Bringing the Beat

Bringing the Beat

Senior Evie Renninger plays the clarinet during the band’s halftime performance at the Homecoming game on Sept. 24. Renninger loves performing because “it’s when all the hard work pays off.” photo by Elizabeth Rexing

By Elizabeth Rexing, Print Editor

Arriving at the high school at 8 a.m. and returning well after midnight is just a typical Saturday for the members of the marching band and color guard during their mid-September to late-October competition season.

Despite the long and grueling days, senior Annie Zinck, head drum major enjoys competition season.

“There's a nervous energy and everyone is more excited,” Zinck said. “I think people put in more effort because they know something big is coming.”

The marching band, composed of woodwinds, brass, percussion, and the color guard, has roughly 15 performances during their fall season with about half of them being competitions.

This year’s show, “El Toro Bravo,” depicts “a bull fight with the band representing the bull, and the color guard representing a matador,” freshman bass drum player Bryce Barnett said.

Because of Covid-19, the band is reusing the theme from last year and expanding it by adding more music and choreography. “We have almost double the amount of music,” senior McLean Carter, a mellophone player, section leader, and horn sergeant, said.

According to Carter, the “awesome” music in the fourth movement is well-known in the marching arts community. The movements are also well-liked among marching band and color guard members.

“It’s very fast-paced,” junior and color guard captain Autumn Peper said. “And faster choreography is always fun to do.”

To prepare for the season, the band practiced for four hours a day, three days a week during their summer “mini-camp.” Then, band camp took place five days a week, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., for two weeks.

During the school year, according to marching band director Tom Landrum, the group will practice an average of 12 hours a week and will also perform their show one or two times.

Landrum notes the “physical demand” that marching band takes and how it “should most definitely be considered a serious cardio workout.”

Marching, holding up heavy instruments, and having to focus specifically on breathing are all physical aspects of practicing and performing.

“I’ve played a lot of sports,” Barnett said. “But I have never had two weeks straight of nine hour practices like I’ve had for band camp.”

Carter added that most students don’t realize the rigor of marching band and color guard schedule.

“If we were categorized as a sport, we wouldn’t be allowed to practice as much as we do,” Carter said. “That really puts it into perspective against other fall sports.”

However, when compared to these fall sports, Zinck said the marching band and color guard feel disregarded. “

We get no recognition,” Zinck said. “It hurts because we’re putting in more work than a lot of the student-athletes. We compete with other schools just like they do and then we hear people dissing the marching band.”

In previous years, parts of the student section have shown irreverent behavior towards the marching band and color guard. “

There have been a small number of students that thought it was okay to be very shallow-minded and would cheer and laugh loudly if they noticed an error,” Landrum said. “It was very inappropriate and shockingly disrespectful.”

“My freshman and sophomore years, we got booed a lot,” Zinck said. “If someone dropped something, they would start counting the mistakes. That was upsetting because some of my friends were in the stands, or people in my classes. I was like, ‘wow, this is embarrassing. I’m in marching band and they clearly don’t like it.’”

However, Landrum notes that “thankfully, the student section for the last few games of 2020 and all of the games in 2021 have been very respectful of the incredible efforts of the marching band students.”

Zinck has adapted to perform well regardless of her surroundings and has “learned to let it roll off [her] back,” she said.

Carter is “incredibly proud of how hard the band has been working this season.”

The band and color guard placed first at their Sept. 11 and Sept. 18 competitions. At their Sept. 25 competition, the color guard won first and the marching band placed second overall.

The marching band hopes for the opportunity to perform at the semi-state competition at Ben Davis on Oct. 30 and the state competition at Lucas Oil on Nov. 11.

“My goal for this season is to help everyone be excited and reach their full potential so we can go as far as we can, no matter how far that’ll be,” Zinck said. “I want to have lots of energy and excitement for the season because I know this season will affect the seasons to come.”

“The comradery developed among the marching band students is genuine and long-lasting,” Landrum said. “There is a true feeling of family.”

Junior Karinn Johnson catches her flag in the show at the Sept. 24 football game. photo by Elizabeth Rexing