Sixteen schools. Three divisions. One goal. September 22nd: The Spartan Regiment placed sixth overall, along with several other accomplishments, in their division at the Lafayette Contest of Champions. Their show “All in a Dayzzzzzz”, which includes pieces of “Heigh-ho” from Disney’s Snow White in the Seven Dwarves, is a theatrical display that involves acting and movements from every member of the regiment.

Freshman Tyler Piedmont, a baritone player in the regiment, new to the high school band scene, believes the effort the regiment put into their show merited their results.

“We all worked really hard to get [here]. And we all got what we deserve. So I’m really happy with our performance,” Piedmont said.

Clayton Schmitt, senior and bass drum player, details the awards won by the regiment on Saturday. Band competitions are not first, second, third as most competitions would be. In band, there are different divisions and awards for each aspect of a band’s show.

“In our division, we placed first. We also won the Caption Awards for Outstanding music, Outstanding Visual, and Outstanding General Effect. In finals, we placed sixth place overall,” Schmitt said.  

Being a senior, this is Schmitt’s last year in band. He, along with the other seniors, have worked along with the other members of the regiment to perfect this show. He lays out his feelings when learning of their placement in the competition.

“It felt pretty great. We’ve worked really hard for our performance on Saturday, and winning that award was just validation for all the hard work we did,” Schmitt said.

Despite their recent success, the Regiment has not always had this much to

Senior and marimba player, Josiah Swafford, compares their first competition to their most recent.

“Well, in our first [competition] we didn’t place at all, so I’d say [this competition] was a lot better. I’d say our performance [has] definitely improved since our last competition,” Swafford said.

Schmitt recounts issues from the past and this show in which they can work on to improve for future endeavors.

“There’s a lot of individual things and just little things we messed up on. We haven’t really talked to in depth about it yet. That’s probably coming later this week, but I look forward to better performances because I think we can give a much better show with their hard work,” Schmitt said.

That being said, the entire team believes this triumph has placed them in a positive position, and will fuel their excitement moving forward in the competition season.

“I think it’s a great way to start the season. I think it really gets everyone amped up and ready for the rest of the season, and I’m really ready to win them all. It really puts us in the right mindset,” Piedmont said.

For more information or fast updates on the band’s current state, follow their Twitter below:

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