HEB ISD School & Family Magazine December 2016 | Page 9

Cameron Kostopoulos –12th grade,

The Blue Raiders performing in the Alamodome
at the UIL State Marching Band Contest.

Photo courtesy of Kevin Marlow

Drum Major
I’ve definitely learned that you can’t
define success by what judges or
audiences say, because they don’t really
know all of the hard work that goes on
behind the scenes. If you put 100% of
yourself into something and do the best
you can do no matter what, that is really
what counts as success to me.

McKenna Trewitt –10th grade,

Flute Player

Bell High School with their uniforms, instruments
and equipment, and were given a police escort by
Hurst Police Officer Tom Miles.
The UIL 6A State Marching Band Contest began,
and the Bell Band arrived at the Alamodome to
perform in the preliminary competition on Tuesday
afternoon. Their performance was executed with
pride and precision in front of 5 UIL judges and a
vast audience of marching band spectators from
across Texas. Out of the 40 bands who qualified for
the contest, 12 would advance to the Finals the next
morning. When the performance order was finally
announced, the Blue Raider Band was thrilled to
learn they were selected as the 7th to perform in
the Finals.
On the morning of the Finals, they marched onto the
field for their culminating performance. The color
guard took over the field as the musicians lined the
edge. The music began, setting their 8-minute final
performance into powerful motion.
At the end of the Final Competition, the 12 finalist
bands made their way back onto the field in full
retreat as the crowd gave a standing ovation. The
2016 L.D. Bell High School Band was awarded 9th
place in the contest, which began with 239 bands
from across the state competing for an opportunity
to represent their school and community. The music
and motion of the Blue Raider Band earned the
honor of being a 2016 UIL 6A State Marching Band
Finalist.

This was my first year in marching band
and it is definitely much more intense
than people realize. It has been an
amazing experience to hustle and work
very hard and to see it pay off every
single time. I’ve learned so much more
than I imagined during marching season
–I can’t wait to see what happens during
concert season!

Jacob Kline –11th grade,
Snare Section Leader, Center Snare
My siblings were in Bell Band in the early
2000’s so I grew up always wanting to be
a part of this really amazing organization.
It gives students an opportunity to do
something great, outside of sports or
academics. I feel like band has given
us all a family and countless friends
we may not have had otherwise. I love
this organization and I’m really proud of
being part of something so great.

Lauren Busocker –12th grade,
Drum Major
Myself and many other band members
are also in the IB program, so we’ve had
to learn a lot about time management and
work ethic. During marching season our
weeks are totally taken up by rehearsals,
performances, and competitions –but we
don’t care because we love it so much!
The whole program is like a huge family,
and I know we will continue to be that way
long after we graduate.

Austin Marlow –12th grade,
Brass Captain
L.D. Bell Band is definitely the biggest
thing I’ve ever been a part of in my life.
As an individual, performing and sharing
the final product with the audience is
my favorite part, but as a leader I really
enjoy guiding and helping others. The
leadership role is not about being in
charge; it’s about being an example of
what it means to do the right thing.
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