Cypress bay high school
Sound of
Thunder
Color Guard
Color Guard is part of Marching Band, a co-curricular activity composed of after school rehearsals, competitions and football games performances. We put in several months of work to perfect and perform a fantastic show utilizing wind players, percussion players, the color guard, and a team of very helpful technicians. Marching band is a lot of work, but in the end, it is definitely worth it; students create lasting friendships between people of all grade levels, become much better at their craft, and learn how to be more disciplined and efficient.
About Us
The Cypress Bay Color Guard is a highly energetic and skilled class (Eurythmics) that combines dancing with flags, sabres and rifles spinning and is not to be confused with cheerleading. All Guard members are also expected to participate in the marching band and can also join the Winter Guard Season competition. Color Guard has an essential role in the Marching Season as they will add movement and color to the whole show, while also performing very skilled throws with flags, sabres and rifles.
This past year’s Guard (2023-2024) performed a selection during the 2024 Spring Concert, which can be accessed on youtube: “Objection Tango” with music by Shakira. Watch the video below!
In the 2024 Spring Concert there were also a variety of performances in where Colorguard members showcased their skills to the public in duets. One of the duets from the Spring Concert came from the members Emma Russell and Luiza Borba, this magnificient duet featured the song “bad idea right?” by Olivia Rodrigo. Other duets followed throughout the spring concert, one of such was Gabrielle Nicholls and Krystelle Lindos duet as they performed to the song “Mamma Knows Best” by Jessie J, followed by Sabrina Salazars duet with Mackenna Smedley as they performed to “Say Don’t Go” by Taylor Swift. Below are the 3 performances in order from the 2024 Spring Concert.
The Archive:
This section contains an archive of past performances by the Cypress Bay Sound of Thunder Marching Band to remember our amazing shows!
Our 2023 show (2023-2024 School Year) was centered around the theme “Timeless.” Our incredible show writers, Andres Martinez and Michael W. Pflug, based the five part show on multiple songs from the 20th century, following the idea of time. Part 1 of our show was inspired by the song “Time in a Bottle” by Jim Croce, “Fly Like An Eagle” by the Steve Miller Band, and “Time” by Pink Floyd, and Part 2, featuring a trumpet solo, was inspired by “Does Anybody Really Know What Time It Is” by the Chicago Band. Part 3, our ballad, was influenced by “Time After Time” by Cindy Lauper and features a small ensemble of wind players. Parts 4 and 5 were inspired by “If I Could Turn Back Time” by Cher, “Time is Running Out” by Muse, and “Time in a Bottle” by Jim Croce. The video below our performance at FMBC is an incredible aerial video taken by Joe Tavano on 10/28/23 and features Parts 1-4. We put in hundreds of hours of work this year and placed 8th in the FMBC Class 3A Prelims with a score of 77.050 and would like to thank our band director Mr. Dawson, all of our band and guard clinicians, our incredible parents, and the marchers themselves for putting on this show. The Cypress Bay Sound of Thunder Program would like to extend a very special thank you to our lead tech, Tyler Williams, for all of the incredible work, time, and effort he has put into Cypress Bay and wish him the best of luck in his future endeavors.
Our 2022 show (2022-2023 School Year) was centered around the theme “The Source.” Our incredible show writers, Andres Martinez and Michael W. Pflug, based the third movement of the show on Philip Sparke’s Dance Movements: III. Lento, the 1998 Cavaliers Show, and found personal inspirations for other music in the show. The theme largely revolved around the future of humanity – our planet, Earth, had become so used up and trashed that we had to now search for a new source of energy. In final part of the show, Part 4, we found this new source and essentially saved the world. We spent hundreds of hours and were able to win First Place in the FMBC AAA Indoor Championships with this show, thanks to our band director Mr. Dawson, all of our band and guard clinicians, our incredible parents, and of course the students.
Our 2021 show (2021-2022 School Year) was centered around the theme “The Art of Bull Fighting.” Our incredible show writers, Andres Martinez and Michael W. Pflug, based a large portion of the show on the music by Chick Corea, particularly “Spain” as well as the Blue Devils 2003 Show. This show followed the process of a Bull Fight, and was also inspired by music from España Cañí (Gypsy Spain) by Pascual Marquina Narro in Parts 1 & 2, Day Danse by Chick Corea in Part 3, and Concierto de Aranjuez by Joaquín Rodrigo (and Miles Davis) in Part 4. We spent hundreds of hours and were able to put on this show thanks to our band director Mr. Dawson, all of our band and guard clinicians, our incredible parents, and of course the students.
Our 2019 show (2019-2020 School Year) was centered around the theme “A Story For Another Night.” This followed the timeless tale of Scheherazade‘s life of hardships, and how she managed to avoid being killed by the Sultan, her eventual husband by telling captivating and cliffhanging stories over 1001 nights. The band and color guard used complex visual and musical ideas as well as intricate and magnificent props and features from the front ensemble to tell this story, using music based on Scheherazade Op. 35 Movements I, II, III, and IV and Arabesque by Debussy. We spent hundreds of hours and were able to put on this show thanks to our former band directors Mr. Scott and Mr. Dor, all of our band and guard clinicians, our incredible parents, and of course the students.
