As the players line the field, a silence falls over the crowd, and their attention focuses on the field. However, the players they are watching are not padded in protective gear. They are watching the marching band as it prepares to debut the show it has been working on for months.
“I think [the audience] will like the show just because of the big music hits and the way the flags are. I think it will be pretty good,” said junior color guard member Caris Byrd.
Throughout the years, the marching band has pulled together many shows, all with a specialized theme. As the marching band prepares this year’s show, there is an emphasis on the story the show tells.
“It’s called Rippling Echoes, and it’s supposed to explore cause and effect through water and how ripples affect each layer outwards,” said junior marching band student Duncan Smithson.
Incorporating the story of echoes in water is a task that requires a multitude of elements. The band not only uses their music to set the scene, but they also use choreography, sets, and much more to create the show.
“It’s really exciting, because we get to represent those ideas, both in the visuals that we do, as well as in the music that we play and the effects that are created,” said assistant band director Jacqueline Johnson.
While many demonstrate excitement to present the visuals and music of the performance, it is important to remember the work that goes into a show of this size.
“It’s a lot more challenging than a lot of the other shows we’ve had, but it’s a lot more fun for that reason. There are a lot of things to play and a lot of stuff to learn,” said senior Cayleb Jackson.
While musicians like Jackson display a certain enthusiasm to learn this year’s marching band music, many fans should know that the music arrangement features a large variety of music.
“The music features everything from Billie Eilish to Philip Glass. There’s really something for everybody in the show,” said Johnson.
Music is a large and highly anticipated part of the band’s performance, but it does not make up the entirety of the show. Many performers demonstrate their love for the props used.
“We have really big props this year, so I think they will be really eye catching,” said freshman Nora Emerson.
The aspects of what we know as the marching band do not come together on their own. Each summer, the marching band hosts a two-week training camp to prepare its upcoming performance.
“Without [training camp], we would be nowhere near where we are. We get a lot of stuff done in the two weeks, like the majority of the show, and without that, it wouldn’t really pull together as well,” said Jackson.
In addition to the band putting in extra time to perfect the show, the color guard also attends band camp. On top of that, they participate in extra camps to add that extra spark to the show.
“For guard, we have separate camps before band camp where we put choreography together and train basics for our newer students,” said Byrd.
Once the camps are over, the work is still not done. Extra practices are held after school to polish the show.
“A normal week is going to be 10 hours a week after school, and then in class, sometimes we will work on it, and then camp days are pretty rough,” said Smithson.
It is not just the students who are putting in their time and effort to make the show successful. Behind the scenes, many go out of their way to make sure everyone is taken care of.
“We have 188 members in the band this year, so we’re quite large. We’re the largest the band has ever been, and so it takes a huge team of both staff and volunteers, and even student leadership, to be able to pull off what we’re doing at a high level,” said Johnson.
All in all, this year’s marching band show, with all its whistles and bells, would not be possible without both the dedication of the students participating and the volunteers lending their time, but the students going out to watch the work put into the show.