Julian Contreras (Flute)

Julian Contreas is a senior in the band this year. His goal was to be a good section leader and encourage the freshman to improve. His goal has been met: he claims that the freshmen are good and gaining more confidence. Contreras’s favorite memory from this year has been band practice and being with his friends. He is excited and scared about leaving high school behind. He is considering taking up marching band in college and he has not decided where to play, but just wherever he ends up.

Alice Benedict Melton (Drum Major)

Alice Benedict Melton is a senior in the band this year. Benedict’s goal this year was to help with the freshmen and the sophomores because, for some, last year was their first year. She explained that she hadn’t reached her goal quite yet. However, there is still time in the year to complete her goal. Her favorite memory from this season was band camp. Benedict says that it is pretty weird to be a senior because when she was younger she looked up to the seniors, and now that she is a senior it’s pretty weird. She says that as of right now she doesn’t plan on continuing band after high school, but she isn’t ruling it out yet. She explains that if she did continue with band, a DCI group would be what she wanted to do.

Ridley Cole (Tenor Saxophone)

Ridley Cole is a senior in the band this year. He says that his goal was to just have a good time and see the band grow. He explains that he wants to teach the younger people how to be section leaders so that when he is gone next year they can take over and lead the band like he does. Cole says that he hasn’t reached his goal yet but he hopes that he will soon. His favorite memory was having a good time with everyone. Cole says that he isn’t too excited to be a senior because after school ends he has a whole life that he has to move on to. He explains that he might have an interest in pursuing music after high school, and he wants to get into music more as he gets older. He is looking into different colleges to see which have the best music and art programs.

Bennett Fly (Percussion)

Bennett Fly is a senior in band this year. Her goal this season is to get as proficient with the music as possible. She says that she reached her goal and even exceeded it. Fly explains that her favorite memory this season was getting ready for the competition last weekend in Washington. She says that being a senior is exciting because she is ready to be done with high school and move on. Fly states that she probably won’t continue with band professionally but it could be a possibility in college. She says that if she does end up competing, it will be at Brigham Young University – Idaho.

Cody Jimenez (Tuba)

Cody Jimenez is a senior in band this year. He says that his goal is to do his best and receive the best score with what they were given. Jimenez explains that since they are in the middle of the season it is hard to say if he will reach his goal. He states that his favorite memory from this season so far is traveling and being able to be a leader. For Jimenez, being a senior feels the same, but he does feel like he has more experience. He says that where he is going to college there is no football team, so marching band would not be a possibility. However, Jimenez says that he does plan on pursuing jazz studies with an emphasis on saxophone.

Karime Madera (Clarinet)

Karime Madera is a senior in band this year. She says that her goal is to work on performance and be serious about it. At the same time, she also wants to have fun. Madera explains that she thinks the goal has been reached because they are doing better than last year. Her favorite memory so far is when the band went on their out-of-state trip to Washington and they were all doing the wave with the other bands. Madera says that it is pretty crazy to be a senior. She also says it is pretty wild to see how many seniors there are in the band this year. She says that if she is offered a position to be in a band later in life, it could be a possibility to compete in the future. Madera states that if she does compete in the future, Boise State would be a good option because they have a really good band.

Alex Melendez (Alto Saxophone)

Alex Melendez is a senior in the band. Her goal this year was to take band as seriously as the other seniors. This was Melendez’s first year in band, and she felt she accomplished her goal. Her favorite memory was having fun with their friends. Melendez feels nervous about being a senior since she does not have any future plans. She does not like being competitive and prefers to go with the flow. She wants to play at C of I or U of I since the music programs are good.

Joshua Nye (Trumpet)

Joshua Nye is a senior in the band. He says that his goal this year is to win state, however, he has not reached this goal because the band has not been to the D3 competition yet. Nye says that his favorite memory so far was the homecoming game. Being with his friends and the band was fun for him. He is very excited to be a senior, and he hopes to march at the University of Idaho.

Jared Shell (Drum Major)

Jared Shell is a senior in the band this year. His goal this season is to lead the band and do well in competition as the drum major. His favorite memory from his season was working with the other drum majors to set up and tear down the equipment. They make jokes together and he enjoys being around his friends in band. Shell he finds it weird that he is a senior this year. He finds it a new experience to try to get the other members ready to take his place and get the team ready for the seniors to leave. He has started his application process for BYU and is hoping to march there.

Adam Valadez (Flute)

Adam Valadez is a senior in the band this year. His goal this year was to bring the band together and make his section play as a whole. That goal is in progress as the year goes on, but he is hoping to reach that goal before graduation. Valadez’s favorite memory this year was hanging out with the band and performing at games. He is nervous about graduating and performing for his last season. He just wants to try his best and hopes everyone else will try their best as well. Valadez wants to pursue music in his life and major in music. He is hoping to be a solo artist and do his own thing with music.

Sydney Wade (Drum Major)

Sydney Wade is a senior in the band this year. She explains that her goal this year was to take on a leadership role, and she feels like she has reached her goal as a drum major. Her favorite memory from this season was going to BSU and performing for half-time. Normally the band doesn’t do a big performance like that until the end of the season, so that was a good memory for her. Wade says that it is weird to be a senior but she is excited to graduate and move on from high school. She says that when high school is over she might join the Blue Thunder Marching Band at BSU.

Emily Holbrook (Cheer)

Emily Holbrook is a senior this year in cheer. Her main goal this year was to balance and work on her flying. She also wanted to be more social with everyone and make new friends. Her favorite memory this year was their first game. They had a lot of new people on the team, so many of them came to her for guidance and advice. She was a first-year athlete for this school but she has been a cheerleader for almost six years. She also had a good time on the bus rides since everyone was very excited. She feels kinda scared about it being her last year in high school and cheer, but Holbrook is ready for a change. She is going to Montana State University and she might try out for the cheer team. If she does not make it she does not have any further plans to continue in cheer.

Elena Garcia (Cheer)

Elena Garcia is a senior in cheer. She explains that her goal this season was to have a great time and grow as a team. Garcia explains that she doesn’t believe her goal has been reached yet because the cheer season started very recently. Homecoming was her favorite memory. She says that it is the biggest scare for the new cheerleaders, so being able to finish homecoming was a great memory for her.

Nova Lewison (Cheer)

Nova Lewison is a senior on the cheer team. Her goal this year was to improve her skills and be a part of a team, and she feels that she has reached that goal. Lewison explains that hitting stunts is her favorite memory. She states that being a senior is very weird for her and she is nervous about the future. Lewison says that she is looking into doing cheer in college, and if she did it she would cheer at BSU.

Brooke Bourdon (Color Guard)

Brooke Bourdon is a senior on the color guard. Her goal this season was to form more friendships and to make this year memorable. She states that she has reached the goal she wanted to accomplish. Bourdon’s favorite memory was being able to use their props more and improving this year. As a senior this year, she is happy and sad for it to be over. She wants to do DCI and audition for it. In this program, you get to travel around the world and she is hoping to make the team.