By Russell Omo

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After various performances at different schools and venues, the Trojan marching band found themselves at a familiar place, MHS’ own John Kauinana Stadium on Nov. 10. For the MHS marching band and bands from across the state, this was their last performance of the season: The Mililani Band Festival.

“I felt there was a lot of energy and motivation behind their performance tonight. So I think (the marching band is) happy with it, myself included and all the staff are definitely happy with what they put out tonight,” said Marching Band adviser Derek Kaapana

The MHS marching band was given the score of “superior” for their overall effect and performance, the highest within their division; Class AAA, a division of bands with up to 100 performers. For the MHS marching band, the Mililani Band Festival was the last performance of their piece “Nevermore”, an original arrangement based off of the poem by Edgar Allen Poe entitled “The Raven”. The piece itself, in its three movements, embodies the macabre and depressing emotions that the narrator of the poem experiences.

To get a successful response out of the audience, the performers themselves had to bear the physical motions and musical technicality of “Nevermore” in its ten minute runtime. “In the first movement, you’re just trying to remember everything you want to do. In the middle, the second movement, you’re just like ‘Okay we started this, we got the momentum going, let’s finish this,’” explained saxophone soloist Junior Tyler Yamauchi, continuing,  “Now in the end, you’re tired and you’re saying, ‘Okay, I’m done,’ but you know, you have to push through.”

Since the Menehune Classic, where they were judged for the first time, they realized their faults and improved upon them. It was at the Kamehameha Tournament of Bands on Nov. 3 that the band succeeded and proved themselves, earning first place in four out of five categories as well as an overall rating of “superior.” Now on their own turf at the Mililani Band Festival, they gave it their all for one last time. “We definitely left it all out there on the field, because this year’s season, especially the show, was really deep, well developed and intense. So I think we really put it all out there and it was one of our best performances,” explained Drum Major Senior Kailee Goya.

For Goya as well as the other seniors within the marching band, the Mililani Band Festival would not only be their final performance of the season but their final performance for MHS. “I think I’m really going to miss spending time with my friends and my band, even if it was just practice just a few times a week and getting to talk to each other and hang out,” said Goya, adding, “I think I will miss that sense of family we had this season.”

With their season completed, Kaapana and the returning members of the marching band await for next season’s inspiration while the seniors look towards their future as people and musicians.