On the cold evening of Nov. 19, taking place beneath the stars in Buena’s stadium, Buena’s Marching Band put forth one of their last performances before championships and the end of the season.
Photographs from the season were displayed on the scoreboard, and all of the trophies Buena has collected over the years were on display for all to see, a symbol of the Bulldog’s accomplishments.
This year’s theme for the band was “Behind my Reflection,” and the set pieces combined with the choreography and music really helped to convey the deeper meaning behind the theme. The performance was initially to be named “Behind the Mirror” but was changed to its current name instead, imploring audience members to find a better version of themselves. The show touches on themes of self-obsession, loneliness, self-centeredness, narcissism and self-reflection, following a person’s healing journey from vanity to love and acceptance.
As the 2025 season of marching band came to a close, seniors found themselves reflecting back on their years in the program and the friends they’ve made along the way.
“I don’t think I’ll meet such a talented and nice group of people ever again. I feel like marching band is my second family, my whole home,” senior Nathan Gallardo said. “It’s like one big family.”
Once the first performance was finished, a tradition known as the “senior run” began. All of the graduating students of the year took a step back and watched the performance, listening to the legacy they will leave behind. Currently, 18 seniors are in marching band, which will inevitably have a big impact on the ensemble next year. As the students marched up to the stands for the second run, some were brushing away tears as they found their seats.
“It’s a moment of reflection, where it’s like, this is what we’ve been putting on the field. I finally get to hear what it sounds like in person, as opposed to on a video recording,” Gallardo said. “It was very spectacular to see the work we’ve been putting in from my own eyes and my own ears.”
Although the field looked noticeably emptier, the remaining members put their whole selves into it, putting on one last grand show for their friends watching from the stands.
“It was the first time it really hit me that the season was going to end, and that all the seniors who I’ve gotten to know over the course of the season were going to leave, and that was going to be one of the last time I ever play with them,” freshman Avery Verardo said. “It made me really sad to see all of them go and to realize that they weren’t going to be part of an amazing band next year.”
After the two performances, music director Tim MacDonald invited family and friends to come down to the field and chat with their students, to maybe even try an instrument or two.
Buena alumni who had come to watch eagerly walked down, greeting their friends and picking up instruments, reflecting on their own years in marching band. Family and friends gathered around the performers, expressing their absolute pride and joy that they had felt watching.
“[Marching band is] full of lessons. You learn so much not only from a musical standpoint, but from a cultural standpoint, because it’s such a different culture than any concert class,” Gallardo said. “As time goes on, you learn to love the process of the season, which for some can be very rigorous and very stressful, but for me, I really love it.”
“The Pride of the Gold Coast” had every reason to be proud that night. After placing first in multiple categories, they went on to championships, something the band has not done in four years. Once there, they scored 11th place out of 12, among some of the top bands in the state, competing against 30 other bands along the way.
Amidst celebrating their win, Buena used this as an opportunity to learn and grow their musical talents, vying for even better scores next year.
“When we get first place, that means it’s time to work harder, because we want to keep it and fight to go to championships,” Gallardo said. “First place is a celebration, but it’s also a reminder of the work we’ve been putting in is working and we can’t let it stop.”
Once the show ended, the crowd filed out of the stadium as students started packing up, but marching out of the stadium, with just as much force and intensity as they had earlier, was Buena’s Marching Band – this time playing the popular tune of “Yankee Doodle.”
With the success of “Behind My Reflection,” Buena’s music program gears up for Winter Drumline, where they will get to show off, yet again, the amazing talents that Buena has to offer.
“I don’t think I could have asked to go into high school with a better group of people than in marching band,” Verardo said.
