The Mighty Cardinal Band’s marching season has come to an end, leaving them full with memories of a truly remarkable season.

According to Zac Robason, the Associate Director of Bands, the show titled “Bon Appetit” was inspired by France and the color palette that was associated with the famously romanticized country, though there were several concepts that were considered before finally landing on the one that stuck.

The show opened with the band and colorguard dancing synchronously in a ballet-esque style to a soft rendition of the “Ratatouille Main Theme,” which was played by a flute. “Bon Appetit” featured music such as “Le Festin” and the “Ratatouille Main Theme” from Ratatouille [Film], “Rakoczy March” by Hector Berlioz and Arthur Fieldler, “Claire de lune” by Claude Debussy, “J’ai ete au bal (I went to the Dance)” by Donald Grantham, “Farandole” by Georges Bizet, and “Can Can” by Jacques Offenbach.

Their show from this year, unlike previous years, was heavily geared towards artistic development. This narrative was visually reflected through the pastel colored backdrops, dainty white cafe tables, and the classically shaped street lamp posts, each of which added to the overall softer atmosphere.

“There was actually a true storyline on the field this year, whereas in previous years it was just a rock show,” Jerry Whorton, Director of Fine Arts, said.

This shift was mostly due to the change in classification from 4A to 5A. The band faced a massive jump in members, going from around 120 students to almost 200.

“We knew that this time was coming four or five years ago,” Whorton said. “To prepare, we began doubling down on everything we did to where we could build momentum and grab speed coming in.”

The band competed at a handful of competitions including the Sounds of Fall Marching Classic in Princeton, where they advanced to finals, placing second overall. The following week they traveled to Royse City to participate in the Royse City Marching Classic, where the band was awarded Grand Champion. The band also made history by performing at Bands of America (BOA) for the very first time.

Even though they have wrapped up the competitive portion of marching season, fans can still catch the band playing at every football game in the stands and on the field during halftime.

In reflection, the band has faced an abundance of changes this year, from a considerable increase in size to the addition of a few new staff members. Nevertheless, these transitions seem to be greatly beneficial, as both students and staff agree that marching fundamentals and music looked and sounded better than ever.

“If you’re teaching life through music, you’re gonna have to understand that change is always going to be present,” Whorton said. “If you’re not changing, then you’re not growing, and if you’re not growing, you become stagnant.”