The Lebanon Trail Marching Band’s performance ‘The Rite of Spring’ marked a defining moment for the program—one earned through months of rigorous work, unwavering dedication, and the tight-knit spirit of more than 200 students pushing toward the same goal. From the earliest days of summer band camp to the finals announcement inside the Alamodome, the band’s journey was built on commitment, leadership, and dedication to their craft.
The band’s path to state began long before the competition season ever started. Senior saxophone section leader and LT Band Vice President Shiva Ganeshprabu described how the foundation for success is laid early.
“[Practices] began in July, when we first started summer band camp,” Ganeshprabu said. “We’re teaching the new incoming freshmen how to march and other basic fundamentals. Some of them have never played certain instruments ever before, so they’ve had to learn how to play new instruments.”
As the season advanced, the band’s focus shifted from fundamentals to marching drill, music, and the fine details that define a championship performance.
“We start learning drill for the [marching] show August 1, and since then, we just continue and keep pushing through,” Ganeshprabu said. “We run drill multiple times every week… it’s quite a handful.”
But to him, the effort is worth it. “When you enjoy something so much, you don’t have another choice except to be passionate about it,” Ganeshprabu added. “I’ve done it for four years, and I accept that I’m going to be busy and stressed, but it’s something that I love, so it doesn’t feel like work.”
For the color guard, the journey looked different—but no less demanding. Senior guard captain Maggie Gunawan explained the unique challenges colorguard faces while preparing for a performance at state. “Since the band has to focus on both music and visual, and guard only has to focus on visual, we really need to sell the performance,” Gunawan said. “Guard members spend long hours practicing outside, grappling with wind, weather, and the difficulty of spinning equipment while marching.”
Still, Gunawan describes the state experience as unforgettable.
“My favorite thing about performing at state was the Alamodome itself, and just the environment… how much the people who came for other bands still supported us no matter what,”Gunawan said.
Stepping into leadership brought its own challenges for junior drum majors Shiloh Kim and Sakura Hatsushiba.
“I was kind of scared that being a drum major would feel more lonely,” Kim said. “But it didn’t separate me from anyone at all. It was really cool to get a new perspective… seeing the full picture.”
Hatsushiba agreed, explaining how conducting opened the door to connect with the entire band.
“My first two years, I was only with the trumpet section,” Hatsushiba said. “But as a drum major, I got to talk to more people throughout the band, including the drumline and colorguard.”
Leadership also meant pushing through the hard times. “We know the feeling of not making it,” Kim said. “So we knew we had to put in everything we had this year—for our seniors, and for everyone that didn’t get the experience of going last year.”
Their determination paid off, The Rite of Spring took the LT Marching Band to levels they had never reached before.
“This show was definitely a redemption from last year, it also showcases the shift in culture that we’ve had in our band,” Senior Drum Major Teena Thomas said. “In previous years we’ve had a separation of underclassmen and upperclassmen but I feel like this year has been the year where we’ve built that community to where everyone is involved with each other and we all support each other.”
The hard work of the leadership team and the dedication of the band members brought them to the finals retreat at the Alamodome.
“You’re standing on that turf during retreat, and you hear them go down the placements, and you think, ‘I’m making history right now.’ This is the band that will be talked about for the next couple years… even after I’m gone,” Ganeshprabu said.
For every marcher, guard member, and drum major, the season was defined by a shared belief: that dedication creates something unforgettable. Whether it was enduring the Texas heat in July, perfecting form during late-night rehearsals, to performing their show for the last time at finals under the bright lights of the Alamodome, the Lebanon Trail band proved that excellence comes from passion and collaboration.
