The marching band is practicing for the home football game on Sept. 13 against Rockville High School. The band will play a selection of inspirational pieces to support the team during the football season.
This game will be the first football game for the marching band this season. The band will continue to partner with the football team throughout the fall. “It will be a great opportunity to do a show on a field in front of a wide audience,” drum major and senior Shulammite Chen said.
Football games provide opportunities for both musicians and athletes to meet students from other schools. Staff, students and parents from Rockville High School will come to the game to support their team. “It’s great seeing other marching bands,” Chen said.
In addition to regular football games, the marching band has frequent competitions they can look forward to. These competitions serve as tests of the band’s skill throughout the season. The band can anticipate competitions almost every weekend until Nov. 2, co-director Carolyn Herman said. The judgment provided in the competitions encourages members to push themselves to improve their musical talent. “Competition is fun,” Herman said.
The marching band stays in practice through their weekly meets. In these meets, the band reviews the plans for their shows and rehearses stand tunes. The band meets on Monday and Thursday afternoons in preparation for the competitions on Saturdays, senior Christian Smithson said.
Though the sports season doesn’t start until school begins, the marching band season begins in the spring. The band approaches middle school band members as well as interested students here to recruit new members in preparation for the season’s beginning. An interest meeting is held in the spring, and the season ultimately kicks off with an official reveal of the marching band roster, Herman said. Openings in the marching band roster were made available with the graduation of last year’s seniors. There was no trouble filling the roster back up, as there were “a bunch of incoming freshmen” interested in joining the band, Herman said.
Summers are busy for the band, as they have frequent meets and new material to rehearse over the vacation. The summer practice ensures that students stay well-practiced and prepared for the new material in the school year. “It’s a massive time commitment, a lot more than some people think,” Smithson said.
The large workload does not deter the band from enjoying their time rehearsing. The members of the band find gratification in striving to improve. Though it is difficult to manage, “It is also extremely rewarding,” Herman said.
The band’s pursuit of improvement is said to have seen solid results, due to the hours of practice during the summer and school year. The students’ efforts are highly encouraged by band leadership. “Our students are fabulous, hard-working kids,” Herman said.
A sense of community has developed throughout the band this season. Though its senior members graduated, new members were welcomed with open arms. “It’s a great community,” Chen said.
