Viking Marching Band blows past competition in new season

Most Samo students only get to see glimpses of the Viking Marching Band (VMB) at football games or pep rallies, but the VMB has been dominant against their opposition in the competitive marching band scene this season.Currently, the Vikings reside in 2nd place in Division 4A. The Divisions are separated by the size of the marching band itself: 1A encompasses the smallest-scaled bands while 6A consists of the largest ensembles.In 4A, bands are judged on four distinct categories: Visual Presentation, Music Presentation, Visual Effect and Music Effect. An accumulated sum of the scores from each category will result in a maximum total score of 100, which is the final score for the competition.Led by drum major Isabella Chuecos, the VMB placed highly in performances throughout the month of November. They kicked off the month with a third place finish on Nov. 3 in Riverside, CA and followed with a second place finish on Nov. 10 in Valencia, CA. Benny Adler (’21), a second year marching band member, described what he believes has been making the marching band program stand out with all these highly placed finishes.“Because of the music programs in Santa Monica, our baseline skill is a lot better, and that’s reflected as our music scores are really good but our visual skills aren’t as high as some other schools,” Adler said. “The environment that is fostered by the Viking Marching Band is great. It’s a lot of ‘self-improvement.’ ”Adler isn’t the only member who is impressed by the talent of the band. A quick survey among the members would find that the community is both immensely talented and determined, as VMB trumpet player Ian Dimundo (’21) put it.“We have great determination, and especially a great director that really encourages us to become the best we can,” Dimundo said.The ‘great director’ Dimundo refers to is Band Director Kevin McKeown (’92). McKeown was himself the Drum Major during his senior year at Samo, as well as a four-year drum major at UCLA. McKeown recounted his past experience in marching band and connected it to why the Viking band has been so good.“[Being the drum major at UCLA], I had to balance having friends, but also being a leader. Our student leaders have to balance that fine line of having friends, but also recognizing the huge responsibility they have. Our leadership has improved dramatically over the last four years, and that’s because of our seniors,” McKeown said.Before the season began, both the student leaders and staff alike were faced with the prospect of selecting the year's show. Eventually, through listening to the contrasting musical styles of Dmitri Shostakovich and Pink Floyd, the band came to the conclusion that they wanted their show to address the idea of getting lost and being found. Although very different, the musical styles of the two artists are both dark in nature, simulating that feeling of being lost. They decided on a show based on Lewis Carroll's  “Alice in Wonderland," encapsulating the themes the staff wanted to display. Their hard work on the Wonderland performance culminated in a performance on Saturday, Nov. 17 at the Southern California School Bands and Orchestra Association (SCSBOA) Field Championships, where they took the bronze medal with a score of 90.25. Held at Downey High School in Downey, CA, it is the final and arguably most important annual tournament for bands in the Socal region. For the first time in 7 years here, the VMB finished in the top three in Division 4A, a triumphant end to a successful season.