Our 2018 show (2018-2019 School Year) was centered around the theme “Beneath The Ashes.” This show was based on the 79CE volcanic eruption of Vesuvius near the city of Pompeii, and told the story of events leading up to this eruption, as well as more or less what life was back then. Pillars surround the field to represent 1st century architecture, and through our fantastic color guard and their props, various features across multiple instruments, Cypress Bay put on a fantastic three part show, playing music based on The Inferno by Robert W. Smith and Olympiada by Samuel Hazo. We spent hundreds of hours and were able to put on this show thanks to our former band directors Mr. Scott and Mr. Dor, all of our band and guard clinicians, our incredible parents, and of course the students.
Our 2017 show (2017-2018 School Year) was centered around the theme “Beyond the Horizon.” The show follows the story of a plane ride, beginning with light and airy excerpts from “Up” before transitioning into turbulence featuring music from Ride by Samuel Hazo. As the plane reaches cruising altitude, the third movement includes a flute solo accompanied by spinning propeller props, followed by a battery feature and dance break that transitions into the fourth movement. The show concludes with a company front as the color guard flies around with multicolored wings. This was our first year competing as FMBC Class 5A Finalists in almost a decade, a major achievement for Cypress Bay made possible by the hard work and dedication of our students, former band directors Mr. Scott and Mr. Dor, our incredible parents, and all of our band and guard clinicians.
Our 2016 show (2016-2017 School Year) was centered around Maurice Sendak’s “Where the Wild Things Are.” The show follows the story of the children’s book, featuring a young boy named Max in a wolf suit who uses his imagination to conjure up an adventure in his bedroom. Featuring music from Niagara Falls by Michael Daugherty and Pure Imagination by Gene Wilder, the wild rumpus starts as Max is transported to the land of the Wild Things. The simplistic tree props encourage the viewers to use their own resources imaginations, just as Max did. The show then concludes as Max decides to return to reality and says goodbye to the Wild Things. We were able to put on this show thanks to our former Band Director, Mr. Jadvani, and the hard work of all the students, parents, and the band and guard clinicians.
Our 2015 show (2015-2016 School Year) followed the lifecycle of a leaf. A tree-shaped formation accompanied by the opening to Igor Stravinsky’s The Rite of Spring played by a solo mellophone starts the show. As the leaf begins its first season of life, Aaron Copeland’s Appalachian Spring builds and vibrant green flags represent the thriving leaf. Movement two delves into the season of fall, a time of difficult yet beautiful decay. The movement features October by Eric Whitacre, and after the movement’s climax, the green flags are replaced with orange, yellow, and purple-hued flags placed on the ground one by one until only one remains, thus marking the start of winter. Life of a Leaf’s final movement represents summer and the leaf’s ability to not only endure winter’s hardships but to come back stronger.
Our 2014 show (2014-2015 School Year) was titled, “A Hero Will Rise.” This show takes us back to ancient Roman times and the age of the gladiator. Pillars surrounded the field to contribute to the ancient Roman feel of the production. The feelings of a gladiator battle is portrayed through fast-moving music and excitement on the field. We were able to put on this show thanks to our former band director, Mr. Jadvani, our incredible members and parents, and all of our band and guard clinicians. This was Mr. Jadvani’s first year as a director at our school and he helped in setting a legacy for years to come.
Our 2013 show (2013-2014 School Year) was titled “Tribal Affect.” A play on words, the show centers on the “affect” of the energy, sounds, and ideologies of tribal cultures. The first movement features an aggressive tribal dance introduction symbolizing multiple tribes competing against each other. The movement concludes with the band divided as two opposing tribes. The next movement launches into an exciting call and response between winds and battery and ends with a delicate ballad played by the tremendously talented Sally Tepper, who passed away in 2020. The ballad unites the fighting tribes, and in the final movement, they band together to defend themselves against challenging external forces. During the show’s final moments, all members rush to the center of the field to embody the strength achieved by individuals coming together as one.
Our 2012 show (2012-2013 School Year) “We Will Rock You” featured music across the discography of the inimitable British rock band Queen, led by Freddie Mercury. The show included a medley of hits from the revolutionary group including “We Will Rock You,” “Bicycle Race,” and “Bohemian Rhapsody.” We worked incredibly hard, this video is of our performance at the 2012 Musical Performance Assessment!
Our 2011 show (2011-2012 School Year) “Bach for a New Millennium” featured the musical motifs of Johann Sebastian Bach with a modern flare. Most prominent in the show is Bach’s iconic Little Fugue in G minor which features contrapuntal themes that open the show, and are reprised by a five-piece brass choir during the band’s visual feature. This show exhibited the Sound of Thunder’s musical proficiency, sophistication, and visual prowess.
Our 2010 show (2010-2011 School Year) – was titled “Bound” and highlighted the connection between physical bonds and emotional ties. The show opens with the technical and chaotic Asphalt Cocktail by John Mackey and featured band members and color guard resisting physical bondage (a metaphor for trauma) through the use of ropes as props and part of the uniform. As the show progresses, the binding of the members evolves into an emotional connection. The shows concludes with the quote “these are the ties that bind,” as the members exchange shackles for warm embraces.
Our 2009 show (2009-2010 School Year) was titled “The Elements” – more coming soon!
Our 2008 show (2008-2009 School Year) was titled “Pandora’s Box” – more coming soon!
Our 2007 show (2007-2008 School Year) was titled “Machu Picchu” – more coming soon!
Our 2006 show (2006-2007 School Year) was titled “(Unknown)” – more coming soon!
Our 2005 show (2005-2006 School Year) was titled “Perfect Storm” – more coming soon!
Our 2004 show (2004-2005 School Year) was titled “Latin Jazz” – more coming soon!