Carson City's Blue Thunder Marching Band will not be in Holiday Bowl

Carson City's Blue Thunder Marching Band will not be among those performing in this year's Holiday Bowl in December.

The band received the invitation to participate in May, but Director Chuck Dewees said it did not have enough time to raise the money for a trip to San Diego.

"It was getting really tight on time to get the necessary funds raised by December," Dewees said. "The boosters decided we should take more time to prepare for a trip like this in the future."

Dewees said he is still interested in taking his students to bowl games. He said the money already raised will go toward a similar trip either this spring or next fall.

"We're still working toward a trip of that magnitude," he said.

In addition to raising money, Dewees said the band will also be preparing musically.

The band hit a double whammie last Saturday with a performance in the Nevada Day Parade followed by the competition at the University of Nevada, Reno.

Dewees said the band made the extra effort to attend both events because both are important aspects of being a marching band.

As the marching band of the high school in the state capital, he said they were obligated to play in the parade celebrating the state's birthday.

"One of our top priorities is to support the activities that go on in this community," he said.

Competitions are key to the development of a band.

"One of the best activities that I can think of is to go to competitions where the main activity is band," Dewees said. "At other activities, we're more of a support group but competitions are all about what we're doing musically."

The Blue Thunder band received the second-place award out of the high school bands in the Nevada Day Parade but did not finish in the top three at the competition.

However, Dewees said it is not about winning.

"The real experience is to be around the other groups," he said. "The real competition is within each student. When students compete within themselves, they always win."

This year, the band is divided into different classes - concert band, symphonic band and wind ensemble. The marching band meets after school every other day.

Dewees said it allows for the band to be practicing all year and ensures that only those who are dedicated to marching band become members of it.

"The musicality of the group is going to get better and better," he said. "It'll take two to three years to really see the results."