By Tyler Senner
When we think of Friday night lights, we think of the football game being played, the sounds of cheering fans, or the scent of the snack shack wafting through the air. Though these times are memorable to some Mariners, not to the ones in the band, performing throughout the games to help build up the hype of Friday night lights. Past Friday night lights, the Moreau band is one of the most successful organizations that Moreau Catholic offers! Editor Tyler Senner got the opportunity to talk to Roy Cardenas and his views and contributions to Moreau’s band.
Moreau senior Roy Cardenas has a heavy role in band, as he is a first-year flute player, honors in the wind ensemble, and the conductor for the pep band during football games. Though the Moreau band is successful at hyping up the crowd during every home football game, they are very successful outside of school in competitions.
“Jazz performs in Yoshi’s in Oakland, which is a jazz sushi restaurant. We also perform in Anaheim.” Roy explained. “We’ve placed first for the last few years at Disneyland, Universal/Knott’s Berry Farm,” Roy claimed.
Matter of fact, their most recent competition in Anaheim, they were awarded for 4 out of 5 ensembles! 1st place & superior rating for symphonic band, 2nd place & excellent rating for chamber orchestra, 1st place & superior rating for percussion ensemble, and 1st place, superior rating & best overall jazz band for their jazz ensemble. But not just that, they won a soloist medal for Andre B, class of 2025!
Being in a band and having the ability to achieve all these awards and 1st places, a lot of practice comes with it. Roy explains that “Were periods five/seven. So, before lunch or right after lunch on green days, every green day we practice. We go through our music and we just play with it until we get it right … You have to be determined, be resilient, not just to yourself, but with others too.”
As Roy just entered his last year of high school, and his last year being part of Moreau’s band, he highly encourages incoming Mariners to join band.
“With the new band room opening, it’d be a great opportunity to be one of the first people trying it out. It’s a great experience to be in band and just be part of the process of creating beauty with its sound.”
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