As the band enters the stadium, adrenaline is running high. The familiar sound of the bass drum catches the attention of the crowd as the band takes their place on the field.

The band will compete in the High Plains Marching Contest Oct. 5 at Dick Bivins stadium. The band will also compete in UIL contests and a contest that the band will host on the new Canyon High field.

“I’m hoping for ‘that’ show,” Sheffield said. “The one that, from beginning to end, has magic. Everything clicks together, energy is high and audience is responsive. It’s better than any trophy.”

The band will perform “The Climb” by Gary Gilroy. The show is filled with fast-paced rhythms, a trumpet solo and a variety of visual effects. Sheffield selected the show at the end of last year’s season.

“After our final contest last year, and our disappointing finish when we missed finals at ZIA by .05 points, I pulled up a recording of a show for the other directors,” Sheffield said. “We were sitting over breakfast in Albuquerque, exchanging ideas and getting excited about our jobs again. That was my sign that this was our next endeavor.”

The band is over halfway through with their season and their next step is perfecting their show.

“We just finished learning and memorizing all facets of our show,” Sheffield said. “Now we enter the ‘cleaning’ stage by which we make precision our top goal. Uniformity is key if we are to have a great season.”

Sheffield said he tries to maintain an effective balance while working with more than 150 students in band.

“It’s a fine line between pushing the band to greatness and pushing them over the edge to frustration and exhaustion,” Sheffield said. “I won’t accept anything less than the best possible effort. Like anything worth doing, we work hard for excellence and uniformity. And the end product is, in my opinion, inspirational.”