On November 15th, 2025, the Pride of the West marching band showcased their remarkable performance, “The Summit” at Glendale Community College. Achieving first place overall with an impressive score of 93.3, this event marked the conclusion of their extended season and final competition. The band members dedicated countless hours to perfecting their performance, making this show particularly significant for all students, especially the seniors who were participating in their last competition. Senior Bhavana Vinodh discussed “the fact that it’s my last one as a senior. You know, your freshman and your senior year, I feel like are the most memorable because they mean so much to you, I think, this show this year specifically. Also being part of the leadership team and being responsible for all these kids that you’ve come to care about so much really highlighted my experience.”
In marching band, you learn a lesson: the value of working as a team, watching and following others, and so many more along the way. Senior Bhavana Vinodh stated, “I hope they were able to understand the value of camaraderie and friendship and holding a really good culture within a community. My favorite part of the band has always been my friends and the people I get to spend it with, and utilizing most of my time and, you know, finding the good in everything.” The show was a huge success, and the band’s hard work and dedication paid off, as they placed 1st overall.
Even though this season is over, there is more to come. Mr. Malone said “We just love to continue the success that we built this year and continue to grow the program and get more and more people involved, but just to continue the path that we’re going and hopefully just continue to make it a fun environment, and also one where we work hard and can enjoy the product that we put out on the field.” They put in tremendous effort to bring this show to life, pushing through moments of fatigue and doubt. As Malone wisely encourages, “I would tell them just keep an open mind and give it your best effort and try their best, and it’s going to be a lot of growth, and it’s going to be challenging at times. But the result at the end and the effort that you put in is really, really worth it, so trust the process and be patient with yourself and the people around you, because it’s a worthwhile experience.”
Although the band season came to an end, the spirit didn’t, and now the band is getting ready for next year’s season and is prepared to continue to make the Mountain Ridge marching band the best it can be. There were many memories made during the season, and they learned to work together, make friendships, and become something more than members of the band and fellow students, but friends, a community. Malone describes his favorite performance as the “last one at state championships, it was nerve-racking all day long with the weather, but ended up having great weather, and the run that the band put on was their best one all year. So I was finally able to sit back and relax and enjoy it and cheer them on, and it really was their best performance, and they definitely earned it that night.”
The Pride of the West is a great example of what Mountain Ridge stands for as a school and what is expected of the band. The confidence the students feel from walking past other bands, and the experience you get from everything, is something special. Bhavana Vinodh thinks that the band “did amazing, music sounded awesome. We won the caption for a reason. I think it’s a really good manifestation of all the hard work. Ninety-three is a crazy score, and I do think that does reflect how well we did.” This season has come to an end, and the Mountain Ridge marching band did an excellent job throughout the entire season. We should all look forward to what’s to come. Great job, Mountain Ridge marching band! We look forward to seeing you next year for another fantastic season.
