Calvert Hall Marching Band wins fifth national championship

After a break in their 2016-19 winning streak, Calvert Hall College High School’s Competition Marching Band is back on top, bringing home a fifth national championship for the all-boys Towson school.

The competitive band won the Group 2 National Championship at the U.S. Bands National Competition at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J., Nov. 2. The band scored a total of 96.9 out of 100 – its highest score to date and the third-highest score out of all 58 bands.

“Our success this year was due to the balance of the entire group,” said Brian Ecton, band director and director of instrumental music at Calvert Hall. “All facets of the program performed at a very high level. From the marching, woodwinds, brass, percussion and color guard, there was no weak section.”  

Calvert Hall’s Competition Marching Band has 48 members, including seven girls in the color guard. Ecton’s daughter, Emma, and her friend, Evelyn Haley, have been a part of the color guard since the last championship in 2019.

This year’s performance was “Girl in Red,” a dark take on “Little Red Riding Hood,” with the color guard as the Red Riding Hood character and the band as the Big Bad Wolf. They worked with SyncedUp Designs from Nashville for the music arrangements. Ecton designed the drill and Katie Frazier, color guard designer and instructor, created the choreography.   

“Nothing can really top that first one in 2016, as it was completely unexpected,” Ecton said. “I think this win is a very close second.”

Emma Ecton and Haley are both seniors – Ecton at Mercy High School in Baltimore and Haley at George Washington Carver Center for Arts and Technology in Towson, so this is their last year on color guard.

“Saturday was an extremely emotional day for me as the band director, but more as Dad,” Ecton said. “Winning this for the two of them as seniors and having them go out on top meant a lot to me. The feeling of knowing for everyone else, it was their first time winning, was truly incredible.” 

Calvert Hall Senior Alex Varacalle has been in the band all four years and is currently drum major. Varacalle said that being a part of the band helps promote team spirit and accountability. He would like to continue to pursue music and join a marching band in college.

“Band has shown me a sense of responsibility and accountability, leadership and character,” he said. “Everyone needs to do their part. All the hard work we’ve put in this season and all the other years culminated into this awesome moment.”

Anderson Becker, also a senior, plays the baritone horn.

“Freshman and junior year we placed second at nationals,” he said. “Coming back to win it all senior year, I can’t stop sharing how amazing it feels to finally win.”

Becker, who plans to study music education in college and continue in Drum Corps International, said that band helped him decide on a career in music, and helped him to become a better person. 

“Without the competitive marching band, I don’t know where I would be today,” Becker said.

Ecton said alumni who assist with the various sections of the band play an important role in their success, including Zach Tuck, ’12; Aaron Washington, ’10; Sam Johnson, ’09; Andrew Giska, ’13; Bryan Nichols, ’22; and Michael Fascetta ’20.  The Calvert Hall community has been very supportive of the band’s achievements.

“Just walking through the hallways, you get a sense of everyone’s pride in the students’ accomplishments, which is really cool and very appreciated,” Ecton said.

For those who would like to see the national champs in action, there will be a repeat performance of “Girl in Red” at the annual Turkey Bowl on Thanksgiving.

Editor’s Note: This story was updated at 10:30 p.m. on Nov. 7 to correct the spelling of Alex Varacalle’s last name.

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