School and was put on by the Maryland Marching Band Association  (MMBA). The band performed their 2022 show “Día de los Muertos,” a program that celebrates Mexican heritage and the tradition of honoring one’s ancestors.

The marching band came in second place in the Open Class category. The difference between first and second place was only six tenths of a point, with Linganore scoring a 75.5 and Urbana scoring a 76.1.

The band’s program this year is nine minutes in length and has three parts. The story follows the souls of the dead as they travel to be with their loved ones on Día de los Muertos, the Day of the Dead. The program uses a variety of visual and musical effects to convey this storyline. The marching band was able to perform their entire show at their first competition this year– a considerable achievement for any band, let alone a group with 96 members.

Kevin Lloyd, director of the band, reported that it was the best opening show he has had with any band in his 27-year career.

This competition was also a first for many members of the band. With over 25 freshmen and new members, about a quarter of the band performed their first competitive show.  Freshman Gina Morrison was very excited for the day and happy with how it went.

“The competition day was good,” said Morrison. “We practiced for a while beforehand, and the competition went well overall.”

The performance also marked the first show of the final season for many members of the band. Senior trumpet player Matt McKay has been in the band since his freshman year. This year, he was a section leader of the drum line. 

As McKay reflected on the day, he said, “I think our performance was fantastic. I thought we worked really hard for it and it paid off really well. Even though we didn’t get first, it was still amazing.”

The Lancer Band has five more competition performances left in their season. The band will be hosting an MMBA competition on Saturday, October 21 at the Linganore Stadium. To learn more about their performance schedule and where to see them next, visit linganoreband.org.