Marching Band Gets a New Show

Marching Band doesn’t just walk around and play music. There is a lot more to it than that. The band spends all summer memorizing their music. The students also practice on Mondays and some Saturdays during the late summer to early winter seasons in order to improve. Also, when band camp starts, they are expected to have their music memorized, and be ready to work their butts off on the field.

At Band camp, the students were introduced to a new style of marching, straight-leg. The style gives them a taller look. The audience will notice that the band has a louder sound, that is  because the band has over one-hundred students marching as opposed to past years. The drumline has learned a new cadence this year, as well. To freshman band students, the experience is a challenging, eye-opening coming of age. The upperclassmen guarantee the freshmen that over the years it gets easier.

“The most challenging concepts to me would have to be memorizing the music, then you add on marching, while playing, and trying to get to your spot in the right amount of counts,” said Katie Stewart, freshman.

It is noticeable that marching band pushes these kids to their limits, but the band members power on through anyway. There is a lighter side to all the hard work they do.

“One of the best things about marching band is that I get to go out on that field and meet new people,” said Hayden Blubaugh, freshman.

Behind all the work that the audience sees, there is a not-so-serious side. Every once in awhile, they get a good laugh when Mr. Dane Danielson makes a mistake, and the students get to correct him. He gives the students two push-ups that add up pretty quickly. The team-building activities the band did over the summer are bringing a sense of teamwork and humor to the field.

Each year the band learns a new show to put on the field. The show is… “Vice and Virtue.”

“I like the concept of this year a lot better. The whole ‘Vice and Virtue’ thing is really cool to me. Last year’s show, there was a lot of pressure on us to do good because if we didn’t do it right then it’d be like a disgrace to your whole country. This year’s show is a lot better, a lot more relaxed and fun,” said Shannon Gary, sophomore.

It certainly is a lot more relaxed but brings a whole new level of performance to the field. This year the show features: Murder, Murder; Superman Opener; and Wicked Part 2.

Multiple members of the marching band have talked about the process of doing it “one more time” a couple more times. The students have marched through the first movement, they’ve done it a million times. Then, over the loudspeaker, Danielson says the words “one more time,” the students rush back to their starting positions on the field lit up by the bright lights, and do it again. When the students hear those words, they are filled with hope that they can get the run-through better this time, and the next, until it’s perfect.

“I am grateful that Danielson makes us repeat it because the more we do it, we’ll have it stitched into our brains, and this will lead us to be able to be detailed and be better at everything we do. Practice makes perfect,” said Sophia Nguyen, junior.

So come out and watch the Goddard High School Marching Band perform at halftime of the home varsity football games.