LIVERPOOL — Between COVID and graduating seniors, the Liverpool High School Warriors Marching Band came into its 2021 season with its membership about half what it was before the pandemic. Despite the challenges of a smaller band and the loss of the 2020 competition season to COVID, the Marching Warriors sailed through their 2021 season undefeated.

The season culminated in a victory at the New York State Field Band Conference Championships held Oct. 31 at the Carrier Dome. With a score of 96.6 out of 100, Liverpool took first place in the National NYSFBC Championship Show category. The last time Liverpool won the Governor’s Cup was in 1988.

“This year’s show is called ‘Celestial,’ and as its title suggests, it’s a show about planetary objects and space,” said Marching Band Director Jim Dumas.

“Celestial” combines classical compositions by Grieg, Beethoven and Debussy with pop music by Rihanna and Van Morrison.

According to Dumas, the Marching Warriors had 108 members in 2019. That number is down to 64 this year. Other local marching bands have faced this challenge as well.

“That’s kind of plagued everybody around here,” Dumas said. “We usually have a much fuller orchestration, so we had to figure out how to cover all the musical parts with fewer people.”

Pandemic protocols have complicated the marching band’s preparations as well. The band and colorguard have had to keep social distancing in mind, and brass players often have to duck out of practice to empty their spit valves.

“We’ve been going forth and making the program entertaining and competitive but keeping with the district’s protocol for COVID,” Dumas said.

Musicians, colorguard and staff must wear masks while practicing indoors. Wind and brass players have special masks that allow them to play their instruments.

“They open up just enough to get the mouthpiece in and then when you’re done playing, it closes up and folds back in on itself,” Dumas explained.

With participants ranging from eighth to 12th grades, the social dynamics of marching band can be tricky, especially for eighth- and ninth-graders whose last time performing in large groups was middle or elementary school before schools shut down in 2020.

“There’s definitely challenges because of the differences in maturity,” Dumas said. “You have some kids who are going off to college and others who are going through puberty and figuring their bodies out. You expect them all to level the playing field, so to speak.”

But the challenge of learning to work together as a team brings its own reward, Dumas said.

“There’s a lot of reward in seeing the achievement of that process come to completion, watching kids grow up and leave, watching that child [go] from that awkward first year member to a graduating senior,” he said. “Watching the show come from a conceptual standpoint — ‘Hey, this is a neat idea’ — to completion.”

Dumas asked band members to watch videos from earlier in the year when they were still figuring out the choreography and compare them to the current undefeated marching machine.

“I asked them, ‘Do you remember when you thought this wasn’t possible?’ That’s hugely satisfying,” he said.

Lynn Stone’s daughter is a member of the Liverpool Colorguard, which is directed by Derek Pooley.

Stone and Dumas spoke with the Star-Review ahead of the Oct. 31 finale. Stone said she didn’t want to jinx the results, but she expressed her excitement about the marching band’s winning season.

“We had a wonderful ride in 2018 and this ride is just as good,” Stone said.

As for Dumas, he said he encourages his students to do their very best regardless of where they place in competition.

“We’re just so very happy that the kids are able to be back on the field. It provides a sense of normalcy for them. Just to be back out performing is huge for us,” he said. “We don’t talk about placement. We just want to put on a great show for the crowd, and that has worked well for us.”

If the National NYSFBC Championship results are any indication, the strategy has worked out well for the Warriors indeed.

Watch the Marching Warriors’ 2021 show, “Celestial,” on the Liverpool Central School District Fine Arts YouTube channel: https://youtu.be/6jAtIlU3scU/.