Come visit the land of the gypsies

Band, are you ready? Take the field.

While watching Creston High School Marching Band's 2014 show — Gypsy — spectators will take a trip to the land of the gypsies in old Europe. See girls and boys costumed with headdresses and coins using carts as props. Picture gypsies with tambourines. It will be a mystical experience of music, dancing and movement.

Ensemble

There are 90 musicians in this year’s ensemble. Two soloists will be featured, Madison Hance on flute and Kyle Jennett on saxophone.

“There is an incredibly strong front line this year,” said Mike Peters, Creston High School director of bands. “I’m featuring the mallets a lot.”

This line has one junior, two sophomores and one freshman. These musicians are featured in the music box section of the show.

“We have a very young band this year. Thirty-five to forty rookies, who have never been on the field before,” Peters said. “But there is a lot of talent, though, as a whole.”

The upperclassmen are a help to the new marching members.

“I’ve always had good leadership. It’s very rare not to have good leadership,” Peters said. “There’s always the younger kids waiting to step up. They’re gone (seniors), now it’s my job. That happens every year.”

Theme

Peters has taken to performing concept shows.

“It’s about a theme, concept, idea,” he said.

He thought of the concept gypsies and began choosing music.

“Invincible” is a selection about a mystical person who saves the world. The band will also be performing music from the online game World of Warcraft and the show Journey of Man by Cirque de Soliel.

First performance

Creston High School Marching Band’s first field performance of the season will be at halftime of the high school’s varsity football game Friday. The band will perform the first tune of the show.

Rain has kept the band from learning all of the show.

“Problem was the weather, not my kid’s ability,” Peters said.

For example, Friday morning members were given 27 pages of drill (directions of where to move on the field), and completed 20 pages.

“We’re bigger, younger, but we’re smart and talented,” he said.

State

Peters has been band director at Creston High School for 20 years and each of those years marching band has received a I-rating at state competition.

“To me, the most important (competition of the year) is state because we’re not evaluated against someone else. It’s what are you against, the standard. That’s a huge deal,” said Peters. “Forget what everyone else is doing. You have to be at a proficient level to get a I.”

Schedule

Aug. 29 – Home game, half-time performance.
Sept. 12 – Home game, half-time performance.
Sept. 20 – Balloon Days Parade
Oct. 1 – Homecoming pep rally
Oct. 3 – Homecoming parade; and game, half-time performance.
Oct. 4 – Southwest Iowa Band Jamboree, Clarinda.
Oct. 11 – ValleyFest and Showdown, West Des Moines.
Oct. 17 – Home game, half-time performance.
Oct. 18 – Iowa High School Music Association State Marching Band Festival, Harlan.