Spirit of Waxahachie Indian Marching Band meets goals for 2022 competition season
- Charity Fitch
- Aug 9, 2023
- 2 min read
The Spirit of Waxahachie Indian Marching Band placed 14th out of 42 schools at the recent 6A UIL state marching competition with their show “Building Paris,” following a successful competition season.
“The kids went into the state prelims, and they threw down really hard,” director Rich Armstrong said. “That show was really stunning and electric, and it did exactly what it needed to do. They’re right in there with all the very best of the best – little ol’ Waxahachie – and I think that’s just a credit to our staff, our kids, our community and our administration.”
Following last year’s state competition, where the band did not reach the finals, Armstrong and the band staff made a goal to make it to the final round in 2022. They went in a new direction with the design team, created a show around the band’s strengths and tightened their procedures.
The competition season started Oct. 8, and the band saw the results of their hard work firsthand at each competition. They placed third at Bands of America Prosper and the Duncanville Marching Invitational and placed eighth at BOA Dallas.
“For a group that wasn’t making finals, we’re now making finals and almost winning the show because of intent, design and purpose,” Armstrong said.
At the UIL Area competition, Armstrong told the band that even though six bands qualify for state, he wanted them to shoot for the top two. They placed second.
At BOA San Antonio, a competition Armstrong described as “one of the hardest in the nation,” they placed 20th out of 82 bands.
“Every weekend, they just got better and better, but that’s by design,” Armstrong said. “We weren’t rewriting the show. We weren’t relearning anything. We were polishing what we had, and that’s what you have to do to be at the top level.”
Armstrong said the band’s goal for next year is to be in the top three at state, and they are already beginning to design a show that can perform at a higher level.
Following their state marching competition, the Spirit of Waxahachie Indian Marching Band is preparing for concerts, Texas Music Educators Association auditions, playing the orchestra for WHS theater’s “Crazy for You” musical in January, UIL concerts and more.
Armstrong said the band is never done and is always working or preparing for something. He encourages community members to come out to the band’s concerts and support the band in that way; the concerts are free.
The band’s holiday concert is at 7 p.m. Dec. 19 in the WHS Performing Arts Center; they will also play at The King’s Brass at 7 p.m. Dec. 17 at Waxahachie Bible Church, located at 621 N. Grand Ave.
To stay up to date with upcoming concerts, competitions and events, visit https://www.spiritofwaxahachie.com.
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