The Natalia community is full of Mustang pride this week as the Mustang Marching Band is State bound, for the first time in school history.
The Mustang Marching band “knocked it out of the park,” said fans and judges, after an excellent performance at Regionals this past weekend.
“We were really excited after each of their performances,” Director Sergio Mendez said. “According to the judges, these kids knocked it out of the park two times in a row. The kids are very hard on themselves and never seem to be satisfied with their performances. We are hoping the best is yet to come. Watching their reactions on Saturday was unbelievable.”
“It was an extreme emotional roller coaster all day,” Mendez said. “From the time we got there, to the time we finished our first run through to results and qualifying for the finals. Once the prelims were over, they had to regroup and get ready for the next round. By the end of the night, it was obvious that they were exhausted. It’s been an amazing ride this year with all the competitions and accomplishments that they have received this year…..We have been getting messages from lots of members of the community and even messages from ex band members from past years. Everyone seems to be extremely happy about our band making it to the State Marching Competition. Kids have been all smiles since. It’s really neat!”
In a pep talk before the big performance, Mendez told students “They know their show well and it’s time to let the crowd enjoy their hard work.”
Afterward, he reminded them, “We were not done yet. We still have work to do.”
Not only did Natalia Marching band qualify for State but they also placed 2nd overall.
“There were 30 schools total. We placed 1st overall ahead of the other 29 schools, schools that are awesome! In the finals, we finished 2nd by 2 points….Kids were, and still are absolutely excited! I can’t blame them. We look at each other and smile, no words, just knowing what they have accomplished makes us all smile.”
Mendez said the accomplishments this year, have been built on a foundation of hard work.
“I believe that this has been in the works for many years now. We have been gaining momentum from year to year. Every year, every band gets better and better because the younger students look up to the older band members. They see them performing and are amazed at what they see. It is so awesome to see where we were years ago to where we are now. Every band member that has gone through this program has contributed one way or another in some way.”
In 2015 the Mustang Marching Band qualified for Area for the first time. “That year, we were just happy to be there. Our show that year was “Wild Things” and we had that contest in Fredericksburg. Next was our 2017 show “Paranormal” which we placed 12th in the prelims, missing the finals by two spots. 2019 was our show “RA” where they qualified for the finals placing 5th in the prelims and then placing 12th in the finals.”
School board member Eric Smith stated, “I am super proud of the job that Mr. Mendez and his staff and students have done. They have truly built our program into one of high expectations and results. They represent our community with pride and have left their mark with history being made last Saturday Night in Beeville. Words can’t express how truly proud I am of this entire program. We are State Bound Natalia! A JOB WELL DONE Band!”
Judge’s comments at Regionals included:
“Good demand and technique, enjoyed your show!”
“Very demanding show, good job!”
“Excellent individual movement, Awesome clarity with ensemble movement, great job!! Keep it up!”
“Cool show! It worked today!”
“Good use of dynamics and nice use of colors–good to hear in mix of full band sound.”
Another fan, who has watched the program grow steadily over the past few years, stated, “Mr. Mendez and Ms. Delgado are an amazing pair that not only have the knowledge and professionalism to get the job done but most importantly instill the desire and fortitude in each student to give their best and continue reaching higher.”
Superintendent Piles commented the outstanding choreography and unity of students in the show.
“The unity and choreography between the band and the color guard is just beautiful,” Superintendent Harry Piles said, speaking of the Regional performance. “It is an amazing show. One of our favorite parts, was during a kneel-down move, the color guard transforms from one dress to another. It’s really cool. Everything the band and color guard did was just spot-on amazing.”
State Contest info
Natalia will perform at the State contest on November 3rd, with Natalia’s Band performance kicking off at 2:30PM.
Single Session Tickets: $20 (excluding and Tickmaster fees)
Double Session Tickets: $35 (excluding Tickmaster fees)
No admission charge for children aged two and under.
Performance schedules for each session are posted at: http://www.uil.org/music/marching-band/state. Only clear bags are permitted into the Alamodome.
Congratulations to all of the members. We are proud of you!
By Kayleen Holder
Editor