KEARNEY — The Kearney Catholic Marching Stars are working to put the pedal to the metal in their show “Engines” during the 2023 season.
On Tuesday, Sept. 26, the members of the Kearney Catholic band were found on the practice field with the sun creeping over the horizon, working on several run-throughs of their show.
It may have been Homecoming Week for Kearney Catholic but the students were focused on their marching and playing, even if the were dressed up for Tuesday’s theme day.
Band Director Lindsay Lund was watching the students from the field, offering suggestions and helping them to hit their spots so their formations were correct.
This year the band is made up of 71 members, grades 7th through 12th.
Lund said the 2023 Marching Stars went through an intense two-week band camp that started the last week of July and went into August.
The band is performing the custom show, “Engines,” composed by Randall Standridge, a prolific composer and band director.
The show is separated into three movements, the first being, “Rev,” followed by “Idle,” and closes off with the fast paced “Adrenaline Engines.”
“Thundering percussion, driving rhythms, memorable melodies and frenetic energy are unrelenting in this rip-roaring sonic adventure. Meter changes enhance the pace while dynamics and expression add character to the music,” according to the Standridge website.
“Adrenaline Engines… explores some of the same rhythmic and motivic ideas but is written for more advanced players. There are time signature changes, key changes, timpani changes, etc. The rhythmic and melodic challenges are greater,” Standridge said of the last movement.
The band is lead by three drum majors this year, seniors Wesley Pearson, Gabriel Pearson and Keagan Dorsey.
Wesley P. said this was his first year as drum major and plays the trombone. He noted this year’s show is more difficult than those in past years.
As a drum major, he noted he is responsible for both the band and himself. During each run-through of the show, he works to keep the band on pace and internally, staying focused and preparing for future competitions.
He said that “Idle,” the second movement is his favorite of the show.
Gabriel P. also said this is his first year in the drum major position and he plays the baritone saxophone.
He also noted that this show is more difficult than those in years past. From the seventh graders to the seniors, everyone is working “really hard,” through a different type of difficulty, Gabriel P. said.
When asked about his favorite movement, Gabriel P. said the last one, “Adrenaline Engines,” due to it being the fastest and most difficult.
Dorsey is also in her first year as a drum major and plays the snare drum when she isn’t directing the band during marching season.
When asked about what stood out to her about the show, she said it features a unique transfer from one section to another, all leading into the “powerhouse,” finale of the last movement.
With this more difficult show, Dorsey said she is focused on the dynamics of the band – the crescendo and decrescendos – to give the show that greater of an overall impact.
Dorsey said her favorite movement in the show is “Idle,” especially one section that features the clarinets.
The Marching Stars are taking part in several different competitions this year.
The one that occurred this last weekend, was the UNK Band Parade and Bearcat Marching Festival, hosted at Kearney High School. In Class B, Kearney Catholic took second place, Lund said.
This weekend the band will travel on Saturday, Sept. 30 to take part in the Columbus Marching Band Festival.
After practice, Lund spoke to the band and said the Columbus competition will be like the state marching competition in several ways.
“It will really gauge us,” Lund said.
In October, the Stars will head down the road to Grand Island to take part in the Harvest of Harmony parade and field competition on Saturday, Oct. 7.
The next weekend will be the 33rd annual Minden Bandfest, with a parade, followed by a field competition.
“This parade of bands from all over Nebraska always proves to be an exciting event,” the Minden Chamber of Commerce said of the long running community event.
The final competition of the season will be the Nebraska State Bandmasters Association State Marching Contest, on Saturday, Oct. 21. The west festival site will be hosted at KHS.