Thank the Village that Makes the Music Happen

They say it takes a village to raise a child, but I say it takes a village to create a high school marching band.  The Trumbull High School Golden Eagle Marching Band (THSGEMB) has many parts to it that somehow come together and compete as a top-notch, artistic marching band across New England.

The band itself is made of the drum line section, the band, the pit and the guard. The drum line is made up of the snares, the tenors (the guys playing the four drums), the bass (those are the drums hanging sideways off the students, if you will) and the cymbals. The pit consists of various marimbas, vibraphones, tympani (the kettle looking drums), a drum kit, a guitar player, a piano player, and someone to play auxiliary instruments such as bells, gongs or other hand held instruments.  The pit is the easiest of these four groups to locate as they are the stationary students parked right in front of the audience wearing fairly large smiles. 

The guard is made of girls (and in some marching bands girls and guys) who twirl, spin, toss and deftly catch flags, sabres and rifles. The guard adds to the story of the show and is often interwoven in-between the entire band; this means the guard members are also constantly moving in sync or against the grain of the band and drum line members for added affect. Some of the guard members may even be twirling swing flags; these are flags that are longer than flags that are tossed in the air and are quite heavy, but beautiful looking from the audience’s perspective.

The band is made up of brass and wind instruments such as:  tubas, trumpets, baritones mellophones, piccolos, saxophones (alto, bari and tenor), clarinets, and flutes. Our tuba players are easy to spot, especially as they come off the field, because they are the ones carrying their instruments one-handed past the judges’ station; an impressive sight!

The last group off the field during every competition is the drum line (snares, tenors, bass players and cymbals), because they provide the cadence for marching.  When you see the entire group of 150 students marching in sync onto the field to take their place for competition, it genuinely takes your breath away to witness the sea of black and white stride onto the field with pride, attitude and concentration.

But to get there, it takes a village.  During every rehearsal, the entire band breaks down by instrument and works with their instrument instructor. For example, the snares work with their instructor, as do the basses and the cymbals; each perfecting their part in the show. The pit group works with their instructor in making sure they have their part down perfectly.  Even the guard works with their instructors to learn the movement and equipment choreography needed for this year’s show. Every section/instruments group works with an instructor to get it right before working as a whole band to put it together as one cohesive unit. As a result, each member of the village plays an important role.  Yes, this village is large, but it could use a few more members. It could use you, fellow Trumbullites, to cheer on the village, its members and all it accomplishments.  I hope to see you at our Fall Classic on Sept. 28th doing just that!