Sebring Marching Band Earns State Honors

SEBRING - Off came the drums, tubas and flutes.

About three dozen Sebring High School marching band members celebrated while unloading a trailer-load of instruments on Tuesday.

The band qualified for the Florida Marching Band Coalition Championships this Saturday at the Lakewood Ranch High School in Bradenton.

The Blue Streaks earned a "Superior" ranking, and along with 16 other high school bands in their division, will compete for the state crown.

Eligible to qualify at several competitions during the season, the 78-member Spirit of Sebring Marching Band qualified at the last possible moment on Saturday, at the University Classic in Orlando.

This is the first time that a Sebring High School band earned statewide honors.

Band Director Colorado Paniagua wore a pin on Tuesday that read , "I Love My Band" and talked about the group "making history."

In only her second year at Sebring High School, Paniagua said she never expected to rise so high in the ranks, so fast, since it usually takes four years to move up a notch.

"Last year was a little difficult," said the band director. "A lot of people didn't buy into me or like changes."

Some students graduated and then moved on and a new nucleus of band members formed.

"This year a lot of those people left," said Paniagua. "One-third of the band are freshman and have never done this before."

Four months of practices started with band camp in July.

"Marching, moving and playing was a foreign concept to (the freshman,)" said Paniagua.

Several students attributed the school's success to deep friendships.

Sophomore Aaron Bowser, a trumpet player, said Saturday's achievement happened because of much hard work, but also because of something less subjective.

Bowser and several students attributed the school's success to deep friendships.

"Everybody is kind of like a family," said Bowser. "We're closer to people in the band than we are to those in other classes."

Tenor saxophone player and sophomore Kelley Yeager said most of her friends are in the band.

"You get really great friends out of it. They're always there."

Courtney Cook, senior flute player, has been a member of the band during all four years of high school, and said she liked changes in the program.

"It feels like this is the best senior year that I could ask for," said Cook.

Band Director "Miss P" (as the students call her) said part of the Blue Streaks' success is the local band's music selection.

Area marching units usually perform to 1960s tunes or movie soundtracks, but for 2007 the local band is playing an original composition by Jair Klarfeld, "What Dreams Are Made Of."

Paniagua also noted the 13-hour work days and students who spend more time than average traveling, performing, practicing and eating together, often on weekends.

"Kids tell me things they're not going to tell anybody else," said Paniagua. "But in rehearsals I'm not their friend, although I crack jokes to keep levity."

Linda Tagesson, band parent of student Elke Tagesson, said the competitions were nerve racking.

"It was a lot of work - a whole season of work," said Linda Tagesson.