The Battlin’ Bear Band has been putting in hard work on the field to improve their 2024 UIL marching show, entitled “Song of the Sirens.” The band is under the direction of Israel Castaneda and the assistant band director, Marcus James. The band is full of hard-working and dedicated students who have been giving their all from the beginning to make it a great show.
“Song of The Sirens tells the story of the legendary sea sirens, or mermaids, whose singing voices were the only thing that could match their physical beauty,” Castaneda said. “Legend has it that the devious sirens used their beautiful voices and stunning looks to lure many travel-weary sailors to crash and perish within the rocky ocean waters.”
Senior head drum major Carley Portie said there has been a lot of hard work going into the show. Every individual that takes part has to put in extensive effort in order for them to perform well and succeed as a group.
“We are currently learning drill as well as music,” Castaneda said. “There are so many individual parts that need to happen in order for the whole show to come together. We want to have a production that each member can be proud to be a part of.”
Leadership is one of the main things that hold the band together. There are several students that set fitting examples of what a leader is.
“Student leadership is the most important part of our program,” Castaneda said. “Aylee Coleman, who has stepped into the Color Guard Captain role, is someone that has been invaluable to us thus far. Caleb Hamilton and Kristian Gordon are both great members of our program, as well as great young adults that have shown excellent leadership both in and outside of rehearsal.”
The band is looking forward to a successful season this year that includes displaying everything they have been working for, as well as making memories along the way.
“This season I am looking forward to all of the competitions we have coming up,” Portie said. “I think they’re a great way for us to showcase our musicianship and they always end up being a great time.”
