11/03/2026
AN OPEN LETTER TO THE MARCHING BAND STUDENTS OF DICKINSON AND CLEAR FALLS
YOU ARE MORE THAN A SCORE
I've been thinking about all of you and what you must be feeling after everything you poured into this marching season. I wish there were words that could take away the disappointment, but I know there aren't.
By now, you've probably heard it all: “We're so proud of you!” “You'll get them next time!” “We loved your show!”
Those words are sincere and spoken with love. But sometimes, they're simply not enough.
Sometimes, you just feel awful. And that's okay.
You rehearsed through the heat, the darkness, and the rain. You gave up weekends and time with friends, only to see your hopes of competing for the UIL State Championship come to an end.
You have earned the right to be disappointed. Whether you're a senior finishing your final marching season or a younger student hoping this would be your year, those feelings deserve to be acknowledged.
But I want every musician, drum major, color guard member, dancer, and everyone who brought those performances to life to understand something.
Your discipline, teamwork, creativity, leadership, and perseverance will serve you long after marching season ends. Yet your worth extends far beyond even those accomplishments.
I believe each of us is blessed with gifts and possibilities that no trophy or score sheet can measure. Whatever your beliefs or background, your value has never depended on a competition result.
Sometimes we adults unintentionally teach young people that winning makes them more valuable and losing makes them less. We must never send that message.
YOU MAKE THE BAND. THE BAND DOES NOT MAKE YOU.
Without you, there is no music, no formation, no movement, no Friday night magic beneath those stadium lights. Each of you brings something no one else can bring in quite the same way.
And when the uniforms are put away and the last notes have faded, everything that makes you who you are remains.
So be disappointed. Shed a few tears if you need to. But when you're ready, lift your heads and look toward the extraordinary lives still waiting to unfold.
My prayer and my hope for each of you is that you find peace in your disappointment, strength in one another, and courage for what lies ahead.
Band is what you do, not who you are.
You make the band. The band does not make you.
And no final score can ever change that.
With love and respect,
Charles Marcus
Executive Director of The Dickinson Music Enrichment Center
