On July 29 through Aug. 10, The Pride of Windsor marching band started practices for this year’s band competitions. This year’s marching band theme is “The Flight and Fall” and follows the story of Icarus, a Greek myth, where Icarus and his father (Daedalus) build wings to escape a cave.
“(Icarus’) dad tells him not to fly too close to the sun, otherwise the wax will melt and you will fall into the water … Don’t fly too close to the water … because you will get your feathers wet, then you won’t be able to fly,” instrumental director Everett Shryock (staff) said. It’s all about kinda staying in this middle ground.”
During performances there is a lot to watch and newcomers to band may not understand the theme or what exactly is happening. Drum major Taven Dutson (10) said, “If you want to appreciate the show more, you can ask any one of us band kids before and we will explain it to you.”
The process of rehearsing for marching band is a long creative process that is in action throughout the year.
“The story is actually revealed to us and how we portray it while we go about it,” Dutson said. “Shryock, he is kinda making the show while we are in practice.”
Practices for marching band start during band camp, a two-week long rehearsal where students work on their music and placement for band performances.
“We get our music at the end of the school year, the year before. We have all summer to work on it individually,” marimba player Madelynn Alexander (12) said. “Then for band camp is, like, seven hours a day, for two weeks straight, where we learn the music and we learn marching basics.”
The process of choosing the theme starts months before the theme is actually announced and is revealed in April of the previous school year.
“Students can recommend and talk to Shryock about the theme, it’s mainly his call,” Dutson said. “But we always get really excited when he announces the theme.”
Shryock and fellow decision makers consider talent of the WHS marching band program when making this choice.
“The directors (choose the theme) but they choose a theme that they know we would enjoy and like to perform,” Alexander said. “We are really lucky honestly cause our directors and … all of our staff members write the show for us and for our specific school, so, like, they know what sections are stronger than others and they know what we can handle.”
During the “The Flight and the Fall,” Alexander and Marcelo Kolb (11) are both soloists in the band performance.
“It’s on my marimba … it’s, like, cool notes,” Alexander said. “The pit always talks about it as like ‘the Pixar moment,’ where they are, like, really happy but also, like, really, really sad at this point in the show.”
The band tries to “bring the purpose,” according to Alexander, to rehearsals and lead the school with spirit.
The marching band performs “The Flight and Fall” at football games and band competitions throughout the season. The band hosts community fundraising nights at the football games, and members of the community can also go watch competitions to support the marching band.
