Marching Into the Season: BHS Band Celebrates a Week of Hard Work With Showcase

4–6 minutes

By Marisa Dawson

Marching band rehearsal on a football field with color guard members practicing with flags and various instruments.

The Bennington High School marching band wrapped up its week of band camp Friday evening, Aug. 7, with a showcase that gave family, friends and community members a glimpse of the work the students had put in throughout the week.

The evening featured performances, marching demonstrations, games and awards before ending with a special water cooldown courtesy of the Bennington Fire Department, which gave the students a much-anticipated break from the hot sun.

For band director Cassi Vallis, the showcase is an opportunity for students to demonstrate just how much they can accomplish in a single week.

“That’s basically 40 days of music in one week,” Vallis said. “So they do a really great job of getting in a lot of good work.”

A young man in a black 'Shattered' t-shirt saluting with a confident expression on his face, set against a clear blue sky.
Drum Major Prise Yates

Throughout band camp, students spend about six hours each day working on music and marching. Their days include full-ensemble rehearsals, marching fundamentals and sectionals as they prepare for the upcoming season.

This year, the band showcased the opening movement of its show, “Shattered,” featuring music from Linkin Park. Students demonstrated the marching drill that accompanies the piece, while the remainder of the band’s music and additional drills will continue to be developed throughout the season.

“We always show the drill for that,” Vallis said. “It’s like our opener.”

The band will continue adding drill to the show’s second and third pieces, with those portions set to debut at upcoming football games and competitions.

But band camp is about more than simply learning music and choreography. Vallis said students spend significant time developing the fundamentals, discipline and teamwork necessary to perform as an ensemble.

The students practice movements such as forward and backward marching before incorporating those skills into the full drill. Games and friendly competitions are also used to build chemistry while giving students opportunities to work together across grade levels.

Two members of a marching band color guard perform with flags on a football field, while other band members play instruments in the background.

For freshmen, who may have never marched before, the first week is an especially significant learning experience.

“You have the upperclassmen help out and all those things,” Vallis added.

That cross-grade support is one of the aspects Vallis said she values most about band camp. The week allows new students to become acquainted with their classmates and gives returning students opportunities to step into leadership roles.

“Our kids are incredibly dedicated,” Vallis said. “They want the program to sound the best that it can because they love each other like family, and they’re really great friends, spend a lot of time with each other, but they know how much hard work goes into being great.”

Vallis said the students understand that success does not happen simply because they want it.

“They know that you can’t just want it,” she said. “You have to put in the time.”

That dedication extends beyond the music itself. Vallis said students look forward to band camp each year, and the experience has become an important way to establish relationships and build confidence before the school year begins.

For freshmen in particular, she said, band camp can help ease the transition into high school.

A group of four young musicians playing trumpets on a sports field, dressed in black T-shirts and shorts, with trees and bleachers in the background.

“What I like the most out of it outside of band is our freshman members who are new to the building, they feel like they’ve already been here,” Vallis said. “So it helps them start off their school year and not feel like, whole new school, whole new year, all of that.”

The showcase then gives students a chance to share that work with the people who have supported them.

“I just think they’re really proud of all the work that they’ve done, and they’re excited to go and show it,” Vallis said.

While family members may hear about what students have been doing during the week, Vallis said seeing the performance provides a much fuller picture of the time and effort involved.

The showcase also provides a benchmark for the season ahead. What audiences saw Friday represents only the beginning, with the band expected to continue refining its music and drill throughout the coming weeks.

“I think for them, they just like to show, like, where we are after just one week of work, and then just show how it gets better and better and better the more, like, work we can do,” Vallis said.

For Vallis, some of the most rewarding moments come when the students stop simply executing what they’ve practiced and begin performing with confidence.

“I think when they just. When they hit an impactful moment in the music or in the drill, and then they just own it,” she said.

She pointed specifically to a moment in the opening movement when the students come forward together in a parade block, executing a power step with their horns raised.

A group of teenagers in black t-shirts practicing a formation on a sports field, walking in synchronized motion.

“Just seeing them lock in and hit that together and have those high horns and then playing at the press box, it just shows, like, their confidence in themselves and each other,” Vallis said. “Anytime that they own it, I’m just proud of them.”

The showcase also included the presentation of the Badger Cup, a longtime band camp tradition recognizing the section that goes all-out during the camp’s themed days.

Each day features a different theme, ranging from color and section days to more creative themes. Students are encouraged to fully embrace the themes through costumes, makeup and other displays of school spirit, with the drum majors ultimately selecting the Badger Cup winner. This year that winner was the drum line, seen celebrating below.

