The Amador Valley High School marching band and color guard won the Class 4A/5A Sweepstakes Award at the Modesto Invitational on Oct. 7 at Johansen High School. The band turned in a strong performance, scoring a season-opening high of 78.90 and earning additional awards in best music, best marching and best general effect.
The Marching Dons field 205 members under the direction of Jon Grantham, director of bands at AVHS. Drum Majors are Devin Maguire, Anthony Sanchez and Allison Gehl and the color guard is led by captains Kate Dowdy and Taylor Terhune. The field show is entitled “Alcatraz,” with original music by John M. Meehan. In four interpretive movements–“The Yard, Riot, Confinement, and Escape”–the musicians and guard evoke the moods and drama of the legendary prison in the Bay, complete with a hand-cranked police siren and prison bars. The audience at Modesto cheered enthusiastically for the energetic and highly-detailed performance.
The remainder of the schedule for the Marching Dons includes Western Band Association (WBA) competitions Nov. 11 at Logan High School in Union City and the WBA Championships, Nov. 18-19 in Clovis at Buchanan High School. In addition, the band and guard will present “Alcatraz” on Oct. 28 in the L.A. Coliseum, as participants in the Bands of America Regional Championships. For more information visit www.amadorband.org.
photo credit: Jay Flachsbarth
