San Benito Greyhound band prepares for fall season

Sergio Velazquez, 17, performs his solo on the alto sax for the San Benito High School band during Summer Band Camp on Wednesday, Aug. 7, 2024. (Travis Whitehead | Valley Morning Star)

SAN BENITO — The glistening and the shining and the singing heralded the imminent arrival of a newness arising from the old.

The alto saxophone sang from the energy and the passion of one Sergio Velazquez as he practiced last Wednesday with the San Benito High School Band.

It’s Summer Band Camp and the Greyhound band has taken to the field in the afternoon to practice steps, movements, and the sounds of this year’s show “inSPIREd”.

“I like the show because I get to play at the start,” said Sergio, 17, a senior who actually gets to perform a solo as does Tanya Serna, who has a solo performance with the color guard.

The young women in the color guard moved in finely choreographed performances with their flags rippling in flashes of red and gold, those colors emboldened by the strong afternoon sun.

“Actually, I am really enjoy it,” said Tanya, 17, a senior.

“It gives me a sense of confidence that I got selected for it, that I’m good enough at it,” Tanya said. “I have learned a lot about myself in my four years in band.”

This show stands out for many reasons. Recall that the music in the show of the Harlingen High School Band is a mix of three pieces by three different artists from different time periods beginning in the late 1800s and continuing through 1988 until just recently.

The Greyhound show, on the other hand, is a mix of several songs from different albums of the same band, Muse, an English rock band formed in 1994. The word muse refers to a figure in Greek Mythology which inspires artistic creativity, thus the name of the Greyhound band’s show, “inSPIREd,” Dayri Mendoza, director of bands for San Benito Independent School District, said.

“One thing that is going to be different from other shows is that we are going to be using three-dimensional shapes on the field,” Mendoza.

Emma Aguilar, 16, drum major, directs the San Benito High School Greyhound band during Summer Band Camp on Wednesday, Aug. 7, 2024. (Travis Whitehead | Valley Morning Star)

Those “three-dimensional shapes” will be tall spires around which the band will march.

“Visually it’s going to be a lot different, because the past few years the trend has been to use two-dimensional props,” Mendoza said. “It’s going to allow us to use the space in a different way when we are moving around.”

The band members seemed to enjoy the uniqueness and the freshness and the innovation of this year’s show.

“It’s pretty intense,” said Emma Aguilar, 16, a senior and a trombone player who is serving as drum major.

“I like the show because how it incorporates spires into the field,” she said. “It’s going smoothly and it’s positive so far.”

Samwisdom Sok, 17, also liked the show and the progress of the practice. He often goes by Sam for short.

“I really enjoy the show especially because I feel like every year it gets better and better, better equipment,” said Sam, a senior.

Sam plays tuba but this year for the first time ever he’s a drum major. The other drum majors have previous experience in that role.

“I feel like it’s somewhat of a challenge, but I think I’m up to par with them,” he said.

A few minutes later, he and Emma both were on platforms directing the Greyhound band as it prepared for the fall season of the 2024-2025 school year.

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