THE ONE THAT GOT AWAY

by Leighton FeLtman

The 2021 LHS Marching Band Show, “The Queen’s Gambit,” highlights a battle between two kingdoms: Pink and Black. This year’s show features multiple vocal solos between the two queens and guitar solos from the rockstar king, Jack Simpson. But where did the inspiration come from?

“The Queen’s Gambit’ concept was the brainchild of Julie Hadley, our show designer and color guard coordinator,” said LHS Band Director, Dan Carlson. “The inspiration came initially from the Netflix series, but it is not about the Netflix series.” Although the COVID-19 pandemic is still prevalent in the lives of many around the world, the marching band has remained at the top of their class.

“The marching band has taken it all in stride and it has not been much of a factor this year,” said Carlson. “We have only had one positive case all season long.” Across the region, high school students know of the musical excellence that is the LHS Marching Band. The marching Patriots started their season in Marshall, Minnesota, competing in the “Pursuit of Excellence Competition” winning the Sweepstakes award (first place), best color guard, hornline, visual and music execution and visual and music general effect against 19 bands.

The season continued at the Brandon Valley “Big Sioux Review” where the band won the Sweepstakes award, out performing 13 other bands. At the “Youth In Music” (YIM) Field Championships at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis MN, the band received second overall out of 31 bands, as well as best color guard, best visual general effect and best visual execution.

“I think it’s important to know that we are not an auditioned band, yet we compete favorably with and beat many auditioned bands,” said Carlson.

Placing second in the region against multiple auditioned bands is a great feat and especially considering the smaller student and staff size of the LHS band.

“We have two band directors for the size of the band that we have, while many other band programs our size have three, four or even five band directors,” said Carlson.

The pandemic has still played a crucial role in the 2021 season and has affected bands around the country differently.

“We had to deal with the double whammy of a pandemic and a new school opening in the district, yet we have remained resilient and competitive,” said Carlson. “We are so proud of the band members for not making excuses but just putting forth an excellent effort every minute of every rehearsal. They have achieved excellent results despite all the challenges they have faced this season.”

Corissa Marlette

What grade are you in, and what role do you play within the marching band? “I’m a senior, and I’m color guard captain.” Which performance stuck out to you the most this year? “One of my biggest hopes for this season was to be able to beat our biggest competitor and take home ‘Best Color Guard.’ We kicked butt during finals in Minneapolis, managed to win best guard and I truly could not have been more proud of my team.” What’s your favorite memory from your time in the band?

“Sophomore year it started raining during one of our football halftime performances. Dancing in the rain to ‘Pure Imagination’ was probably the most fun I’ve ever had during a show.”

Hannah Lias

What grade are you in, and what role do you play within the marching band?

“I’m a senior, and a clarinet section leader”

What was your favorite venue that you have performed in?

“My favorite venue was probably the U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis. The crowd was huge (and loud) and the stadium was so cool.”

What is your favorite part of this year’s show?

“I absolutely love the ballad this year. The soloists always kill it, and the crowd response they gather makes it so much fun to play.”

Mila Wollman

What grade are you in, and what role do you play within the marching band?

“This year I’m one of the Queen’s Gambit Queens!

Usually, I play in the front ensemble, though.”

What’s your favorite memory from your time in the band?

“My favorite memory would be my freshman year, performing in the afternoon at Bands of America. Everyone was so excited and enthusiastic, and as a freshman, that hype was so special to me.”

Mr. Carlson

What is your favorite part of this year’s show?

I think my (and most people’s) favorite part is the end of the ballad when the two queens and the king are belting it out supported by the rest of the hornline. It is such a powerful moment!

What is your favorite venue to perform at?

So far, the best venue has been US Bank Stadium. I think the best accoustical venue will be the Dome at America’s Center at the BOA Super Regional in St. Louis.

Which performance stuck out to you the most this year?

So far, our best show has been the finals show in Minneapolis.

Once s h e was able to visualize the closeknit friend group that could form, she was all in. “The first time I did theater was my junior year, last year, and it was the one-act play ‘She Kills Monsters.’ The funny thing is, in theater you have to be ‘out there’ because you are with these people [the cast] basically every day practicing for this production. You have to interact in order to make your interactions on stage believable. I definitely had to put myself out there,” said

Crawford.

As time went on and the high school years passed, Crawford was able to establish her roots at LHS. Not only does Crawford encourage getting involved but also presenting oneself in a classy manner. She knew that not only did she want to express her own interest, but she also had a strong desire to learn from others. “Choir is a very performative art. We also do concerts. On stage you want to be engaged and have good facial expressions. Which definitely translates to theater because I had already been working on facial expressions. It ended up being a mini training,” said Crawford.“I really liked the people that were in the theater with me and I was just like okay, so if I want to be better friends with them I have to be more open and it just snowballed from there.” Crawford found something she enjoyed, and, even better, she has been able to experience it with the people around her. “The play ‘She Kills Monsters’ is how I was introduced to Dungeons

and Dragons (D&D). Most of the people in the theater are doing their own games and campaigns so I heard people talking about it a lot. Basically I was drawn to that for a while because I have wanted to play D&D. I had other people that were interested so it just worked out,” said Crawford. D&D is most casually referred to as a thrilling game, traveling throughout a world with twists and turns that tend to knock characters off their paths. Each individual designing their own make believe character acts upon the fate of the draw. Crawford has expressed her creative abilities shining through her acting as well as D&D. To maintain these abilities,

Crawford s t r o n g l y encourages a person to take time to invest in themselves.

“I have been drawing ever since I was a little kid and I would always be doodling in my math book. When I was a freshman

I realized that I really wanted to get into art because it has always interested me,” said Crawford. “I already had an iPad and I got an Apple Pencil for my birthday one year, and I just started doodling. It is just a fun thing and it helps me to lose stress a lot. If I draw it, it is my own creation that I can see.” Crawford knew she could, so she did. Developing these creative abilities has helped Crawford connect with those who she may have not connected with without practicing the skills she has a passion for.

“It is definitely so I can branch out more and meet a lot of new people. I am definitely a very introverted person but I have discovered this year that I have been growing in confidence. It is definitely a lot of my friends. Their confidence in what they do inspires my confidence in what I do. They are just unashamed to be themselves,” said Crawford.

by Ella Grimm

When walking through the halls of LHS, a student can typically hear the popular girls talking about their crazy weekend, the sounds of sneakers squeaking across the acrylic floors and the voices that connect friendships made freshman year. Students hear what is said but they do not seek out what is unsaid. Oftentimes it is crucial for an individual to listen to the quiet voices in order to grow in their own relationships and interests. Each individual is the main character of their own movie we call life. For senior Elizabeth Crawford, it took branching out, developing unexpected friendships and expressing unique hobbies in order to feel heard. From the moment she walked into the LHS doors, Crawford noticed how much the school as an open environment truly has to offer to help her be herself.

“I definitely want there to be people who see me and know that it is okay to be shy and quiet. You are not just a weird and awkward person. You are doing your own thing and people still like you. Be yourself. People do like you for you,” said Crawford. “Definitely do not be afraid to just

ELIZABETH ELIZABETH CRAWFORD CRAWFORD “Their confidence in what they do inspires my confidence in what I do.”“Their confidence in what they do inspires my confidence in what I do.” start going to things. I experienced a lot of social anxiety when I was younger. Everybody wants you there. Everyone is interested in what they have to say and when you show an interest in that they are going to think you are really cool, just do what you like.” It all started when Crawford photo by Ella Grimm design by Ella Grimm chose to join choir freshman year and auditioned for the LHS play. After that, the opportunities came to her.