This year has been a memorable one for the Jesuit High School Sacramento music department. After earning the highest scores in school history and landmark competition wins, the Marauder bands and ensembles have made a name for themselves in the Sacramento high school music world.

The year got off to an amazing start after an impressive showing from the Jazz Band. At the Franklin High School Band Review, the Marauders scored 92%, the highest in Jesuit history. The Jazz Band also made school history by earning Jesuit’s first superior rating, which is the highest score a band can receive.

Aside from the historical performances of the Jazz Band, there was a new branch of the Jesuit musical department that debuted this academic year: the Wind Ensemble. At their first-ever competition, the new group scored 88/100, almost a superior rating, setting a high bar in the first year of the program.

These results have come as a pleasant surprise for even the players themselves.

“The band has blown the expectations out of the water for this year,” said Lucas Yoon ’27, who plays clarinet and saxophone in the Jesuit musical program. “Last year was good, as we had really strong [seniors]; however, this year, the entirety of the band has improved, almost threefold in my opinion.”

As well as performances, Jazz Band members have noticed that the bonds between the players have strengthened, too.

“Last year we had a lot more standout players, but this year we have a lot more chemistry as a band and a lot more dedication from the average band member,” said Graye Burnett ’26.

A key theme of the many Jesuit bands is the literal definition of the word. Many members give credit to the bonds between all the players as everyone bands together to create the performances that have received such high scores.

“The community within the band is very tightly knit,” Lucas said. “The players who are neck deep in the program have made countless friends that will probably extend past high school.”

As the current seniors prepare for life after Jesuit, they leave behind a high bar for the next generation of Marauders to continue to raise. 

“I have a really fun time in band, and I just hope the next people that come in are both dedicated and excited about learning music, that they also have an enjoyable experience in the Jesuit band, and get to meet a lot of new friends as I did,” Graye said.