A marching band practice on a sports field, with members in black shirts working together. Some are seated with brass instruments while others are rehearsing with drums in the background.
A group of young performers in black shirts are playfully tangled in colorful streamers on a grassy field, with marching band drums in the foreground.
A boy in a black t-shirt presents a trophy to a girl in sunglasses and a blue bandana, surrounded by fellow band members sitting in the background, on a sports field.

Vallis said the tradition has been part of the program for at least five or six years and has become another way for students to bond within their sections.

The evening’s final event brought the students and Bennington Fire Department together for a hose-down, providing a fun and refreshing conclusion to a demanding week of rehearsals.

A group of people wearing black shirts gather around a fire truck spraying water, with a scenic background during sunset.

With band camp officially complete, the students now turn their attention toward the start of the school year and the marching season ahead, carrying with them the music, marching skills and friendships built during their first week together.

“Go band,” Vallis said.

A group of performers holding blue flags on a football field with bleachers in the background.
A group of individuals on a sports field holding blue flags, with a marching band visible in the background and stadium seating in the distance.
A group of marching band members practicing on a sports field. Some members are playing brass instruments, while others are in an energetic pose, celebrating or performing. The background features empty bleachers under a clear sky.
A group of students practicing a dance routine on a sports field, with one student in the foreground kneeling and two others behind them raising their arms.
A group of young musicians performing with drums on a football field, with a scoreboard in the background displaying 'BADGERS' and 'GUEST'.
Two young athletes practicing on a balance beam in a sports field setting; one boy stands confidently on the beam while a girl, wearing sunglasses, prepares to join him.
A group of young musicians playing flutes during a marching band practice on a sports field, wearing black shirts and standing in formation.
A group of young musicians playing saxophones on a grassy field during a band practice session. They are dressed in matching black T-shirts and are focused on their performance.
A group of marching band members practicing on a field. Two female musicians are playing saxophones, while another is playing a clarinet. They are wearing black t-shirts and are focused on their performance.
A group of marching band members practicing on a field, wearing black shirts, some playing saxophones, with various instruments in the background.
A marching band practicing on a field, with members playing brass and woodwind instruments while wearing matching black t-shirts.
A young female musician playing the flute in a marching band practice on a sports field, surrounded by other band members with various instruments.
A group of young musicians performing on a field, featuring a boy playing a keyboard and a girl with glasses playing a keyboard as well. Both are wearing matching black T-shirts, while other band members are positioned in the background.
A young group of musicians performing on a football field, with two guitarists in the foreground playing electric guitars. The background features other band members holding instruments and wearing matching black t-shirts.
A student playing a vibraphone in a marching band practice, surrounded by fellow musicians with various instruments in an outdoor setting.
A young male flutist stands on a platform playing a flute, surrounded by fellow band members in matching black shirts. The background shows a green field and a tuba player among the group.
A young girl playing a trumpet during a marching band rehearsal on a football field, surrounded by other musicians in black t-shirts.
A group of young musicians in black t-shirts rehearsing on a sports field, with a focus on a female saxophonist in the foreground and various other brass and woodwind players in the background.
A woman speaking into a microphone while holding a document, wearing a black shirt with 'Badger Band LEADERSHIP' printed on it, on a sports field.
A marching band rehearsal with musicians playing various instruments, including a trumpet and flute, on a practice field. The scene depicts several musicians in black shirts, with brass instruments and marching drums in the background.
A group of young musicians performing with flutes during a band practice on a field, wearing matching black t-shirts with 'Shattered' printed on them.
Two young women playing clarinets during a band practice on a field, wearing matching black t-shirts and sunglasses, with other band members in the background.
A young male drummer walking on a football field, carrying a snare drum and wearing a black shirt and shorts, with a marching band in the background.
A young drummer performing in a marching band, wearing a black T-shirt, with other musicians in the background playing various instruments.
A young musician playing a percussion instrument in a marching band setting, wearing a black 'Shattered' t-shirt, with other band members visible in the background.
Three cheerleaders on a sports field are holding large blue flags with a letter design, celebrating and performing routines.
A young coach standing outdoors, saluting while wearing a black shirt and shorts. A whistle hangs around his neck.
A female musician playing a light blue bass guitar in a marching band setting, wearing sunglasses and a black t-shirt with a graphic design, with other band members performing in the background.
A group of four drummers in black t-shirts stands on a field, each playing a set of snare drums. They are wearing drum harnesses and holding drumsticks, with a grassy field and fencing in the background.
Three male percussionists in black shirts playing snare drums during a practice session on a sports field.
A group of students in black shirts practicing on a football field, with rows of empty bleachers in the background and a line of brass instruments on the ground.
A group of people standing in a water spray from a fire truck during sunset, creating a misty atmosphere.
A group of people play in water from a fire truck during an outdoor event at sunset.
A group of young people wearing black t-shirts play and get sprayed with water from a fire truck during a summer event.

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