User:Tfosorcim/Cascade Sound

The Cascade High School Marching Band and Auxiliary, also known as Cascade Sound, is the school marching band for Cascade High School in Everett, Washington. It is under the direction of Mr. Mark Staley and has over 100 members. They play in several high school marching band competitions around the Pacific Northwest every fall, including their home show at Everett Memorial Stadium. The associated concert and jazz bands perform at a variety of venues throughout the remainder of the year.

History
The school has had a marching band program for at least two decades. Over the years, Cascade Sound developed a tradition of excellence and high achievement, winning numerous awards at various performances. The band has gone through many directors in the past, including Jim Johnson from the early 1990s to the mid 2000s.

Member Organization
Cascade Sound enjoys a large band with a hornline, drumline, color guard and pit. Each section within the hornline usually has one to three section leaders that assist other members of their section and hold small sectional practices, and one or two horn captains usually lead the entire hornline during retreats. The drumline and pit have their own leaders that hold additional rehearsals, and guard captains assist members of the color guard and guide them through rehearsals and retreats. At the top are two to three drum majors that direct the entire band during performances, provide assistance and encouragement to other members, and help the main director run rehearsals and shows smoothly.

Marching Season
The marching band rehearses regularly every fall in preparation for four or five competitions around the state of Washington and occasionally Oregon or Idaho, making this their busiest time of the year. A new show, complete with music and drill often written or arranged by their own creative director, is chosen annually for the members to learn, master, and perform. Each season begins with an intense summer band camp followed by multiple weekly practices during the beginning of the school year. The band provides pep music during school assemblies and home football games, where they perform their show at halftime, though this tapers off later in the season as they prepare for their major competitions. Cascade Sound has traditionally varied which competitions they perform at each year, although recently they have tended to compete at the exact same venues every season.

Puget Sound Festival of Bands
The Puget Sound Festival of Bands is Cascade Sound's home show, held at the end of every October at Everett Memorial Stadium. Many bands from around the state of Washington and a few from Oregon or Idaho perform at the competition. Cascade Sound does not compete at the PSFOB but performs their show in the form of an exhibition performance.

Concert Bands
Though the marching band is often considered the most important and well-known part of the program, Cascade Sound also supports standard concert-style ensembles that perform during winter and spring. This includes Concert Band and Symphonic Band, two non-audition groups, as well as an audition-only wind ensemble (now known officially as the Wind Symphony). All three bands play in three concerts every year, and they often individually perform at large-group music festivals, school assemblies, and community events. Most members of the marching band belong to at least one concert group, and many talented musicians typically arise and excel at local and state solo contests.

Major Trips
Cascade Sound goes on major trips every two years, a tradition maintained since 1991. They alternate between international and domestic destinations, allowing students who stay in band all through high school to enjoy one international and one domestic trip, though they aren't required to go on either. All domestic trips were to Florida until the most recent one, which was to New York City. Past international destinations include Russia, Mexico, the United Kingdom, China, and Australia. The band typically does around two to four concert performances and on some trips a marching performance, spending the rest of their time sightseeing or enjoying various activities.