Kyra Cox

Standing on top of a ladder, junior Blake Musfeldt plays his solo for a fan favorite, “Metal Shop” during the game against Cedar Ridge on Aug. 25. This is Musfeldt’s third year with the program, and he said he has enjoyed the process that comes with being a part of such a successful band. “A big part of band is just appreciating all of the music you get to hear and focusing on achieving your own personal best, as opposed to striving for a certain placement or title,” Musfeldt said.

2015, 2017, 2019 and 2021. Four straight state titles; six in the program’s history. Practically a decade of dominance. This is what is on the mind of marching band members as they set their sights on yet another state title in November

Since their first victory in 2001, the marching band has brought home six UIL State marching championships. Their last four have come in the last eight years, as the 5A championship is held every other year in San Antonio. The marching band has a legacy of success, and has almost single-handedly put Cedar Park on the map. Associate Director Jeremiah Armstrong, who is experiencing his first state year after joining the program in 2022, says that the key to the band’s success is how the directors plan the season beforehand.

“Our designers and Mrs. Santos are really good at [creating] shows that will take up the full season,” Armstrong said. “It helps the kids learn to really work hard and do well. It’s a large amount of content in [terms of] what people see and hear.”

To put it simply, the band plans for November, which is when the championships take place. Despite the obvious pressure to bring home another title, Armstrong says the focus is on molding the members into the best musicians they can be, not just winning awards.

“The expectation is a lot more focused on that the band improves not just as musicians, but as people,” Armstrong said. “We don’t focus as much on winning, but on being [a] better version of our program versus the year before.”

Being the best means going above and beyond. This summer, three band members, seniors Austin Waldbusser and Connor Daly, and sophomore Andrew McCarthy were chosen to participate in Drum Corps International, which gave them a unique experience to bring back to the marching band. Senior Abby Mcdanald, one of the five drum majors for the program, and who was a part of the band in 2021 when they won their fourth title, says she often feels a little nervous entering a state year, but shares the same sentiment as Armstrong.

“Members of the band feel a little more pressure to try and win state, but also do our best,” Mcdanald said. “It’s not about winning, it’s about having the best show possible.”

This analogy has proven to be a common theme among band members, regardless of their experience. Junior Blake Musfeldt said he has come to appreciate the process that has come along with marching season, with winning not being one of his first thoughts.

“A big part of band is just appreciating all of the music you get to hear, and  focusing on achieving your own personal best, as opposed to striving for a certain placement or title,” Musfeldt said. 

The color guard has been working alongside the band since mid-July. Senior Anabel Levinsky, who has been involved in color guard since middle school, points out that despite not playing music in the performance, they play a crucial role in the points that the band earns during competitions.

“We are the majority of the general effect score,” Levinsky said. “Since there’s a lot of [members of color guard], it would be easy to either score very high, or very low. So, we just have to keep truckin’ through.”

On Sept. 23, the band placed fourth at Bands of America Austin, or BOA, their first competition of the year. Despite this high placement, members of the band believe that they still have ways to go from being able to put on their best performance.

“I think that we just really need to dial back to the basics,” Musfeldt said. “We want to stand on an even ground with what some other bands have been putting forward this season.”

While it is agreed upon that the band does have some things to work on, Armstrong only has high praise for what the students have done so far.

“We’re all in a really good place,” Armstrong said. “The staff is very proud of where the kids are, and we are celebrating their success. All of us feel like this is the most prepared we have ever been [at] this point in the season.”

The marching band has only intensified their training regimen, as they practice everyday after school. The band advanced out of  Region in UIL Competition, and will be competing in the Area round on Oct. 28 at Gupton Stadium.

“This is one of the best places in the world to be a teacher,” Armstrong said. “Cedar Park is a really special community that is supportive. Not just from the faculty and the parents, but [also from] the community [that] makes sure that the work done by the students and the teachers is recognized.”