Football Games and ParadesFootball GamesFootball games are a major part of the marching band season. We play at all the homegames before the game and during half time. We all arrive together on a bus a while before the game starts so we have time to practice and warm up. A little bit before the game starts or "pre-game" is when we in a way "introduce our team and school. We march onto the field and form the letters DHS representing our school. We then play our fight song. After that everyone rises and we play the national anthem. After that we get into a tunnel which the DHS varsity football players run through while we play the fight song again (a shortened version).After we finish with pre-game, we go up into the stands and sit together as a band. You must stay in full uniform. During certain points in the game (like when we score a touchdown) we will play in the stands. This makes it important that you are paying attention to the drum majors so you know when and what we are playing. At this point, the third quarter starts and we have this time to ourselves. You can head down to the concession stand and get something to eat or go hang out with your friends. However, you must be back by the fourth quarter so once again we can all play in the stands and cheer on our team. When the game is finally over, we head back to the bus after gathering all the things we brought with us (don't forget anything in the stands). Then we go back to the school, put our uniforms back, and go home. ParadesWe do a few parades throughout the marching season, and although they seem as if they aren't important, they actually are.In a parade we line up in a parade block (usually four to five people across) and march down the parade route. It sounds simple enough, but don't forget, you have to concentrate on staying on the right foot as well as your music. When not playing, either we keep our instruments at attention, or we do a horn swing. During the course of a parade you must pay attention to the drum majors and the drummers. The cadence the drummers play help keep you on foot when you aren't playing and they also let you know when you are beginning a new song (after the senior drum major sounds their whistle). Lastly, looking good is very important in a parade. If we do well enough, it can be submitted to be reviewed to see if we can get into better parades like the Detroit Thanksgiving parade. But if we do a sloppy job and don't try our hardest, then we won't ever get into better parades. Back |
