Marching Band: Work Ethic Behind the Scenes
Marching band: everybody loves the performance and show they put on during halftime. Have you ever wondered how much effort goes into their performances? What about what it looks like leading up to their performance?
The marching band began practices on August 7th. They’d practice five days a week for two weeks leading up to the school year. The group started at noon, with the first activity being team stretching. After, they’d split off into sectionals. Color Guard would work on their routine, while woodwinds, brass, drumline, and front assemble worked on theirs. After dinner, from 4 pm to 5 pm during the first week, they’d all join together on the football field and begin another team stretch. After dinner, the group would do “Across the Floors.” In “Across the Floors,” the band would make about eight lines on the 30-yard line. The group would then proceed in activities led by their instructor. The activity they began with for the first week was walking in time or walking at various tempos and songs. This activity aimed to make everyone look natural while walking in time. Once finished with the activity, the Color Guard would split off from the rest of the group to work on their techniques, leaving the rest of the band during marching practice.
After the Color guard split from the group, they would enter the auditorium and begin across the floors for their marching techniques. Color Guard’s technique is much different than the band’s. They use a lot of ballet and dance techniques to allow for elegance on the field. Pointed toes were the main subject of the practice. One’s toes must reach the ground before the heel of the foot. The foot must be pointed out but should stick to going in a straight line. The group would then learn other techniques such as jazz walks and runs, chassés, and more. These techniques are used on the field for clean-looking movements during the show. While in sectionals, the Color Guard would begin their choreography for the parade.
The band learned how to march. Color Guard marching versus band marching is different. They work opposite from each other. In marching band, they step and land on the heel of their foot, then work to the toe. The two groups' commonality was what position their foot must be in. Returning to ballet, they have different positions, named “first position,” “second position,” and so on. While marching, they work primarily in the first position, where one’s heels are touching and toes are pointing out. The group also worked on strengthening their leg and foot muscles. Always beginning with their left foot, they’d slowly bring their foot up and hold for a few seconds, then slowly bring their feet back down into the first position. They’d repeat this a few times.
The beginning of the second week looked the same as the group would begin team stretching. Due to the heat, they worked on walking in time in the auxiliary gym. They then dismissed the Color Guard to work on their own things, such as choreography for the show, or they invited them to work on marching techniques as a whole. They would work on marching backward, forwards, left, and right. Every day, they’d work harder and harder to achieve their goals.
On the day of the first football game, the Color Guard began doing hair and makeup before the round-up, which occurred at 5 p.m. that day. It was the first time since the pandemic that round-up has happened. After the front entrance performance, the Color Guard returned to the building to finish their hair and makeup. Once completed, the Color Guard would head into the auditorium to practice and clean up their movements. During the time round-up was going on, the band was inside the auditorium practicing their music together.
During the second quarter, the marching band began to head inside. During this time, they split into two: the band in the main gym and the Color guard in the auxiliary gym. The band practiced different pieces of the show, and the Color Guard cleaned up more of their choreography. Once it was time for them to head out onto the field, they gathered in a line in the 700 hallway. After a pep speech from their band director, Mr. Freisz, they began to make their way onto the field. They reached the field with 1 minute and 37 seconds left on the clock. When the buzzer sounded, the marching band finally made their way onto the field, walking in their lines until they reached the 50-yard line. We played the first two movements, which feature songs from Eleanor Rigby by Cody Fry and Come Together by The Beatles. From trumpet solos to clarinet solos, the show is an emotional experience that you must see—the tragic story of Eleanor and the lonely people.