By Jason Wesseldyk
Sports Editor
DETROIT—Refined.
That’s the one word Plainwell High School band director David Hepinstall used to describe the PHS marching band’s performance at the Michigan Competing Band Association Flight IV State Championship on Saturday, Nov. 1.
The judges on hand at Ford Field in Detroit agreed, as the PHS band received a score of 85.3 to secure runner-up honors in the state. Stevensville-Lakeshore took home the top prize with a score of 90.4
The Trojans’ score represented a new record at the State Championship for the program. PHS’s previous best finish was fourth place, which came in 2021.
“This season, the students showed that they were committed to refinement,” Hepinstall said. “They were committed to all the little things we’ve preached every year and fully bought in.
“Intonation was a priority. Tone quality was a priority. Balance within and across sections was a priority. Foot timing was a priority. Commitment to characterization was a priority. They wholly and completely bought in to executing the little things we’ve been preaching for years.”
After the performance, Hepinstall said his message to the students was a simple one.
“My message to the students after the competition was similar to what it is at the end of every performance: remember this feeling,” he said. “Most band students are done playing their instruments after high school and all they take with them are the lessons and the memories they made.
“That’s what we’re all about. Through music, we make memories and have experiences they would never get anywhere else.”
The students could also make another memory in the near future in the form of Hepinstall dyeing his beard pink.
“A couple kids made a bet with me early in the season about dyeing my beard pink if we medal,” he said. “So that could be happening soon.”
While wanting to live in the moment and focus on the celebration of the band’s accomplishments this season, Hepinstall couldn’t help but think of the impact this season will have on the future of the program.
“We have higher expectations of ourselves going forward,” he said. “We don’t expect this to be a that-special-year type of memory. We’re in a position where our students expect themselves to hit this standard year after year.”
Hepinstall also expressed his gratitude for the district’s administration for its continued support, as both PCS superintendent Matthew Montange and PHS principal Marvin Taylor made the trek to Detroit. Both helped push props on and off the field.
“Our superintendent consistently steps up to find funding to meet our needs,” Hepinstall said. “Our principal consistently goes to bat for us and other programs to ensure we all have time and space to practice and rehearse. We can’t thrive the way we do without the ecosystem they are breeding in our school. I feel immensely grateful for their support.”
Likewise, Hepinstall thanked the community—including parent volunteers—for their support throughout this season and in past years.
“Dozens of people stepped up to support our students in so many ways,” he said. “It’s literally impossible to express the level of gratitude I feel for everyone that does everything that I see and can’t see to support our hard-working band students.”
