State Marching Band Titles: Cleveland and Los Alamos take top honors

The New Mexico Activities Association concluded its state marching band competition on Oct. 24 at Rio Rancho High School football stadium. Twenty-eight bands from across the state performed in front of judges despite intermittent rain and lightning delays that slowed the afternoon schedule.

Sue V. Cleveland High School secured the Class 5A championship, finishing ahead of Organ Mountain High School and La Cueva High School. La Cueva’s third-place result marks the highest finish for an Albuquerque Public Schools band since the NMAA state championship began three years ago. In the lower division, Los Alamos High School claimed the Class 1-4A title, followed by Santa Teresa High School and Goddard High School.

Weather conditions posed logistical challenges for the organizers and participants. Neil Swapp, executive director of the New Mexico Music Educators Association, noted that the team managed the issues effectively. "The weather was a challenge, and so we were kind of worried we’d have some weather issues but we were able to navigate that really well," Swapp said. Flooding in northwest New Mexico prevented Farmington High School and Piedra Vista High School from traveling to the venue.

Competing bands from the Albuquerque area included La Cueva, Albuquerque, Manzano, and Cibola high schools. Band members had to protect their instruments, uniforms, and props from the occasional downpour. The event serves as the culmination of a season where each group performs the same show at every competition, a routine that requires consistent artistic and technical execution.

Gabriel Velasco, director of bands at La Cueva High School, explained the creative process behind the annual theme. "We will sit down and throw ideas at the wall and eventually, an idea, or a theme and then a selection of music will stick," Velasco said. The chosen concept dictates the music, props, costumes, and field movements. Kaaliyah Hairston, the head drum major at La Cueva, described her school’s performance as "Apex." She stated the show is about releasing an inner animalistic side and letting go of societal expectations.

Preparation for the state event begins in July with band camp. This initial phase allows students to learn basics, start building the show, and form team dynamics before the fall season starts. Raeann McKernan, a band parent at La Cueva, cited the camp as a useful introduction for freshmen entering high school. "As a parent you worry about them going into high school for the first time, and marching band allows them to get an introduction because they do band camp starting in July," McKernan said. Daily zero-hour sessions and extra rehearsals follow throughout the academic year.

Velasco said the discipline required for marching band extends beyond the field. "These lessons apply not only to school but to their work, as they grow up and start to get jobs, it teaches them the benefit of positive relationships and working together," Velasco said.