Every year at Vista High School, nearly forty high schools from all around Southern California show off their musical and marching talent at the Vista Invitational Field Tournament.  And on Saturday Nov. 9, Carlsbad’s Marching Lancers and Color Guard came out on top by receiving first place in their division despite a long day and new adjustments.

“Last year we were just getting used to Adam Bovie’s new methods but now, we’re beginning to understand each other,” senior and band president Kaylin Brennan said.

In 2012, Adam Bovie became the new director of Carlsbad’s marching band. Bovie provides a new leadership style which involves a larger staff that is specialized in each musical section. Along with more assistance, Mr. Bovie has incorporated new techniques and extra practices into the band schedule.

“Our day started early at 8 a.m. with a Parade in Otay Mesa,” Brennan said. “So by the time we got here at 6 p.m., we were pretty tired.”

At the Otay Ranch Town Center, the City of Chula Vista  and the Parade Band Foundation host the annual Parade Band Review & Community Festival. Some of the best marching bands in Southern California compete for a variety of much needed scholarships and grants.

“It’s really difficult to compete because the district barely supports us – most of our support comes from fundraising,” senior and band president Ji Shin said. “Other schools get a lot of money from their school districts which allows them to have new uniforms and props for Color Guard, but for us, the district only pays for our buses.”

At the competition, other high schools were seen adorning lavish marching uniforms, color guard costumes and props (including mounted GoPros on marchers paired with inflatable projector screens to display on field perspectives throughout the performance).

“We try to tackle more challenging music, but it takes more time and effort so compared to others, we definitely try harder,” senior and Drum Major Jason Neris said. “We try to present our music, not hide it with lights and props.”

But when it came down to it, their skill rather than extravagance helped Carlsbad claim first place in their 4A division.

“It was pretty remarkable because it was our first win – our first true win in two years. We’ve come close every competition, we’ve been getting second place or third place by a tenth of a percent,” Neris said. “It was just two years of getting second place, third place, fourth place so to hear to your name called first is remarkable.

Because Carlsbad’s Marching Lancers and Color Guard reclaimed their success at the Vista Invitational Field Tournament, they have high hopes for the rest of the year.

“By winning this last competition, it’s going to give us that drive to continue our success for the rest of the year,” Neris said.