Peninsula High School Band Marches to Season Victories

The Peninsula High School marching band program is showcasing unprecedented growth in size and earning top awards at this season’s competitions. Under the leadership of Director Megan Hillborn, along with student drum majors James Kane and Lee Gjerston, the program is growing with an increase in students from previous years to create a tight-knit culture, resulting in success.

The musical talent within the program has also grown; over 40% of the students in the program made it to the state instrumental contest just last year. But the program’s strength, according to Hillborn, comes from a deeper commitment to collaboration.

“One of the things I love most about the band is that it truly is a whole team effort,” she said. “The strength of the performance truly comes from every individual strong musician supporting each other equally. We make exponentially larger strides from everyone being supportive and sensitive to each other and their impact as a whole sound.”

This collaborative spirit means that students are invested in the success of their peers, celebrating everyone’s progress and making a conscious effort to retain every member year-to-year. Senior Ben Casely said that incoming students and younger talent mean the band will continue to improve each year.

“I think that the PHS band program is in a really great place this year, as evidenced by the success of the marching band,” he said. “With fuller sections and greater participation, we put forward a good showing at competitions this year.”

This culture of mutual support is not accidental; it’s a standard set by strong leadership. “The culture in the band program this year is very strong, as the current leaders have taken it and run with it,” Hillborn said. “They absolutely set up their peers for success. If they notice members in their sections struggling, they make time in their schedule to work one-on-one with them.”

As a ninth-grade through senior program, the student band council plays a crucial role in maintaining high expectations, stepping up to mentor lowerclassmen, and ensuring that the tradition of excellence is passed down to every new member of the band. The students largely achieve this unison by listening intently to each other, both on the field as well as in day-to-day operations.

“Eighty percent of marching band is run by students, nearly uninhibited by staff and parents,” said senior drum major James Kane. “Each Monday rehearsal is from 5:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.; however, by 5, students are already setting up props and lugging equipment up to the field. This norm is not one set in place by a director, but rather a mutual desire to have a smooth rehearsal. Basics and warm-ups are planned and run by drum majors while section leaders and field captains watch, model, and give constructive feedback. Again, entirely student-run.”

The marching band season was marked by impressive competitive showings and a remarkable jump in performance quality. The season kicked off with the PHS band hosting the fourth annual Peninsula Classic Sept. 27 at Roy Anderson Field. They welcomed eight other bands from the Puget Sound region.

The competitive season continued to heat up in October, culminating in a dominating performance at the Sunset Festival of bands Oct. 11, where the band won High Percussion, High Drum Majors, Second Place-A Division, and most improved overall between the first and second rounds.

In the Puget Sound Festival of Bands Oct. 25, the Peninsula was awarded High Percussion, High Music, High General Effect, and First Place-A Division.

These awards are a reflection of the band’s significant progress, as their overall scores have been 5-7 points higher than in previous years. Peninsula competed against six other bands in their division at the Puget Sound Festival, but still took the division handily with a 3-point spread.

The marching band ended the season Nov. 8 at the Auburn Veterans Day Marching Band Competition in the AA division. They took home two first-place finishes in both the field show and place parade. In addition, they received awards for best marching, best color guard, best percussion, best music, and overall best drum majors.

While the marching season has ended, the music doesn’t stop. The band program will continue throughout the school year as members prepare to participate in upcoming jazz band and concert band festivals. That will include the PHS Winter Jazz Night Dec. 8 and the Winter Band Concert Dec. 11. Both performances are at 7 p.m. at the Milton Boyd Auditorium at PHS.