Band is a season just like any other season.

It's a process measured by progress - progress fueled by hard work, repetition and growth.

At this point, the Warwick High School marching band's fall season is well underway. Following some spring and summer drills, the Warwick marching band began its preseason workouts in earnest on July 31, all in preparation for its season opener at home during the evening hours of Friday, Aug. 25.

"It's a lot of work," said Warwick band director Matthew Tenaglia. "We learn 75% of our show before school starts and then the other 25% on Saturdays after school starts. Typically, during band season, you want to get feedback. By the end of September, you have 100% of (the material learned) and you spend the rest of the season cleaning it up. We're trying to get as many reps as we can."

The Warwick marching band will perform at all 10 of the Warriors' regular-season football games this fall, home and away, as well as at seven band competitions. One of the anticipated highlights of the band's season could come at the University of Maryland in October, when it will strut its stuff at the Bands of America competition.

"We just tell (the student members) that every performance is an opportunity to get better," said Tenaglia. "Some of our members play fall sports. They have schoolwork to do. Some have jobs. It's a lot of time, but band is really fun."

"There's this sense of family that we have," said Hayden Milchanowski, the band's drum major. "We're spending more than 20 hours a week together. It's important to get along. We really don't have issues."

The Warwick marching band's 7.5-minute, 2023 field show, titled "It Don't Mean a Thing," features the songs "It Don't Mean a Thing if It Ain't Got That Swing," "My Funny Valentine" and "Sing, Sing, Sing." The Marching Warriors will pull it off with 88 total band members - 21 students on woodwinds, 35 students on brass, 16 on percussion and 15 in the color guard.

"We try to highlight each section," said Tenaglia. "We try to move audiences and move kids. We try to teach kids to put their best effort forward and how to respond to criticism. We're trying to expose kids to more stuff than just marching up and down the field. We're trying to make them better one day at a time."

Last year, Warwick captured a state championship in the Open Division of the Yankee Conference at the Cavalcade of Bands Competition. This year's band is charged with the task of upholding a Warwick musical tradition.

"Warwick has such a strong band history," said Tenaglia. "If you look at the bands of the '70s, '80s, '90s and early 2000s, they were fantastic. Band is loved here. We're really lucky to have support from the community and town. Inevitably, it's the band director's job to take what's on the field and make it great. But we put kids first."

"I'm happy with (the band program)," concluded Tenaglia. "I love where we're at, but we're going to push to make it better."