Among every Beaver Football game is the marching band’s halftime show. Band students tend to get lost in the score, the chants, and the concession stand, often leaving the halftime show overlooked. However, the efforts that the students in the marching band make toward their show perhaps shouldn’t be brushed over. 

Pete Wyatt, the director of Wilton Jr. High and High School band, states that the marching band is preparing a show to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Woodstock Music Festival. Along with this, the high school band has been learning new things and venturing through new experiences. Around half of the band joined the Hawkeye Marching Band for a halftime show, and the entire band had been putting in work to receive their new uniforms and take pictures for an upcoming band poster.

Mr. Wyatt highlights that there are many technicalities to a marching band show. Students learn several pieces of music for their show on the field as well as in the stands, 35-40 drill formations, and other additional tasks needed to run the show. With the school being 1A, the band is smaller than large 4A bands. “When a band is larger, it is easier to hide and not feel as necessary. But in smaller ensembles, each person has a more important role to help the band perform at its highest level of excellence.” Mr. Wyatt states that each member of the band is important to the overall success, and wants to open up the floor for more people to join.

Gracie Koele, a trombone player in the Wilton Marching Band, believes that the marching band takes a lot of work that a lot of people aren’t willing to put in. “Evening rehearsals to learn our drill can sometimes be difficult. For a couple of hours, we walk our drill outside over and over again and carry our instruments along. It can be difficult and exhausting, but it is always nice when parents bring us snacks afterward.” Gracie states about evening rehearsals that the marching band performs to learn their show’s drill.

The marching band’s hard work should not be overlooked. They spend countless hours learning their music and drill, competing with other schools for awards, and performing at football games. The band works hard to provide us with a halftime show and remember, that it is not a feat that they can accomplish overnight. It takes countless hours of hard work to achieve.