WILDCAT BAND
By Macy Stone
While the average sports fan goes and gets nachos and a soda the Wildcat Marching Band is taking their place on the field. The drum major steps on the podium and the six minutes begin.
Preparation for a marching show begins as early as January when the director picks the theme and the music. He also hires a drill writer and designs the t-shirts. At the end of the school year before marching season starts is when the students receive their music and begin to learn and memorize it. Even in the summer the band meets once in June and once in July for a four-hour practice just to keep their music sharp.
The third week in July is when band begins for the first time since school has ended, starting with leadership camp preparing the student leaders to help their classmates the best they can. Freshman camp starts on the last week of July teaching the new marchers correct technique and getting them used to marching and playing at the same time. Full band camp starts the first day of August and doesn't end until school starts. That's a total of almost 70 hours of work put in before anyone walks into school on August 22. Even after school starts the Wildcat band continues to work to make the show look cleaner and sound better. They have an hour class period and on Tuesdays they have an additional two-hour practice from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m.
So just remember while you're in the stands drinking your Coke and enjoying the game that the football players weren't the only ones sweating and working all summer to put on a great show.
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