The Shadow Ridge High School Marching Band is much more than just a team, they’re a big family. The marching band program is run by Zach Hartley, who has been a teacher at Shadow for a total of seven years.
It all started when Hartley had the idea of fundraising. In an attempt to create a fun environment for the students to raise money, while still needing to rehearse, he came up with something called March-A-Thon. The fundraiser gave students something to look forward to since Hartley turned it into one big contest.
March-A-Thon is an all day rehearsal where students prepare for their upcoming competitions. This year students had a call time of 7:30 in the morning and finished around 6:30 pm. Although the marching band has around two to three rehearsals a week, that’s not necessarily enough time to prepare for competitions starting in October. To make sure students are as ready as they can be, March-A-Thon is set in place so that students learn as much drill and choreo as they can. For anyone who isn’t aware, drill is each of the students’ exact coordinates on the football field to create different shapes seen from the box.
The marching band has a total of 3 movements in their show this year. The first one is titled “Machu pichu,” the second titled “Gabriel’s oboe,” and then they have one more. While it may sound difficult to some and easier to others, getting three movements on the field isn’t an easy job. It requires dedication, focus, and an adaptable mindset. Without a March-A-Thon, students may become stressed due to the lack of preparation for the competitions. Learning their drill is hard enough at times and adding choreography to that is just a lot for students. March-A-Thon truly sets students up for a successful season.
Sophomore Connor Dixon stated, “Definitely drink lots of water and eat so you don’t pass out.”
Staying hydrated and making sure students are well fed is crucial because being in the heat for so many hours, while constantly moving, can be hard on the body. The goal for students is to work hard while still taking care of themselves.
The students don’t need to bring lunch or even snacks because everything is provided for them. No it’s not students standard school lunch, it’s stuff that the band moms prepare! From homemade sub sandwiches, to chips, cookies, salads, granola bars, fruits, gatorades, they have it all. One thing for sure is that at any band event, especially March-A-Thon, students and even staff will always be taken care of.
Dixon stated, “It was long but it was good because there were lots of my friends there and I enjoyed playing my instrument.”
A good portion of March-A-Thon was getting movement two “Gabriel’s oboe” on the field and because Dixon is the main solo, on the soprano saxophone, he didn’t move very much leaving him sitting on the sidelines for quite a while. March-A-Thon can be challenging due to the heat, repping the same stuff over and over again, and even just hard on the body, but this does not stop students from working towards those victories. March-A-Thon is just the beginning for these students and by the end of the season they will have grown so much. With the support from the students’ families, friends, and directors/coaches, they are set up for a very successful season!
