The UC Marching Band made history with their highest score ever, receiving a silver medal at the Southern California Championships at Martin Luther King, Jr. High School in Riverside.

   Band Director Brandon Corenman said, “It was the students’ best performance of the year. Getting a 9.4 and silver metal in the 2A division is really all I can ask of them. In their division, there were 29 groups who were competing, and the top 12 of those got to perform at the Southern California School Band and Orchestra Field Championships.”

   “Our strategy is always to try to improve our performance level, compared to what we’ve done in the past. Scores change, judging panels change, circumstances change, and every year our membership changes because we graduate people that play certain instruments that are key to the way that we sound. We try to strive for consistency and an increase in quality, including the difficulty of what we are doing,” added Corenman.

   “For us, it’s not really about the outcome but the process, and the performance. Reaching our potential and having those factors, helps us competitively. Especially starting two weeks in before school began with rehearsals and doing three rehearsals every week leading up to this competition,” stated Corenman. “Especially this past year; it was a lot of growing, both as a group and as an individual. Being my senior year it was the time to push as hard as I can and give it my absolute all,” said Senior Janet Newman.

   Drum Major Robin Wilkinson said, “We put out the absolute best show we’ve ever had. I’m really proud of what we did this season. Next year, people definitely have shoes to fill, but it’s still going to be an amazing program and get even stronger.”

   “I’m really proud of the effort of the whole program. I feel like everyone up to the last moment continued to improve. Even at the warm up at the show site, we were still trying to get better and perfect little things, bringing a lot of confidence and focus, and it really translated to the audience, not just the judges,” said Corenman.