Team, trust, beauty, power, and courage - five words to live by as Eagle Flight, 111’s 35 piece band, filed into a small breezeway leading into Minoru Arena. Hearts were pounding strong, and the Cadets made great efforts to take deep breaths. It was a big day for the bandies, for hours of practice have been put into the preparation of this performance. Countless hours of rehearsal and drill to perfect the band’s craft all lead up to just fifteen minutes on an arena. |
It was a chance for Eagle Flight to tell a story of who they are, and how hard they have worked over the past year. As for the Cadets, this was probably going to be the most thrilling fifteen minutes a group of young musicians could ever experience. The band’s biggest fear was to perform a run-through during the competition, but this was far from mediocre. Every note and drill movement were done exactly how they were rehearsed. The military band display began with the NFL Theme on Fox into the March of 1941. This was followed by Highlights from Star Trek into Darkness and an exceptionally well-executed Drummer’s Call. The concluding and feature piece for this year was a piece from Eagle Flight 2009: Civilization IV. It was a stunning display of beautiful music and immaculate military precision.
In the end, Eagle Flight pulled off a well-deserved third place, gold standard finish in the Military A Category. The entire competition experience was a significant experience for the young musicians of Eagle Flight. The intense weeks leading up to the competition were especially significant because it allowed the Cadets to build a sense of family with their peers. The Cadets got an opportunity to learn how to work as a team, understanding that a team needs to trust one another in order to succeed. For some new recruits, it was the first time they had ever worked hard for something and felt rewarded by a result. It was a successful year for Eagle Flight, and it is an experience like this that will help continue to grow the music program here at 111 Pegasus Squadron.
WO2 Francis Macapobre
Drum Major
In the end, Eagle Flight pulled off a well-deserved third place, gold standard finish in the Military A Category. The entire competition experience was a significant experience for the young musicians of Eagle Flight. The intense weeks leading up to the competition were especially significant because it allowed the Cadets to build a sense of family with their peers. The Cadets got an opportunity to learn how to work as a team, understanding that a team needs to trust one another in order to succeed. For some new recruits, it was the first time they had ever worked hard for something and felt rewarded by a result. It was a successful year for Eagle Flight, and it is an experience like this that will help continue to grow the music program here at 111 Pegasus Squadron.
WO2 Francis Macapobre
Drum Major