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Lee’s Summit West Marching Band: Passion
October 6, 2012
Lee's Summit West
Marching Band
Tribune Photo/Jeremy Flowers
By Wendy Hayworth
Intern Reporter for the Tribune
intern@lstribune.net
To band students, football season means much more than Friday nights cheering in the stands, sporting team colors, and cheering your team to victory. Football season is marching season.
“It is important that each member of the band pull his or her weight. They must know when to play every note and when/where to take each step. All the while, doing it with a strict sense of pride in the self and team,” Lee’s Summit West marching coach Clifton Thurmond said.
It is easy to take for granted the horns and drums echoing across the field when the ball soars through the air. Few stop to think of the hours of practice put into each and every note.
“Practice consists of several sections. We generally begin with some stretching, as marching band is a very physically taxing activity on one’s body,” Thurmond said.
During the halftime show, the band takes to the field. Each step is perfectly planned and synchronized. As each student go through the moves and steps they’ve practiced for hours upon hours, they must perform elaborate songs in perfect harmony.
“Aside from the obvious music instruction and rehearsing, we prepare for upcoming performances of our field show,” Thurmond said.
Halftime shows aren’t the only events band students prepare for during the marching season.
“We will be competing three times this year: October 6th, 13th, and 20th,” Thurmond said.
This year they will be performing “Into the Clouds,” “One Day I’ll Fly Away,” and the theme from “Star Trek Generations.”
“The biggest challenge is keeping the students focused on the task at hand and motivating them to give 110% effort in the rehearsals. It is key to the success of the organization,” Thurmond said.
Marching band gives the students a way to express themselves, collaborate with other musicians, and showcase their skills.
“It’s a place in high school to be a part of something bigger than themselves and a part of a family,” Thurmond said.
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