Truth #1
It is not easy to toss a large flag high overhead and cleanly catch it effortlessly (especially in our West Texas wind).
Truth #2
Wylie High School’s Colorguard is part of the Pure Gold Band as well as their own entity with two seasons – a fall season and a spring season.
Truth #3
Well, let’s face it. There are many things about Colorguard most of us do not know so Wylie Magazine went behind the scenes with Angelina Torres, who is in her third year as the colorguard director at WHS, to learn more about the program she describes as the visual heartbeat of the band.
HAS THERE ALWAYS BEEN A COLORGUARD PROGRAM AT WYLIE?
“I believe Wylie has always had a colorguard, but I couldn’t find much information in the current band archives. I’d say we’ve almost made a callback to the older Wylie High School colorguard— The Wylie Vision—from Mr. Lunney’s time as band director. They competed like we do now, in the same circuit we do now. It’s very cool to be able to see past generations of the team and how we grow in an ever-changing performance world!”
HOW HAS COLORGUARD CHANGED OVER TIME?
“The competition scene is significantly vaster than it ever has been before. The Wylie Vision had a fall season colorguard and a spring season winterguard (indoor colorguard, performs to a recorded track). Colorguard today is a much bigger performance than in the past. We use much more body and equipment, we embrace much more movement, and we embody the Sport of the Arts spirit as a whole.”
DO YOU NEED EXPERIENCE TO TRYOUT?
“Colorguard is for everyone at any mobility level or skill level, regardless of any prior dance or equipment experience. The only thing we ask is that prospects be open to learning and trying new things. We teach everything from the ground up, and we build choreography and shows around everyone’s individual skill level. We do not require students to have equipment and provide all the equipment needed to audition and perform.”
WHAT SHOULD STUDENTS/PARENTS EXPECT IF THEY MAKE COLORGUARD?
“The time commitment for colorguard is like most organizations at the high school level. We meet every morning for rehearsal from 7-9 and have 2 two-hour after-school rehearsal days. Outside of rehearsals, we have regularly scheduled football games and contests.”
WHAT SHOULD STUDENTS WHO ARE INTERESTED IN TRYING OUT DO TO PREPARE?
“If you’re interested in tryouts, building up your endurance is a good place to start. Drinking enough water, getting proper nutrition and having a positive attitude towards exercise are my number one priorities during early camps. Going from sitting indoors all day to running outside in 100-degree weather for summer band is a drastic lifestyle change, and safety is paramount. Come to the band hall, ask the current team questions, ask me questions, borrow equipment if you want to try it beforehand, we just want you to be comfortable and confident. Always come with a positive attitude and a gallon of water. We’ll take care of the rest!”
WHAT EXPENSES ARE ASSOCIATED WITH COLORGUARD?
“Our program fees range from $300-$500 every season, but there are opportunities to bring this down including scholarships, financial assistance programs and more. The band booster program is a big reason we are able to work with students on their fees. We never want expenses to be a reason to not join the program.”
HOW HAS WYLIE’S PROGRAM EVOLVED SINCE YOU HAVE BEEN DIRECTOR?
“We now do year-round colorguard, which is a HUGE deal. By not restarting every fall semester, we spend the full-time growing skills and advancing from a novice team to an advanced team. Being able to transition to the indoor season also means we have a second chance to have auditions, which translates to exponential growth every season. Another change we’re really excited about is the opportunity to host contests for the surrounding schools. The marching program hosts the Big Country Marching Festival, which allows many schools around Abilene to have a performance opportunity outside of our UIL/BOA contests. Similarly, the colorguard is excited to host an indoor colorguard contest, as well as a solo and ensemble contest this coming spring semester. This is a very big deal, as there is a large divide in the availability of competition opportunities outside of DFW. We’re very excited to increase the performance opportunities for our more local colorguards, as accessibility for all helps build the reputation and conversations around the sport.”
IS THERE AN OPPORTUNITY TO PERFORM AT THE COLLEGIATE LEVEL?
“The beautiful thing about colorguard is there are several opportunities to learn and perform after high school, and we have had several members go on to participate in colorguard in college. Competition in college is a bit different; some colleges do participate in formal marching competitions but generally will only learn a show for exhibition performances and local circuit contests.”
ARE SCHOLARSHIPS AVAILABLE LIKE OTHER EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITIES?
“There are several scholarships available to current students who wish to perform in college. ACU offers a participation scholarship to all of their colorguard members, the indoor circuits we compete in (NTCA, WGI) also offer scholarships to eligible students. There are also several zero-fee colorguard and winterguard programs, like Tarleton’s Purple Pride Colorguard and Winterguard. The Texas Bandmasters Association (TBA) offers scholarships to students pursuing music education degrees, with a focus on those with strong connections to band programs, including colorguard. The Texas Educational Colorguard Association (TECA) offers scholarships to high school seniors who are members of competitive winterguard or indoor percussion units. These scholarships require director recommendations, essays and transcripts. Programs like Texas Tech University’s Goin’ Band, Baylor University’s Golden Wave Band and Texas State University offer scholarships based on participation and usually require an audition.”
The “Why?”
Morgan Dean, Senior and Captain
“It’s hard to put into words why I am so passionate about colorguard…I love the power of self-expression through dance. Colorguard has been the perfect outlet for me to experience performing full out and giving it my all on a half-time show. Through guard, I’ve met lots of different personalities and backgrounds on my team, and learning how to speak and guide each of them has been really beneficial for me in every aspect of my life.”
Autumn Kenley, Sophomore
“The reason I joined Colorguard is because one, it looked like so much fun and two, because it was a part of the band, and band is so awesome! Guard is hard work but extremely rewarding…It could look very straightforward, but on the performer’s side, it took many reps and flag crashing to the floor just to get it right. But in the end, you can’t help but smile when you get things right.”
Raylee Stewart, Sophomore
“I originally thought colorguard wasn’t much more than an accessory to the band but after joining, the amount of practice, time and drive that goes into it is the same as any dance team…and even though it’s time consuming, the people you meet and the you learn are well worth it!”