After winning the Winter Guard International Dallas Regional on March 2, the Spirit Winds will be traveling to Dayton, Ohio for the WGI World Championships from April 18-21 and will showcase their performance Thursday, April 18 in the Galbreath Gym at 7:00 p.m.
“If we can prove that this program is a positive environment for the people who participate in it, then I would be happy,” junior Ashton Wiseneske said. “The marching arts create amazing opportunities for personal growth and the more people who can experience it and improve the abilities of the groups, the better.”
The 2024 season is the fifth year of the Indoor Winds group, under the direction of band director Stephen Smoot. Each year, the group takes gold in both the North Texas Color guard Association and the local WGI circuits.
“Competition to me means that we have a chance to perform to our best abilities to an audience and receive results that can tell us our progress and help us grow as we continue further throughout the season,” junior Julian Bustamante said. “Also, it’s a great opportunity to watch some amazing performances.”
In 2022, the Indoor Winds group went to the WGI World Championships for the first time with the show “You Put a Spell on Me” and placed fifth in the Scholastic A Winds category. This year, their show is titled “The Birth of the Tin Man.”
“The show is about heart-break, and being careful about who you give your trust to,” junior and lead dancer Kellan Flanigan said. “The Tin Man learns this lesson the hard way when his heart is stolen, leaving him [hardened] and cold.”
For just five minutes, the group depicts the origin story of the Tin Man in the story of “The Wizard of Oz” along with classic pieces such as “Somewhere Over the Rainbow” by Harold Arlen, “Red Cape Tango” by Michael Daugherty and “Lacrimosa Dies Illa” by Mozart.
“All three movements go through an entire story of two lovers meeting, and the heartbreak caused,” sophomore Jacob Peña said. “Our last movement is very vicious and fast-paced, providing intensity as one of our character’s uniform is slowly ripped apart, completely transforming him into the heartless, cold Tin Man.”
Along with the Spirit Winds, the M’Pulse Drumline will also perform at the showcase this Thursday. The indoor performance arts groups allow students to perform, improve their musicianship and create lifelong memories.
“I am excited to put on an amazing performance in front of people who are genuinely excited to see our show,” Flanigan said. “I’m also thrilled to have the opportunity to bond with my peers and make memories that will last me a lifetime.”
