The practice field at Fossil Ridge High School sees months of marching feet, music and the constant beat of a metronome each fall. These are the sounds of the Fossil Ridge Marching Band preparing for the 2025 Marching Band State Championships, sanctioned by the Colorado Bandmasters Association.
Fossil Ridge marched into the United States Air Force Academy for the CBA state semifinals Oct. 25 and placed first in Class 5A, scoring 87.5 points. Later that night, the band performed in the state finals and increased their score to 89.55 points, keeping first place in 5A. 2025 marks Fossil Ridge’s fourth consecutive first-place finish, as well as its eighth in the last fourteen seasons.
“All the hard work that we put in (to the shows) is really showing,” said Carolina Moraes Dutra, FRHS Marching Band’s head drum major. “I know all the bands just work just as hard as us, but being able to see the outcome that we wanted throughout the season is pretty amazing.”
The success of the band’s performance comes from practice. The band practices for two hours, three days a week. Because there are only six hours of rehearsal every week, the band’s leadership emphasizes intention in how they practice.
“We’re trying to be really intentional with maximizing the amount of time that we have and moving at a faster pace,” said Hannah Peterson, associate director of bands at Fossil Ridge. “We figured out how to be a lot more efficient with our time. We really leaned on the leadership team to warm up their sections and have a plan for what they wanted to do when they got downtime during the rehearsal.”
Because of the short but precise rehearsals, students have more opportunities to grow and more time to rest, especially before large rehearsals or competitions.
“It definitely boosts our morale,” said Sarah Seib-Azofeifa, FRHS Marching Band’s flute section leader. “You can see that people are excited, like, we count down the minutes till we’re done, but in a good way because we want to get home and get rest so we can recharge our batteries. We’re all hyped and have more energy to have a solid rehearsal.”
The leadership, from the band’s directorate down to the drum majors and section leaders, is central to the structure of the band. Beyond this hierarchy, the band also uses volunteers to help with smaller secondary tasks.
“This year, as a leadership team, we held everyone and everything to a higher standard. We got a lot more things done than last year. The other students are looking up to us and want to be like us, and then it’s just going to keep improving.” – Carolina Moraes Dutra, FRHS Marching Band head drum major
“People in a lot of different roles throughout the school really strive for excellence, and the fact that the administration in this building is so supportive of what we do is the biggest thing that makes a difference,” Peterson said. “The success of a program and the fact that they’re willing to have conversations with us, bounce ideas off of each other and support the goals that we have makes a really big difference. All of the administrators in this building really work hard to make it a great experience for the students. That coming from the top really matters.”
This year, Fossil Ridge wasn’t only practicing for state competitions. They also competed at the Bands of America St. Louis Super Regional Oct. 17, only one week prior. The band scored 79.575 points at prelims, placing them 19th of 65 schools. They did not qualify for the Super Regional finals. Although Fossil Ridge has competed in BOA competitions in the past, this year’s band was the first to compete at a super regional.
“We told the kids that they were going to see bands they wouldn’t believe that they were high schoolers, and I don’t think they fully believed us until they were there,” Peterson said. “It was really cool to see them experience that, but also for us to be inspired, like, ‘How can we get to the next level?’ and having new ideas of what the next level should look like.”
With a history of success in its marching band, the program prioritizes supporting the band’s success. Long-time staff and student leaders remain committed to maintaining the band’s success and instilling that trust in the band’s younger members and future student leaders.
“This year, as a leadership team, we held everyone and everything to a higher standard,” Moraes-Dutra said. “We got a lot more things done than last year. The other students are looking up to us and want to be like us, and then it’s just going to keep improving.”
Reach Robert Sides at entertainment@collegian.com or on social media @RMCollegian.
