Winterguard is a “color guard activity performed indoors to recorded music, usually in a gym or arena.” This year open auditions were held, available for anyone to be on the team. The auditions were open so that, according to band director Brandon Kiesgan, “we [can] give people a chance to do something they’ve never done before.”

Many students from colorguard also participate in winterguard as a replacement since colorguard season ended in Nov.. Kiesgan said “this year [they] had a really high turnout, pretty much doubling in size; which is really good.” The group also has lots of new members, which Kiesgan said are “really good for future years.” There are a total of 28 members this year. Senior Kiara Deliman, who has participated in winterguard since her sophomore year, said that “they’re [the new kids] showing a lot of potential…”  This will prove effective “as long as they’re able to learn…” said senior and two year veteran Evan Cannon.

The open auditions and welcoming team are helpful to a group of students who just want to be involved. First-timer, sophomore Emily Robb said that she joined because “it’s really cool to see.”

Last year there were two teams, junior varsity and varsity. Deliman said that “we have a lot of potential to be one solid big group.” The team is a a lot like a second family for most of the members. Kiesgan said that “it’s an opportunity for people who want to be involved in something.” With almost 30 members on the team now, the opportunities are abundant. Cannon said “you’re able to do more things.”

Cannon said that compared to colorguard, what he likes the most about winterguard is that “it’s nice to perform inside… and growing as a team.” Deliman said that her favorite part is “being able to challenge [her]self everyday.”

For musicians like Cannon, who is a percussionist, there are multiple things that could interfere with winterguard season, such as winter drum line. They are in the same competitive circuit which means that they are all judged in the same competitions. Cannon chose to do winterguard instead of drumline this season because “when [he] tried winterguard, [he] fell in love… and didn’t want to do [drum line] anymore.”

The group also contains a group of students that all enjoy bettering themselves. Kiesgan said that winterguard and colorguard are “..like a workout, it helps keep them involved, keep them active.”

The team practices two times a week for four hours. Throughout the practice they work on basic twirling and stretching and then spend about an hour on learning choreography. Their final piece will be around four minutes long. Even after competitions start up in Feb., the team continues to practice and learn new pieces.

Winterguard hosts their first competition on Feb. 4. The Winterguard Arizona Championships (WGAZ) are held towards the end of Mar.