By BARBARA GREEN
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You may be familiar with color guard or flag corps from the marching band, but winter guard is making a place for itself bringing dance and flag spins to a new level at Bowie High School.
Melissa Zamzow, choir director at BHS and the junior high, plus director of the seventh grade band and assisting with the sixth and eighth grade bands, also has taken on the duties of color guard director. A 27-year teaching veteran, this is her first year at Bowie Independent School District, joining her husband Randy who also teaches in the district.
Color guard generally uses flags or sabers, along with costumes and dance to add visual elements to marching band performances. The winter guard enhances those facets as a team of performers for a show inside of a gymnasium.
Zamzow laughs “winter guard started because people didn’t want to quit spinning when marching season was over.” The veteran educator has been a music teacher and a band director throughout her career. While she has not taught winter guard, she was involved in guard in high school and college, participating in many camps.
“This is my passion and I am excited to be working with the girls,” said the teacher.
Competition season for winter guard typically starts in January and ends in March. Bowie’s guard will compete almost every weekend until the end of March. They went to their second competition last weekend in Alvarado where they placed ninth out of 12 teams.

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