CCHS's marching band, The Sound of Pride, performed at the Florida Marching Band Championship on November 20, 2010 in St. Petersburg. They came in fourth place in their size category.
BY ALYSSA FISHER
On November 20, 2010, The Sound of Pride marching band competed in the 13th Annual Florida Marching Band Championship (FMBC) in the Tropicana Dome in St. Petersburg, Florida and came in fourth place in their class.
A sea of red, black, and white flags swayed vigorously throughout the audience as Cooper City High School’s band marched through the football field to begin their performance.
The Sound of Pride performed a piece created by their director, Christopher Schletter, entitled The Courage to Create. The music was modeled after the Broadway show, Sunday in the Park with George, and the group practiced it from June to the day of the competition. Though, it wasn’t just any normal performance; The Courage to Create had a deep meaning that was important to all of the students.
“The show is about the importance of the arts,” Schletter said. “The idea basically stems from the effect budget cuts have had on the arts and other academic areas. I wanted to use the band to send a positive message for how important the arts are. It was my goal to put on a show that students will learn from and be excited about.”
After a full day of intense competition, The Sound of Pride moved on to the finals in the 4A class, the category they competed in based on the size of the band. That night, they performed again against the four other finalists: Cypress Creek, Lake Howell, Buchholtz, and SantaLuces.
As the night came to a close, it was announced that out of the sixteen bands in 4A, The Sound of Pride came in fourth place.
“From the beginning, I drove them to live up to their potential,” Scheltter said. “They did a really great job.”
Photo Credit: ALYSSA FISHER
