Marching into the new season. 

The marching band season has officially started and the band is ready for the new year. 

The marching band season usually starts with band camp, which is two weeks of either nine to12 hour rehearsals to teach new members how the season is going to look and to help refresh returning members. Although the band has been through many changes in the past year, they still have a great outlook for this year’s season. 

When people think of what marching band is, they usually think of people marching together playing instruments. Although this is correct, it is not the full idea of it. What people also don’t realize is that with marching band, there is usually a certain theme for what they’re performing. It’s not just playing an instrument and moving, but also performing a show with a meaning they are trying to show through that theme. They do this by performing at halftime at the school’s football games and competing against other marching bands. The season starts in July and lasts all the way through early November, starting with band camp and ending with competitions. 

Band camp is for the entire band, including the color guard. The two weeks in which this takes place includes one week of pre-camp, before those two weeks for the color guard and new members before they actually start the season. Band camp is a way for new members to get used to how the season is going to work, and just to get eased into the marching band season itself. “It was definitely something I had not done before and didn’t expect to be so much work but I think it was definitely needed for me to be ready for the season,” junior Kiara Warren said. Warren is one of the new color guard members.

The band is used to changes throughout the program whether it be new directors, new regulations or overall changes with new members. No matter what happens, the band members seem to have a great outlook for what’s happening so far in the season. “It’s kind of hard when everything like the directors seem to change every year but this year seems like it’ll be easier. I think Mr. Novak (the new band director) seems really committed to the new season,” junior Kendall McGarry said. She was a band member for two years and has now joined the color guard this year. Other band members share her ideas of the positive future for the season and are excited to see what happens next. 

The first football game they will perform at is Sept. 10 and their competitions start Sept. 11.