Reagan Scheminske spent last year at Englewood high school watching the beloved marching band fall to the side in importance, “Overall not having a marching band over the last couple of years has sucked. But this year Stokes was really fun and it was really great to actually succeed.”
This after 85 years of a consistently strong marching band that could be seen on a regular basis at our school and events.
After COVID-19, the band changed up their plans, hiring new people, changing practices, and reinserting themselves at events and competitions.
In walked new director Nathan Stokes, “I’ve always had a passion for the marching arts, and the experiences and lessons it provides its participants. I found myself missing that aspect of teaching when I moved into a middle school role three years ago, so when the opportunity arose to take over the high school marching program I was eager to take on the challenge.”
Reagan Sheminske plays saxophone and oboe and is the current drum major, “it feels pretty great… I think I did really well. So it’s been a really great year.” Sheminske has been playing music since 5th grade and is passionate about the musical arts.
She was unsatisfied with the marching band over the past few years but is very happy about all the new changes, “It felt like a new beginning and the past years were all gone in an instant.”
All the new changes brought new excitement to the band and their season, and that enthusiasm brought in over 25 musicians for this year.
Stokes’ new excitement for the students only made it easier to achieve all they have, “Our students have been tremendous to work with this season. Our staff challenged them to work in new ways that were both physically and mentally demanding, and our kids met those challenges head-on. Every goal we set was surpassed in exciting ways.”
With the new start, the band looked to new heights and took on new challenges competing in four events including state.
The band’s first performance was a small show for the Englewood district staff. Sophomore and woodwind captain Madden Bain said he was excited to play, “It was really good, it was nice to show what we had so far and give the suspense of what more was to come from that.”
The Marching band was welcomed back to football this year as well playing throughout the games and halftime performances, “It was amazing having a full book of songs that we could play at the football games and be able to show off what we have,” said Bain.
The Marching Band competed in various Friendship Cups, “The Friendship Cup Marching Competition circuit is a phenomenal experience for our students. This circuit puts an emphasis on education, cooperation, and community within the marching arts. It’s a place for bands to showcase their skills in a friendly and supportive environment while striving for competitive excellence. Our students learned a lot about themselves through this circuit, and that was a major reason for their competitive success at the State level,” said Stokes.
The goal of any activity at Englewood is to compete at a state level, earning a spot at State this year was not just exciting for the students but Nathan Stokes as well, “At the start of the year our goal was simply to lay the groundwork for the future while providing audiences with an entertaining show and establishing our culture and standards as a band. I told the kids in August that if we just focused on those things, we would be successful. I’m not going to say it was ‘surprising’ to get to State this year because I knew the type of talent and drive our kids had. That said, it was awesome to be back at State where we were able to celebrate the kids’ hard work and motivate them for the future.”
Its 6th place result was a huge success and for the seniors, it is a great way to end their high school career in marching band, “It was really great. It was kind of unexpected, but we do have world-class movement, guard instructors, an amazing percussion instructor, and of course our great Director Stokes… Overall I couldn’t ask for a better way to end off my senior year,” said Reagan Scheminske.
With such a strong ending, the band can look forward to taking it even higher next year, “We’re very young and skilled, the future only holds more for us and it is exciting,” said Bain.
