Written by Devin Miller, Relate Contributing Writer
They’re at every single football game, rain or shine, win or lose. Try imagining a football game without a lively marching band playing our favorite tunes…it’s nearly impossible! Former and current members of marching band tell us the true meaning of the saying, “I’m with the band.”
After all, practice makes perfect.
North East High School’s Blue Crew Marching Band from North East, Maryland practiced twice a week from 6:30 p.m. to 9 p.m., before games and mornings before competitions, according to former members.
Julie Peak, a member of the Mighty Sound of Maryland from the University of Maryland, practices a total of eight hours a week with the entire band!
What’s band camp really like?
“It was like a day camp. It was two weeks of learning the basics of marching and learning a good portion of the show. I think there was one or two years that we learned the whole show during band camp,” Steven Soltow said, a former member of the Blue Crew.
For the Mighty Sound of Maryland, band camp takes place a week before classes start. The band practices from 7:50 a.m. to 8 p.m. everyday with breaks for lunch and dinner. Although the week is very hectic, it is “really nice because you get to spend time with all the people you haven’t seen all summer,” Julie said.
Marching…not as easy as it looks.
Marching is a lot more than just walking. Band members need to keep time, play an instrument, watch the drum majors and move to designated spots on the field, all while keeping in step and in time with the rest of the band. Add a heavy, wool uniform and hot temperatures, and you’ve got a challenge.
“It’s a combination of music memorization and the memorization of the steps. Putting these together and also telling a story as a whole can be difficult,” said Jasmine Townsel, also a former member of the Blue Crew.
Misconceptions exposed!
“Most people probably think that marching band kids live and breathe band,” said Mandy Maruchi-Turner, former member of the Blue Crew.
The truth is, members are actively involved in many other aspects of school, as well. Mandy participated in high school sports, and Julie manages her college workload, marching band schedule and involvement in her sorority. Julie said that while marching band takes a lot of hard work, she loves the social aspect. Her friends in band are like her second family. “I know I will be friends with people I met in band for the rest of my life, and that I can rely on them more than most other friends that I met just from my dorms, classes or parties,” said Julie.
Julie and her friend Alyssa before a game.
Next time you’re at a football game, show your appreciation for the band. In many cases, they practice just as much as the football team playing on the field, so give them a well-deserved round of applause after their big halftime performance!
Now that you can appreciate the band, find out how to enjoy the game!
