The Portage High School Pride of Portage Marching Band traveled to Fort Wayne, Indiana on Saturday, October 10th to compete with 18 other marching bands in the Indiana State School Music Association’s Scholastic “A” Class State Preliminary competition. With their musical performance “Mechanize” The Pride of Portage Marching Band received a Superior “Gold” division rating and has advanced to the ISSMA Scholastic State Finals competition on October 24th in Indianapolis.
The 100 students in the 2015 Pride of Portage Marching Band include 40 woodwinds and 28 brass players, 7 percussionists, 9 front ensemble, 14 color guard members, and 2 drum majors.
The Pride of Portage Marching Band is under the direction of Head Director William Timmerman, Assistant Director Drew Rhoda, Assistant Director Annelise Rhoda, Assistant Director Chad Brinkman and Color Guard Directors Sam Andrews and Ryan O’Dell. Dedication is one of the many driving forces behind each player in the Pride of Portage Marching Band. During their short 3 month marching season, band members complete over 300 hours of music and marching practice, 30 rehearsals, 10 performances, over 900 miles of competition travel, concerts and numerous parades. “Choosing Excellence Day by Day,” is the Pride of Portage music department’s motto. The class act of musicians and directors that compose the 2015 marching band really put emphasis on the “Pride” in the Pride of Portage.
The Pride of Portage Marching Band’s 2015 musical performance “Mechanize” transforms the winds, guard and percussion all into the moving parts of one massive machine. Visual and musical repetitions are a vital theme portraying the mechanical nature of the production. The music and visual representations of various gears, pistons and belts all give way to create one massive machine of performers. From the color guard gear flags to the robotic dance moves by musicians, Mechanize is a musical machine of precision that never stops.
Members of the 2015 Pride of Portage are Drum Majors: Nicholas Blue, Taylor Calhoun; Flutes: Haley Adcock, Britni Brasher, Riley Chavez, Siobhan Cleveland, Ellie Craign, Athena Dover, Mackenzie Grindey, Jolie Hurley, Mary Meyers, Katelyn Reeves, Mackenzie Rossman, Jordan Simko, Jessica Stone, Alexis VanCuren, Dria White; Clarinets: Gian Cabrera, Macy Danko, Jasmine Gasaway, Yolanda Gutierrez, Carly Jones, Izamar Lule, Madison Malinauskas, Amanda McHugh, Lilliana Mendez, Logan Munoz, Katie Petro, Olivia Razo, Hailey Rodgers; Bass Clarinet: Michael Sweeney; Alto Saxophones: Patrick Alaniz, Tiona Barbu, Charles Davis, Suzy Hernandez, Stacey Johnson, Spenser Moore, Jacob Rossman, Haylee Scott, Gina Tibbs; Tenor Saxophone: Brian Boo; Baritone Saxophone: Jeremy Hunter; Trumpets: Amaia Cuevas, Abraham Faulkner, Tyler Field, Tiffany Figueroa, Kaitlyn Gibson, Marco Haro, Erin Livingston, Makenzie Marx, Amber Nelson, Ryan Prunick, Nathan Smith, Jessica Stull, Nate Vela; Mellophones: Kristen Cravens, Isabella Paglicci, Devon Ridgeway, Jacen Smith, Katharine Woods; Trombones: AEslin Alsman, Kevin Ard, Brandon Blue, Zeke Garbart, Derek Mitchell; Baritones: Sadi Eason, Xander Walker, Aaron White; Tubas: Kevin Nicholson, Jeremy Petro; Percussion Snares: Brandon King, Micah Weigel; Percussion Tenor: Triston Hudson; Percussion Bass Drums: Josh Nicholson, Nikolas Pavlakovic, Scott Watson, Jordan Waytovich; Front Ensemble: Connor Belt, Noland Belt, Mario Chavez, Nicolas Demass, Isabelle Hammerstein, Julianne Lopez, Jake Ryan, Mikayla Velazquez, William Walton; Color Guard: Emily Calhoun, Esmie Chavez, Makayla Colby, Faith Kostro, Laura Lopez-Vera, Lyric McKanders, Kaylynn Mezydlo, Lindsey Miles, Emily Moore, Abigail Neff, Rae Nelson, Alexis Rodgers, Payton Schuster and Alyssa Serrano.
Written by Sarah Farthing-Hudson
Photo Credit Marsha Black Guth