Writers: Michael Miramontes ’18, Caren B. ’17
The much-loved movie trilogy “Back to the Future” and its music provided the Jesuit/Ursuline Ranger Band (JURB) with just the right notes to earn first in its division at the recent Classic on the Lake Marching Competition, held in Little Elm.. The addition of props and dancing in the Future show made it a unique challenge even for the experienced band members. Jesuit football fans also have been enjoying the show and lively music at halftime this year.
“The props in our show are huge poster-sized pictures of a [Delorean] car [and they’re] heavy, so multiple people need to take these on the field every Friday game. My favorite part of the show is part four because we have this dance sequence that involves square dancing,” Alexandra Flegle ‘17, an alto saxophone player for JURB, said.
Although the show may have seemed effortless at the competition, JURB worked hard to get it to that point. Because the band, which has about 75 people, was the smallest band at the competition in the midst of larger public school bands, it was crucial to practice the walking pattern and instruments until it reached perfection.
“To practice before the big competition, the band marched every day starting at 7 [a.m.] to make sure the show [was] ready for that competition,” Flegle said.
The Classic on the Lake is held every year by the Little Elm Marching Band as a fundraiser for their band. The Competition hosts over 25 bands across the DFW area, for a friendly competition. Bands perform before professional judges who specialize in marching, percussion, auxiliary, and music quality. As they watch, the judges give informative and constructive tips and comments about ways to improve the overall quality. JURB goes to this event every year, despite being the only private school band as well as the smallest band in the competition, and gives their best effort. Describing the results of the competition, JURB Director Zane Crownover commented that the band “really stepped up to the challenge,” using the competition as preparation for the upcoming Texas Private School Music Educators Association (TSPMEA) Marching competition on Oct. 31.
Part of the reason JURB chose Back to the Future as their inspiration for their show is that October 21, 2015 was the date Doc Brown and Marty McFly traveled to from 1985 in the second film of the movie trilogy. Noting this to be a particularly special show, Mr. Crownover “is really excited about the show” as he has had this particular show planned in advance long before 2015. Although the plot and characters of the movie are most memorable to viewers, the music by composer Alan Silvestri adds excitement and depth to the movie. Even just in general, the music reminds us of the old movies. JURB member/Trumpet player Joey Wong-Vermillion ‘18 says he likes it because “Back to the Future was one of my favorite movies as a kid.” The symphony, which performed the original music for the show, nicknamed the Outatime Orchestra, was a 98-piece ensemble including violins, cellos, and trombones. In addition to composing for the Back to the Future trilogy, Alan Silvestri also composed the scores for the movies Predator, Delta Force, Forrest Gump, and Night at the Museum.
Silvestri’s score for Back to the Future is “exciting, and great engaging music,” Mr. Crownover said. The show is comprised of four parts, each having their own distinct tune. Throughout the show, the band marches through several formations and sets of matching patterns, including the year in which the first movie takes place, 1985. Specifically unique to this show, as opposed to other years, is the use of props depicting Back to Future’s iconic Delorean on one prop and a clock tower building on the other. Part 1 is the introduction, music from the main soundtrack of the first movie, and the opening set is a clock, representing the movies’ theme of time travel. Part 2 included the classic, “Mr. Sandman,” which has its roots in the 1950s, the time period to which character Marty McFly travels to in the first movie. Part 3 of the show takes a twist, as it’s a percussion-centered song. While for most of the piece the woodwind and brass instruments are marching without playing, the percussion is playing with a unique and prevalent sound that ties the movement together. For Part 4’s conclusion to the show, western-themed music referring to the characters’ travel to the Old West of 1885 takes center field. Since part of the color guard also play in the Jesuit-Ursuline Orchestra, JURB Director’s implemented a section of the 4th movement for a fiddle-style square dance, where violins play the music while the band dances on the field. The show concludes with the main tune of the Back to the Future movies, as the prop Delorean moving across the field on one last final note.
Although the show was praised by students and judges alike for its smooth run and complex choreography, there were still a few things to improve on. Keeping that in mind, the judges gave constructive criticism to help JURB prepare for another competition on October 31 for private schools, and as for the JURB directors, they are “proud of the work that they put into [the show]”.
“The judges said we could improve in our marching technique of traversing, which is walking with your feet, not to the sideline [and] your body…front and center to the stadium, [because] when [we] don’t march that way [it] leads to our band looking sloppy and nonuniform,” Flegle ‘17 said. Wong-Vermillion seconded this opinion of progress, stating “there were definitely some things we needed to fix, but I feel like we’re doing a pretty good job after-the-fact”
The Jesuit Ursuline Ranger Band holds a deep place in the hearts of Ranger fans, as well as the hearts of it’s students. Meeting 5 days a week from 7:00 – 8:15 a.m., it’s no question why there is such a tight bond between the members of the band. Since students from Jesuit and Ursuline both participate in Band, it provides an opportunity for students to meet friends from the other school. As students combine their love of music and marching, to support their schools by playing songs and performing in the half time show to boost the moral of the spectators at Friday night games. Through all this, JURB nurtures friendships and connections between students of Jesuit and Ursuline alike, to create what really makes the Jesuit Ursuline Ranger Band less like a band, and more like a team.
If you want to learn more about JURB to the Future, check out this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=le1uJZUYej0.
