The beginning notes of “End Credits” from the movie Coraline played as Trumpet section leader Sage Taylor (12) held up his trumpet to his mouth, waiting for his cue to play at the first field tournament of the season, Oct. 4. 

Competing in the 6A division for the first time, Westview placed third in the Rancho Bernardo Field Tournament overall and second in auxiliary and band. Taylor said he was unsure how GOLD would place due to the higher standards of the 6A division, but was eager to prove Westview’s skill.

“Since this is the first time in Westview Gold history to be in the 6A division, I didn’t know what to expect,” Taylor said. “I just wanted to get out there and prove that we belong in the top division with all [the] big bands like Rancho Bernardo and Del Norte. I’m pretty happy with where we stand after the first tournament, which definitely proved that we deserve our place in 6A.”

The field show, called “The Cauldron in the Woods,” explored themes of witches and magic through dramatic and ominous pieces. The performance included “End Credits” from Coraline, “D’un Matin de Printemps” by Lili Boulanger, “The Sorcerer’s Apprentice” by Paul Dukas, and “Abracadabra” by Lady Gaga. 

Taylor said that GOLD’s large size made it harder to stay synchronized throughout the performance since sound is delayed across large distances.

“There [were] definitely parts of the show that [didn’t] feel 100% secure and coordinated with everyone in the band,” Taylor said. “It’s hard to keep over 100 people in time with each other in a synchronized movement because the distances actually delay the way the sound travels.” 

To prepare for the tournament, GOLD practiced every day during and after school. The band held rehearsals for four hours per week after school, while percussion rehearsed for six hours per week after school. Taylor said that during rehearsal, they practiced short sections of their performance to perfect each part.

“We haven’t been perfect, but this year, our practices have been especially focused, and our band has shown a good work ethic,” Taylor said. “We did a lot of short chunks, set to set, and we did some longer runs to prepare for what the performance was going to be like.”

Front ensemble section leader Liam Doran (12) said that with so many new members, he had to remind the underclassmen to put in more work, so they would be confident playing their parts. 

“At some point, there’s only so much our directors can do if individual performers aren’t fully confident in their own part,” he said.

Doran said that some nerves came from not feeling fully prepared, since the different sections of the band didn’t practice together very often.

“I think we were pretty nervous since we hadn’t had a ton of time to put all of the pieces together,” he said. “There was a scramble at the end to get everyone used to playing together after rehearsing the sections separately for so long.”

Center snare and percussion section leader Emmy Finley (11) said that despite GOLD’s initial worries about performing in a new division, the band members felt confident and proud of their performance. 

“[The tournament was] definitely intense,” she said. “We just moved up to [6A], so there were a lot of nerves. For drumline, there was definitely a lot of nerves and excitement for the first tournament and performance. Overall, I thought it was a good first performance for the season, especially since we were in a new division that was more competitive.”

Taylor said that once he was on the field and performing, he felt calm and focused.

“We’ve had good rehearsals so far this season, so I was feeling confident about our performance,” Taylor said. “When we got out on the field, I didn’t pay any attention to the crowd or noise; I was just focused and ready to perform. I was feeling really focused and aware, and just trusted what I knew in our rehearsals, and it paid off. Personally, it was one of the best runs of the show that I have done.”

“Our biggest focus going forward is timing,” Doran said. “Front to back and side-to-side, there are so many opportunities for sections to separate or ‘tear’ from each other. I’m hoping we can keep increasing our scores, and continue smoothing out the production so that everyone feels proud of their work.”

As it is Taylor’s first year as a section leader, he said he was grateful for the support he received from his section and feels excited to see how GOLD continues in the rest of their competitive season. 

“It’s a big responsibility to take on knowing I have to set the standard for our band and our section,” Taylor said. “It’s easy for me to trust others, but to put that same trust in myself to make the best choices for our section is the biggest challenge. I’m really grateful to have a great section manager and other people in leadership to support me. I’m proud of the energy and bond that we have in the trumpet section, and I’m excited to see where this takes us.”

As a senior, Doran, this year marks his last tournament season as part of GOLD. He said that being able to compete at this tournament brought back bittersweet feelings as he reminisced on his time with the band. 

“It was super exciting to perform,” he said. “At the beginning of the show, I had to hold back a lot of emotion from this being my last, first performance. Once it [got] going, I almost just let muscle memory take over and let my hands take over.”