Liberty’s Marching Band has put together a successful fall season with some impressive results.  

They placed second place in their division on Sept. 24, with Color Guard winning a plaque for best Color Guard at the 4th Annual Music on the Meramec competition, held at Fox High School in Arnold.

One week later band placed fourth at the Washington Marching Band Festival.

A lot of hard work and dedication was put into getting ready for competition. They started practicing in August before school even started, hosting a two week long band camp over the summer, where they prepared for this year by learning the basics of marching.

While you’re just waking up, band members come into school every morning at 6:30 a.m. They not only have to be at school extra early, but they have to practice outside on the football field or on other practice fields, no matter the weather.

Band competitions aren’t easy, but at the end of the day it’s worth it.

At Music on the Meramec competition, they started their day out at 8 a.m. However, Liberty’s performance didn’t even begin until 3:30 p.m.

Before they performed, they had to warm up (both a physical and full warm up), change into their uniforms, and get their instruments ready.

Out of 5 schools in Liberty’s division, they placed second and Color Guard placed first.

“Band’s in such a good place this year. It’s so incredible to see how far we’ve come,” junior Arianna Amann said.

As this is the first year the band has had seniors, they are able to do a lot more than years in the past.

Mrs. Magno, the band director at Liberty, has been with these students for years now and has seen a lot of improvement.

“There is a huge difference! Our upperclassmen have more experience and confidence, and are doing a great job of mentoring our younger students. Plus having the largest band that we’ve ever had has made a big difference in our sound and the quality of show that we’re able to perform,” Mrs. Mango said.

Amann says that in the past she has been nervous before a competition, but this time she wasn’t. She was more confident in not only herself but the entire band as well.

Band has come a long way since the first year at Liberty with only freshman, now there are more than 70 members. The drum majors are Jenn Overton, Shelby Shields, and Kaitlyn Morehouse.

“We want to continue to grow and get better each and every day.  If that results in trophies and awards, then awesome.  But if we know that we’re doing our best and maximizing the moment each and every time we perform, then I’m more than happy with that!” Mrs. Mango said.

Everyone in band has big goals for the future, and placing second place definitely boosted their confidence for competitions to come.