The Marching Band That Refused to Yield

By Kyle Marksteiner

“Trailer broke down in El Paso ”

Amelia’s text came through right as we reached the outskirts of El Paso. We were headed to the Tournament of Bands in Las Cruces to watch Carlsbad High School’s competitive performance of “Into the Cosmos.”

My first thought was “Oh, now what?”

The trailer, which carried all of the Carlsbad High School Band and Color Guard’s essential equipment—drums, tubas, flags, as well as assorted space/cosmos background décor—stalled out on a particularly sharp turn in the mountains north of El Paso.

There wasn’t anything that parents could do, so we finished our own drive to Las Cruces. There, we milled about awkwardly in the parking lot with other Carlsbad parents and 130 or so very anxious band kids. New Mexico State University graciously agreed to allow a one-hour delay. It was around 10:30 a.m. and there would be a forfeit if the trailer didn’t arrive at some point before the new 12:15 p.m. time.

As we waited, we reflected upon the plethora of setbacks that this group of young men and women have endured throughout their high school career of band competitions.

Earlier this year, a severe storm rolled into Carlsbad moments before the halftime performance. Everyone was forced to flee. Parents and band kids all turned out the next morning to help dry off soaked flags and marimbas.

A few weeks later, they were rained on in Portales for two hours straight. A particularly violent gust of wind destroyed several of the backdrops. The band directors repaired the space scenery later in the week.

Last year, most members of the band spent the night in the Roswell Walmart parking lot, after the flood of the century destroyed a bridge to the south. They were also stranded when a bus broke down west of Portales and again when a bus driver experienced a medical emergency in El Paso. There’s also been a myriad of equipment failures, health issues and other curveballs.

Like I said, “Oh, now what?”

This is all not even counting the personal traumas experienced by so many of these kids individually, such as mental health setbacks, family addiction issues and homelessness. The adult band supervisors have all battled their own severe health challenges at the same time. Don’t even get me started on the generational trauma inflicted upon children Amelia’s age.

Here’s where it gets good, however.

After each and every setback, the CHS Band and Color Guard has not given up. They’ve reported back for practice the following Monday morning and then again Monday afternoon and then for sectionals on Tuesday night. They’ve dried out marimbas and squared their shoulders.

As Chumbawamba reminds us, they get knocked down, but they get up again.

This time, regarding the stalled trailer in El Paso, a CHS administrator was able to work a miracle and get the issue fixed in time. Like most miracles, it took a few phone calls and some elbow grease. The trailer rolled into Las Cruces about 25 minutes before the delayed deadline.

The band kids all surged toward their instruments. Adults, band lieutenants and captains began barking orders to organize an efficient unloading of French horns and space backdrops.

Once again, no storm or mechanical failure kept the members of the CHS Band and Color Guard from going out onto the field on Nov. 1 to perform.

The band marched on.

Because that’s what good bands do.

The CHS Band and Color Guard did not make the finals in the 2025 Tournament of Bands in Las Cruces. The heat caused a mechanical failure to a piece of equipment, and the sound was a little off.

The band’s best performance of the year actually took place a few weeks earlier in Artesia. It’s a really good show and clearly the product of an incredible amount of hard work.

With all due respect to the Las Cruces judges, however, I feel like they missed the absolute best part of the performance.

That’s not their fault. See, the absolute best sound of the entire performance actually took place about 25 minutes before the Cavemen and Cavegirls went onto the field. The absolute best sound of the performance, and of the year, was the enthusiastic cheer that went up from 130 anxious band kids (and their parents and teachers) when the trailer of instruments triumphantly rolled up.

The cheer was the sound of a group of kids who had been punched in the gut over and over getting back up again. It was a celebration of the fact that sometimes overcoming adversity and making it out onto the field is the real victory.

The judges didn’t get to hear that cheer, but I sure did.

So, here’s a toast to the resilience of the CHS Band and Color Guard and a sincere thank you to the adult staff for teaching our children the valuable lesson of getting back up again.

I wish I could assure these kids that there will be smooth sailing in life from this point on, but we all know that’s a lie. The storms, mechanical failures and health issues aren’t going to go away. It’s life.

Instead, I encourage them all to find joy in the sense of camaraderie of those around them battling the same setbacks. And I hope they’ll always take pride in the victory of resilience—of getting knocked down and then getting back up again.

Congratulations to the CHS Band and Color Guard on a successful season.

Keep marching on!