On September 30th, 21 bands from all over the Central Valley rolled into Turlock to compete in the Pitman Preview of Champions, Pitman High School’s first ever band review and also the first of the marching season.

Band reviews are competitive events hosted by schools where performances can be scored in a variety of different categories. For the Pitman review, two competitions were available: parade, where a band must perform a piece while marching in formation down a predetermined route; and percussion, similar to parade but focused specifically on a band’s percussion section.

Students lined up at concessions for food, a big barbeque run by the band cooking up hot dogs and linguica, and a stand from Rita’s Italian Ice serving cups of their signature delicacy in numerous flavors. Houses along Sandstone Road and N. Tegner found their sidewalks clamoring with numerous spectators, there to watch the 21 bands march regally past the judges’ stand. And in the west parking lot of the Pitman campus, a judge carefully scrutinized performing percussion players, murmuring comments and criticisms into a voice recorder.

By 1:00 pm, hundreds of students congregated around the campus quad for the awards ceremony, where many bands took home prizes—such as Merced High School with a stunning total of seven trophies.

The Pitman Preview of Champions was a fantastic success, but just like any other large, multischool event, many were working behind the scenes to ensure it ran smoothly.

“I had a great deal of help from band parents,” said Mr. Modesto, Pitman band director and main mastermind behind the Preview of Champions. “… It’s far easier to get stuff done when you get a small group or a group of people to work for the same goal. So no, I couldn’t have done it all by myself. It was myself and a good group of hardworking band parents.”

Planning had begun as early as May during the previous school year, culminating in a total of four months of outlining and organizing details with the Northern California Band Association and with the Turlock City Council for needs such as the use of Sandstone and N. Tegner for the parade route.

Some complications did occur, according to Mr. Modesto. But thanks to their careful organization and work, the problems were minor and most were solved quickly.

Feedback from others attending the event was also overwhelmingly positive.

“From the judges, from other band directors, from a lot of parents, they were very pleased with the event,” said Mr. Modesto. “… One of the comments I got was it did not seem like it was our first time hosting a review. They really appreciated the behavior of our students and parents. Everybody said they felt welcomed. Everybody felt like it was a very positive event.”

By the time schools were gathered in the quad for the awards ceremony, all of the attendees were excited and enjoying themselves. Students shouted school chants, lifted fellow students in the air, and cheered appreciatively as the ceremony began and schools sent forward their drum majors to accept hard-won trophies.

“I think it was a great display of positivity and pageantry,” finished Mr. Modesto with satisfaction. “Students from all the bands were very positive and looked like they had a good time… so I call that a win.”