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Jeffco marching bands in step

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Contributed by: YourHub.com on 9/29/2008

According to Kris Edwards, Jefferson County Schools music curriculum director, the Jeffco Marching Band Invitational has been going on for more than 20 years.

"The majority of Jeffco high schools usually participate. It's really to prepare the students for their competitions," she said. Edwards said the Invitational held Sept. 23 at Jefferson County Stadium in Lakewood included any Jeffco Schools that wanted to attend. Judges numbered 10.

Throughout the season, each band director picks and chooses which regional
competitions they want to take part in, all of which lead up to the state finals.

A highlight of the event on Sept. 23 was having Jefferson County School Superintendent Cindy

Stevenson conduct 15 bands in a rendition of America the Beautiful.

Arvada High School band director Crissy Duran, who is in her seventh year of teaching and her third year at the helm of the marching band, said Arvada placed sixth in 4A. She also is band director at Arvada Middle School.

"As a band we felt the show was significantly better than our first show last year. We were all pleased with our performance," said Duran.

Duran said the biggest challenges were time and money or the shortage of the two.

"There is never enough time. Our kids these days are pulled in so many different directions, and it's tough to fit everything in. Money comes in a close second. Marching Band can be expensive, and it takes a lot of time to do the fundraising to make it all possible."

She said much of the fundraising comes from parents in the booster club.

"We have a small but mighty core group of parents that make up our booster organization. They sew flags, hem uniforms, pull equipment on and off the field, cook dinner for the kids, you name it! Our truck driver has been to every single performance for two years now. These parents are the heartbeat of the band, there's no way things would get done without them. They spend countless hours organizing fundraisers.

Duran said the band received lots of "You're off to a great start" comments at the invitational.

"The judges talked a lot about consistency in marching style, cleaning up individual marching technique and working out the drill sets so they form more solid shapes on the field. They also commented on basic musical concept, breath support and ensemble balance," said Duran.

Duran said there are 45 students in the marching band. This contrasts with the number of students in the band at Columbine High School, which has 72 students in the band.

Colubine band director Brett O'Neill said, "We had a previous competition at
Arapahoe High School at Littleton Stadium. At the Jeffco Invitational we came in second under Green Mountain."

O'Neill said judges rate each band on a variety of categories and give them scores on visual appearance as individuals and how they appear as a group, and the general effect score, which is how well the band portrays its chosen program. There are seven categories.

Duran said, "We don't focus on scores or placements, so our goals are a little more personal to us as a band. We want to be bigger than we were last year. We want to walk away from the last performance feeling like every member did their absolute best and bring positive awareness of the band to the school and our community."

She credited her team that includes Leanna Rutka, assistant director and instrumental music teacher at Secrest, Swanson, Hackberry Hill, and Thomson elementaries; Amanda Brower, color guard instructor; Lauren Maxwell, percussion instructor; Matt Welch, brass instructor; Nate Wilkinson, percussion instructor; Scott Wilson, visual designer and drill instructor.

O'Neill credited the Booster club for their contributions."They help raise money and enable me to focus on teaching. They provide transportation and one mom hems and alters uniforms. They really take care of the details," he said.

Steven Montoya, Columbine High Music Booster club president said, "Our role as boosters is to fill in the gaps where public education financially can't. It takes about $60,000 to $80,000 a year to finance the instrumental programs here at the school."

Those include the marching band, jazz band, symphony and an orchestra.
Montoya said the marching band had the most expenses.

O'Neil said the boosters paid $16,000 new instruments this year.

"I could never afford to provide what they provide with school funding,"O'Neil said.

Montoya's daughter Baylee was in the color guard at Columbine and graduated in 2007. She now attends Arapahoe Community College. He admitted he remained active in the booster club because he knew when he was in school he would have appreciated the support.

"We are trying to give the kids the full musical experience at Columbine, then they can go forth and do what they want with it."

Up next
Oct. 13-16 metro regionals
Denver Metro Region Qualifying Event (2A, 3A, 4A, some 5A)
at Littleton Public School Stadium
199 E Littleton Blvd., Littleton
Oct. 24 Quarterfinals for 4A schools Douglas County Stadium
Oct. 25 State marching band finals
4A Bands at Englewood HS Stadium during day
Finals at night are at Invesco Field.

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