Daniella Estoque, a senior with an impressive track record in Color Guard, Winter Guard, and Band, has honed her skills since middle school. Her dedication and expertise led her to become the Co-Captain of the Color Guard team this past marching season, where she has been instrumental in guiding and inspiring her peers.
“I’ve been helping freshmen, especially sophomores. [I] help them perform and get their skill sets up,” Estoque said.
Obtaining and navigating this leadership position has helped prepare her for the future. Daniella has gained pivotal communication skills.
“It’s taught me to be patient with people because people aren’t always gonna listen to you, and it’s hard-working with people,” Estoque said.
Daniella has known Mr. Thrasher since middle school when she joined the Winter Guard. Over the years, he has imparted many valuable lessons to her.
“Mr. Thrasher always said whenever we go places to keep our presentation in mind, don’t be rowdy, be neat, [and] be presentable. So I’ve always kept myself up,” Estoque said.
Daniella is excited for the upcoming Winter Guard season after a successful marching season. The Southeastern Color Guard Circuit Championship is one of the biggest competitions for the High School Winter Guard. Last season, Tsunami won the SCGC Championship, so now they can compete at a higher level.
“We’ll be going to Dayton, [Ohio] in this season, and it’s a pretty big trip since it’s farther away, and we’ll get to see bigger and higher up groups,” Estoque said.
Tupelo High School Marching Band has done amazing things. This marching season, they have won first place in multiple competitions and competed at BOA (Bands of America). It is a competition where the top bands in the state compete for the Top 12. If they are in the top 12, they will perform at the night show and get their rankings.
“Recently, we won first place in BOA in our division. We didn’t make first place after the callback, but we still made callbacks, which is one of our goals,” Estoque said.
In addition to achieving amazing things with the Guard and Band, Daniella has her feats outside of high school. She plays the piano and the clarinet and has recently auditioned for the Lions Band. The Mississippi All-State Lions Band is an honor band that travels yearly to a different worldwide destination. High School students around the state can audition, and over a hundred students are selected.
“I would say my biggest accomplishment right now is making callbacks for the All-State Lions Band because last year I couldn’t, and this year I made it even with a broken foot. So I’m very proud of myself,” Estoque said.
Tupelo High School band and Color Guard have tremendous opportunities for the students who join.
“Anyone interested in performing and traveling outside Mississippi, like Tennessee or Alabama [should] try out for Winter Guard or Color Guard. Because it is fun, even though it takes a lot of hard work, you will learn how to like, communicate, and work with others while performing,” Estoque said.
