The feeling of anticipation in the air is enough to rival the cold weather. Taylor Watkins, freshman, holds her trumpet in her hands and steadies her breath. Tapping her fingers as she quietly practices, hoping her first marching band performance will go perfectly. She shakes off her nerves, brings the trumpet to her lips, and begins to play.
Watkins said she joined band because she wasn’t playing a sport at the time and wanted to do something productive. She believes practicing is important for someone who is in band, and has many tips to share.
” Watkins said. “When I’m struggling with a piece, I just do it in little sections, like [one] measure [at a time] and make my way through it.”
Watkins said she feels nervous but excited for her first Turkey Day game. She said the song they are playing is very hard. However, she said she feels ready to perform.
“[I feel] a little nervous because I don’t really know the piece we’re playing,” Watkins said. “For freshmen, [the most challenging part] is keeping up with all the upperclassmen, I [want to] be at that level but I’m not.”
Watkins said she loves when the trumpets get to play. Her favorite moment is the ritual trumpets do every game, which she is excited to do during Turkey day.
“When it was marching season, all the trumpets would get into a circle,” Watkins said. “We all kneel and one of the seniors would go into the middle circle and hype everyone up and we would all take a picture. [It’s a tradition we’ve] been doing for a long time.”
Other band members are also excited for Turkey Day. Xander Pozo, sophomore, joined band because he found the idea of being a band member exciting. He has been playing the drumline since fourth grade and said he was drawn to percussion. He said he found music a comfortable spot to be in.
“I really like Turkey Day,” Pozo said. “I haven’t been to a home Turkey Day game [yet], but I’m really looking forward to [it]. [Whenever] we went to the football games as a family when I was little, I enjoyed the energy of the drumline.”
Keegan Greenwood, senior, joined band because his parents wanted him to. He stayed because he ended up loving it. He has been playing the baritone sax for a year and has a solo for “Staying Alive” in the marching band performance.
“The way I practice is a bit unorthodox,” Greenwood said. “I’ll play a song I enjoy and I’ll try to learn the scale or the key that the song is in. I’ll play along to it on my speakers and redo that a few times until I get it or I’m satisfied with how it sounds.”
Greenwood said being in band has had a positive impact on his highschool experience. He said there are many benefits that come with being a band member.
“[Band] made [high school] so much better,” Greenwood said. “I’ve met so many people that I wouldn’t otherwise know and I’ve developed such a tight circle [that] I really can’t imagine what my highschool experience would be without band.”
Band doesn’t just define Greenwood’s high school experiences, however. Greenwood said he is excited to do the field show one last time during Turkey Day.
“I’ve achieved a lot of the goals I had back in middle school,” Greenwood said. “I’ve gotten to a point where I can play along with people and have fun with it. That’s really the main thing: having fun and a form of self expression that you can call upon at any time.”
