Uncaged: to be freed or not confined to a cage.

This is the theme for the Bearcat Regiment’s 2019-2020 marching show. In this year’s performance, songs such as Peter Gabriel’s “My Body Is A Cage” and Toto’s “Africa” are featured. 

The concept for this show is to break out and break free, which is the exact idea behind being uncaged. 

“This year’s show is about breaking out,” junior soloist Andrew Pennington said. “It’s all about being trapped and resisting. At the end of the show whenever we play, “Africa” by Toto, we come out of the cage and we break free.”

This year, the Bearcat Regiment has the chance to advance to the UIL state competition with their show, as the band has already picked up the pace on their march towards state.

“We’ve already finished the first three movements, which we haven’t done in the past up to date,” Pennington said. “We’ve already gotten through all the music and put our sets on the field.” 

Along with the change in theme comes all the new changes in band.

“Everything that we’re doing has gone digital,” Pennington said. “We’re now using our phones for music and coordinate sheets on the field.”

Regiment members use an app called UDB, or Ultimate Drill Book, while they’re out on the field. This app allows them to look at their sets, the places they stand and march to on the field. This app also allows them to look at their sheet music.

But the change is not just digital, the sound and feel of the music has shifted since last year. 

“We have all this new technique that we’re doing [along with] all the new motion and choreography. It feels better, and like we’re accomplishing more,” sophomore soloist Annie Fritz said. “Compared to last year, last year was a lot more lyrical and flowy. This year it’s like in your face, and I’m ready for that.”

Another change in the band is the adjustment in leadership, with the addition of a new band director, Dex Moore.

“Mr. Moore definitely brought the biggest change in band,” Fritz said. “He brought in a new perspective which is what our band really needed. We kinda get a new liveliness to what we’re doing, instead of the old traditional marching band stuff.”