Kaylani Hsu

Th drumline ensemble practices late into the evening during the weekly night life sessions where parents and friends can watch in the stands. They repeat the same bars multiple times in order to perfect their pieces.

As October 14 approaches, Ayala’s distinguished band and color guard (BAC) has been practicing vigorously for the upcoming 2023 Music in Motion showcase hosted on our own campus. This year, there will be twenty-five total high schools from all over Southern California attending to compete in the showcase. Our own BAC will present an eye-catching show titled, “Off the Beaten Track”,  with spectacular new visuals and music planned by the directors to capture the audience’s attention.

During their previous 2022 performance, Ayala won second place in their division with merely 0.8 points from scoring first. However, the BAC coaches and directors are taking a different approach to their show this year.

“It’s a lot more aggressive,” color guard captain Bianca Perez (12) said. “In the past all the shows had been a little more mysterious and majestic. It’s more fun for the students to perform and create because it’s just more exciting.”

This year’s Music in Motion performance will feature new music styles and a different set of visuals from the BAC. These new elements may surprise the audience, but the students are striving towards perfecting their show.

“We have our first-place-winning drumline with us as well on the field. They’re going to bring a whole new element of just percussive energy and elements of effect,” assistant and jazz band director Mr. Kyle Martinez said.

After being awarded first place at the WGI World Championships last spring, many have highly anticipated standards for the BAC’s upcoming fall show.

“[The coaches] are definitely pushing us to perform a lot better and just having a higher expectation for us, especially during practice,” drumline captain Nathan Wong (12) said. “We have a strong group of people and I’m really excited to show everyone our show.”

With less than a month away from the showcase, students are persevering through many hours of practice to present their absolute best. Though it may be challenging, our Bulldogs are excited to perform and stun the audience. 

“There’s going to be a lot of great coordination with visual elements and musical elements,” Martinez said. “In regards to their performance quality, especially during rehearsals, they’re really pushing their energy to the limits. They’re really striving for excellence.”

Since early summer, the students in BAC have practiced under the scorching sun for countless days to master the piece. With the growing workload from school, many have struggled to maintain good grades while balancing several hours of practice a week. Yet, despite their sacrifices, the students still manage to find joyful and competitive spirits.

“It’s a lot of hard work, but I think a lot of good success comes out from hard work,” Khai Dinh (9) said. “We’re going to beat Chino Hills. Definitely.”