Alta High School’s marching band is reaching for first this weekend with their show “Nuerolink”. The band placed third in the first competition on September 28 at Herriman High. On October 12, the band placed second at the Wasatch Front Invitational. This Saturday, the band will be competing at the Mount Timpanogos Invitational and the goal is first.
Alta’s Marching Band show this year, ‘Neurolink’, exemplifies the conflict happening between humans and artificial intelligence. As technology keeps advancing, we are being put at risk, and the show asks the question will we unite with technology or will we come crashing down.
“I think this year’s show is definitely a step up, several steps up from last year,” Cambree Baird says. “It literally takes everybody’s talent, everybody’s passion for the music, everybody’s love for music and puts it in a show that’s worth watching,”
Competition season is when things really start to feel real and the band gets to show off what they’ve put together after hundreds of hours of hard work.
“The most exciting part has to be the hour of warm up and then performing on a day of a competition,” says David Baer “It’s bringing together all the hundreds of hours that you spent on this, on this show and it shows… that you’re capable of doing something that’s hard and something that’s really difficult.”
After this weekend, the band will be building up towards their biggest and final competition in St. George called Bands of America on November 8. Bands Of America is a championship competition presented by Yamaha for all the high school marching bands. Their competition allows any marching band to compete on a national level. They are judged by skilled national level judges in high quality stadiums.
Although the season might feel like it’s coming to an end for the members, the marching band doesn’t want to plateau and stay at the same level. They want to keep their focus, give it their all during the last few rehearsals, and not get psyched out by reality or other bands. One big wave of reality might come through with the seniors though.
“I mean I’ve tried really hard not to think about it because then I get sad but…I think ultimately I’m just glad that I’ve been able to do it.” says Cambree. “I’ve met so many people who have changed my life and I’ve done something I never thought I would be able to do. I’ve helped grow the program and I’ve helped…hopefully change lives, I’ve helped teach people something new…it’s really…fulfilling,”
Alta’s 2024 marching band show ‘Neurolink’ shows the band’s true colors and what they are truly capable of. It is a show that many of these members are passionate about and it is definitely different from the ones years prior. The marching band has accomplished many new things this season, things they thought they wouldn’t even get to. They will continue to strengthen as a whole and as individuals to make this one of Alta’s best shows yet.
