By Traci Chapman
Contributing Writer
Piedmont junior varsity and varsity winter guard teams gave strong performances to close out one of the most unusual seasons on record – a season complicated by the novel coronavirus.
Both JV and varsity teams brought home third-place finishes in their divisions during Winter Guard and Percussion of Oklahoma’s west state championships Saturday at Mustang High School. It was one of the few in-person tournaments held this year due to COVID-19 safety concerns.
Director Christian Traylor and assistant Mikayla Byrne guided their teams to successful seasons with the JV program, “Rainbow,” set to Kasey Musgrave’s song of the same name, Traylor said. That seemed like a fitting way to honor a time that brought with it many challenges, the director said.
“This show is gives hope to all by saying that even though it may seem like a gloomy day and it’s raining, there will always be a rainbow that comes out of it,” he said.
Varsity’s “Trainwreck” by James Arthur perhaps best illustrated the multifaceted situation of life – and competition – in times of a global pandemic.
“This show brings awareness to the emotional pit we all experience at some part of our life and how we should persevere through it,” Traylor said.
JV and varsity winter guard teams collectively have 23 members this year; officials hope as they prepare for 2021 marching season, which generally officially begin with band and color band camps in July, they will be looking at greater participation and a return, at least somewhat, to normal, as COVID-19 cases continue to fall and more people get vaccinated to protect against the virus’s spread.
Despite all the challenges – many tournaments were held virtually or canceled outright and for a time it was a very real possibility the season might not go forward at all – it’s been a great opportunity for both staff and students, Traylor said.
“This year we are extremely grateful to be able to finish the season – even though we have had fewer competitions, it has been an amazing journey of growth for both the students and staff,” the director said. “Last year, our season was cut short due to the pandemic, and it has definitely changed the way WGPO has decided to operate the current season.
“We have had to submit one virtual performance and three in person performances; we show up a few minutes before warm up and then we perform and leave – normally, we would show up a few hours before performance time to watch other guards, socialize and enjoy the atmosphere of being surrounded by others that have worked just as hard as we do,” he said.
It’s bittersweet to see the winter guard season come to a close, but officials are optimistic for marching season, they said. As of press time, auditions and practice dates for color guard had not yet been determined but should be shortly. Traylor said he hopes the renewed spirit of a difficult year made positive by students and staff alike would extend to the coming months and those who might wish to join winter or color guard.
“We have definitely used this season as one of growth for our performance, technique and overall program – I can honestly and proudly say that we have done just that and have raised the bar for the expectations we hold ourselves to,” Traylor said. “We encourage everyone to come out and give it a try – we take pride in saying that this program is a family and we all take care of one another from the staff that have performed and taught for many years all the way to the newest guard/family member.”
