It was 1789. Starving French commoners wallowed in the streets, their stomachs not filled with the bit of bread provided. The French queen’s obliviousness to her subjects’ suffering is apparent while she waltzes and socializes with nobles. Their stomachs rumbled unheard until the rumble of the Bastille Wall Attack brought the French queen back to reality just long enough for hers to end and a revolution to begin.
Today, the French Revolution is portrayed in many ways, such as songs, essays, and musicals. The Marching Band performed its own adaptation during the Douglas County School District Showcase on Sept. 11 at Halftime Help Stadium.
Bands from all over DCSD gathered at Halftime Help Stadium to perform their shows in front of other Douglas County schools and receive feedback to help prepare them for future competitions.
Before the Jag’s performance, 10 marching bands from Douglas County schools gathered to perform an honorary performance for the Americans lost in the tragedy of 9/11, 23 years later.
The bands each choose a story for their shows and tell it through choreography, music and artistic sets. Under the direction of Trevor Mclein, the band teacher and the marching band’s director, the band chose the French Revolution, when French citizens overthrew their monarchy.
The band played various pieces of music throughout their performance, including a Minuetto from “String Quintet #5” by Luigi Boccherini, “Symphony #3 Eroica” by Ludwig van Beethoven, “I Dreamed A Dream” by Claude Michel Schönberg and “Revolution” by Diplo.
Two drum majors, Claire Ardoin ‘24 and Logan Amick ‘24, led the band through the show. Their job was to conduct the band through the three movements of the performance.
“We (marching band) kind of knew we had to perform better because, in the past, it hasn’t always been great. Even in our run-throughs, it wasn’t always great. So we knew we had to do good. I mean, that’s what we did,” Amick said.
Movements are how the show is split into three parts, similar to the acts in a play.
“I enjoy movement one; it’s very flowy but also very aggressive,” Ardoin said.