For the first time since 1989, the Caledonia High School band received all superior ratings at the Mississippi High School Activities Association marching band evaluation in Tupelo last weekend.
All superior ratings include the top score of in four categories: drum major, color guard, percussion and band. The theme for this year’s show is “Reign,” and the band plays Egyptian-inspired music.
Band director Shelby Wilbanks said ultimately each year the students choose their show because he wants it to be something they are going to enjoy playing for six months.
“When the kids buy into the show, it’s very crucial to the success of the show,” Wilbanks said. “They enjoyed the music, what they were doing on the field, and that helped us get our all superior ratings. … I let the kids have a say in the shows, because ultimately they’re the ones performing them from July to November. I present them with a slate of two or three shows, and if none of them work, I start over.”
Since Wilbanks took over the title of band director in 2017, he’s seen the high school band nearly double in size — from 48 students to 90 students — and the support from the community has been tremendous.
“We did a show send-off last Friday after electing not to go to the football game as it was an away game and Tishomingo County’s homecoming,” Wilbanks said. “We had a whole stadium full of people just there to watch the kids. They were surprised by that, and we are thankful for the overwhelming support of the community. We have a little caravan that follows us wherever we go, and I’ve noticed it growing each time we go to competitions.”
The band did not declare in time for state competition this year with the cutoff date being mid-September, but Wilbanks said with the continued success of the band, declaring for state competitions is a very real possibility.
He credits the band’s success wholly to the students who put so much effort and time into the band and said the seniors have stepped up as leaders to help the younger students. One such senior is Holland Hickman.
Hickman is a color guard captain, and she has been involved with the Caledonia band since sixth grade. Though she will be graduating in May, she plans to attend East Mississippi Community College in Mayhew to study nursing and help with the band program on the side.
She said the band has taught her many things and allowed her to make so many friends, not just in Caledonia but at competitions where other bands from the state come together. She is proud to be a part of the first all superior band in 33 years, and the hard work she and her classmates put in is finally being recognized.
“At school, the band isn’t really recognized because no one really thinks about how hard we work, they don’t realize that we have practice for seven hours on Mondays and two hours on Wednesdays,” Hickman said. “We work from July to sometimes November. No one realizes that we go to football games to hype up the stands and the players and have to wake up at 6 a.m. that coming Saturday to go compete. … So, after winning all-superior, and bringing home all these trophies, I think it has helped the school realize and appreciate that the band is just as important as the football or the cheer team, because we compete too. We work hard as a team, and now we get what we worked for and get what we deserve.”
The band will head to one final contest on Saturday in Fulton at the Itawamba Community College campus for the Tomahawk Marching Band Championship. Wilbanks said parents, friends and family of the students in band make it out to every competition, but band competitions differ from football games in the sense that everyone in the stands will cheer for successes from each band.
Hickman’s mother, Liza West, said the environment at competitions is something that must be seen and felt in person.
“The atmosphere at competitions has been incredible,” West said. “Even though we would love to see more Caledonia fans come out and support this amazing and growing program, the parents that are there are pumped for these kids — screaming, yelling, all dressed alike. We want these kids to know they are noticed. Their slogan this year has been ‘Changing the Culture,’ and I think this group has started something big.”
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