Beyond the Lights: A Day in the Life of the Roland-Story Marching Band
By Kara P.
“WELCOME THE ROLAND-STORY MARCHING BAND,” boomed Kevin Masemann, as the band took the field for the starting of the game. “Under the direction of Kevin Masemann, Jen Masemann flags, Drum Majors, Kelsey Johnson, Lily Brunchson, and Jullianne S.” But what led up to this? How did the band get to this point? Many times, behind the scenes, the kids you see are meeting at least eight times throughout the week to get ready. From early mornings to hot afternoon practices, they are working overtime to get the performance ready. These kids are a part of the hardest working group of kids, always showing up.
The morning of homecoming starts bright and early for the band. Rolling into the band room at 6:50, to begin marching on the streets at 6:55. Stepping everyone off to the start of the whistles, everyone is bustling with excitement and still a tiny bit tired. Three clicks are given and the band is off, marching through the streets, performing and practicing. They work through turns and stopping, keeping the correct space and distance from each row. As the time ticks closer to 7:20, they come trooping back into the high school. In the gymnasium, they practice walking onto the field, the visiting school song, and the Star Spangled Banner. They work through these songs, making sure that they are in tip-top shape, as they are the most important for the night. After they finish, everyone heads back, putting away instruments and chatting about the day to come.
At 2:10 the kids are released from class a few minutes early. They head to the band room, dropping their backpacks against the walls, chatting about what is going to happen next. Everyone gathers in the band room, grabbing music, instruments, and flags. The drummers tap their hands, the flags talk about what the hardest part is, and many kids chat about the day. Then they are ushered outside, to warm up and tune. They play a warm up scale, the B natural scale, and the tune. Each instrument is measured and corrected until the band sounds almost perfect! Finally, the kids are lined up, ready to step off at the given notice. You see the drummers chatting, flags tossing and creating moves, and many smiling faces. The whistles go off and everyone snaps to position, starting the parade. The drums roll, and everyone steps off. The flags lead the way, with smiles so bright they blow you away. Then the clarinets and flutes come through. Next the saxophones flow into the drums. Then, you see the brass, from trumpets, trombones, and tubas, the section is the loudest. Finally, you see the back flags and Mr. Masemann. As they march through the streets, they lead the parade. Finally they reach the stadium, marking the end of the parade. Everyone drops their instruments and grabs water.
Two hours later, the kids are back in the band room. Everyone is excited, it’s the homecoming game! The flags arrive first, putting glitter, lipstick, and mascara everywhere. They will shine against the stadium lights. They suit up, putting on buttons, shirts, and red suspenders. The band members trickle in, with tons of energy. They start getting ready, setting up their instruments, and grabbing the music. They start to put on the uniforms, from the pants to the coat, it takes just a bit. Then they head outside, grab a plum from the box and start a circle. They warm up, play through the songs, and then tune. They are the best sounding that they will be. They do the band boogaloo, a fun way to shake out the nerves that have started to creep in. As they walk down to the field, they chat about what will happen next and what they are nervous about. They line up on the field, ready to take their first steps.
The band is lined up on the field, waiting to step on. The whistles blow and it starts, everyone runs on to the field. Mr. Masemann's voice booms from the pressbox, “Your Roland-Story Marching Band”. The stadium starts clapping and comes alive, it’s time for a football game! The drum majors move people around, and start the cadence. The band moves across the field to the middle, moving in perfect sync within each other. They land and face the visiting school. They start the visiting school song, playing in perfect time within each, creating a welcoming atmosphere to the other team. They turn to face the home section. Everyone stands up, and the school song is played, ripping through the town, as a force stronger than a wave. Once the school song is finished, the Star Spangled Banner is ready. People rise, take off their caps, and face the flag. The band performs the song, honoring those who are serving, who haven’t come back, and who have served. Once they finish, they move off the field in one movement. Everyone steps together, closing in on the track. Finally, the game starts, and everyone is ready for a football game.
As the band sits on the sideline, watching the game, hoping for a touchdown. Once they score the touchdown, and the second point, they are ready. Blasting the school song, leading the home section in the pride. They will get to play the song again before they go back onto the field. The flags move first, practicing the routines they will perform for the section during the song. Everyone starts to move towards the visitor players area, ready to take the field. The timer hits zero and the band lines up on the field. In two lines, the set up, ready to take the field in two rows facing inwards. They march on, creating a pathway down the middle for the queen candidates to walk down. They repeat the same song over and over, which does seem to become a bit boring, but once the queen candidates are done, they are ready to move. They form two lines, with the flags in front, ready to perform Waka-Waka. These flags create a stunning performance and the band blows away the crowd. Then they all are running into their spots, forming an RS. It seems to be a bit jabbled but they figure it out! They play the school song one last time and then march off the field. Everyone has smiles on their faces and the energy is following into the crowd. As they leave, they talk about the day and what led up to the performance that they put on. Tons of time and work went into the performance that went very well. They are excited to perform in two weeks, for senior night!