Whitko band members pose for a photo after becoming state finalists. (Photo from Whitko Band Facebook page.)

SOUTH WHITLEY — Whitko high school hasn’t always been known for its extra-curricular programs, but it continues to have a record year in 2017. The Whitko Marching Band joined Whitko’s 2017 softball and baseball teams in the school record books as it punched its first ever ticket to the Indiana State School Music Association Marching Band Class B State Finals at 8 a.m. Saturday, Nov. 4.

“I’m continually amazed that it happened in the first year. That everything locked together, and that the kids really bought into what I was trying to do, but just looking back through the season everything just fell in place the right way to make it work for us,” stated Whitko Band Director John VanPatten.

It seems surreal for the Wildcats, especially VanPatten who took over the program at the beginning of the school year. He was always part of the planning for Whitko’s Marching Band to make it to state, but being a new director with different ways of doing things, he expected it to be closer to five years down the road rather than the first year. “I definitely saw this potential and making state finals in the next five years was a goal of mine. It was kind of in our five year plan to build to this moment.”

The Wildcats, however, were ready for the challenge and took everything in stride, adapting to the new regime. Whitko sailed its way through regionals, qualifying for semistate where the Wildcats would peak. “I thought it was their best performance all year,” said VanPatten. “They were really working hard. We did really well at regionals and we knew we had a shot at qualifying for state finals.”

Largely thanks to band’s seniors who helped VanPatten prepare the band throughout the season. They invested in the underclassmen, getting them to buy into VanPatten’s direction. “I try to rely on them to help me out during rehearsals, getting prepared for rehearsals, kind of mentoring some of the younger students,” said VanPatten about the seniors. “They’ve been nothing but supportive, and they’re really bought into what we’re trying to do. They now can see how it paid off. They’re absolutely fantastic.”

Whitko Marching Band has spent the last week preparing to compete against some of the top bands in the state Saturday, Nov. 4, at Lucas Oil Stadium. The Wildcats will perform their show, “Time Machine,” in the biggest venue of their season. They will seek ”to find ways of maximizing [their] sound to fill up the very large space” despite “being a small group.”

The show mixes a contemporary style of jazz and rock to its sound and “invokes different musical imageries of telling time. The show begins and ends with the same music just like “clocks come back around and end at the same place they start.” The Wildcats will perform around 11:20 a.m. Saturday, Nov. 4 and asks fans to show up at 9 a.m. “to see the other acts, get good seats and allow time for parking.”