The marching band started their season on Apr. 26 with their annual show reveal where they disclosed details about the upcoming year’s show. Since the show reveal, marching band members and staff have begun preparations for the season with rehearsals to welcome their new members and introduce them to what marching band is like.
This year, the marching band’s show is titled, “The Future Is Current,” and, as the name suggests, the concept of the performance revolves around futuristic technology. “The football field, band and props are going to be like a motherboard, and the students, especially the guard, will function as the electricity moving through the motherboard,” marching band co-director Carolyn Herman said.
Throughout the show, the computer motherboard will go through multiple stages as it powers up. Each stage will highlight a different section of the marching band: the 25% mark will feature the woodwinds, 50% will showcase the brass and 75% will be a percussion feature. However, the computer will then experience a glitch before it can power up any further. Once the glitch is fixed, the show will end with the computer being powered up 100%.
The show will also involve props that will add to the design of the performance and serve as a way to spotlight sections and individuals. “We’re going to have three stages, and then we’re going to use [triangular props] as nodes. Then, we’ll have features and solo features, whether it’s wind, percussion or guard, on the stages. I would also like to see if at the very end, we can build some type of grid with strips of cloth or something,” marching band co-director Susan Eckerle said.
Such a complex and detailed show requires training and coaching for all marching band members, and those preparations have already started. The total number of members for this season is 60 to 65, with many members having no prior experience with marching band. Despite this, the band began their biweekly rehearsals shortly after the show reveal, which gives new members plenty of time to learn essential skills, such as marching correctly, and experience firsthand how it feels to be a part of marching band.
Student leadership is also a crucial part of marching band rehearsals as they help organize the rehearsals and guide the new members. “We develop a lot of student leadership and the young people, our Wootton students, manage that really well. We have a lot of great kids who are going to be future leaders of the world, and they get to experience leading their peers in this environment,” Herman said.
This student leadership, along with the rest of the marching band members and staff, create a welcoming and loving community that is one of the most memorable aspects of being in marching band. “I encourage incoming ninth graders and incoming freshmen at college to join marching band because I think it’s the quickest way to become part of the family on whatever campus you’re on. People who are not in marching band just don’t quite understand the power of the family that we create and the power of being a part of it,” Eckerle said.
The marching band’s first competition will take place on Sept. 14, and all of the members are eager to continue preparing for their performances. The band’s drum major for the upcoming season, junior Shulammite Chen, has much excitement for the show. “As always, it’s going to be a great season. It’s going to have its ups and downs, but it’s going to be fun regardless. I know we’re all really excited for the show and whatever else this season will bring,” Chen said.
