Robert W. Woodruff Marching Band and Color Guard will perform on Oct. 3 for the third home football game of the year when the War Eagles face off against Tri-Cities. Two weeks ago during the game against Chamblee, the band and guard revealed their full showcase for the first time. They will be performing “The Door” by Teddy Swims, “Blinding Lights” by The Weeknd, “That’s What I Was Made For” by Billie Eilish and “Abracadabra” by Lady Gaga again this Friday, so come out to catch the show.
While they exhibit their shows on the field, what do they do behind the scenes? How do they prepare for their showcases? The first, most crucial step is a one-week marching band camp over the summer at Young Harris College where the band makes unforgettable memories while learning almost all of their music and movements.
This year, the band left Woodward Academy on Sunday, July 27 and stayed for six days until Friday, Aug. 1. The typical daily routine started at 7:00 a.m, and the marching band learned fundamentals and drills until lunch. This was a time when new marchers would learn the basics of marching and when students would learn the movement for the half time show. After lunch the band went into sectionals where they practiced the music for their specific instrument, and color guard worked on their routines. Next, there was recreational time until 5:00 p.m. when the whole band could take a much needed break and then join each other for dinner. After dinner, once again, there was a full band session for a couple hours, and the day was wrapped up with “mandatory fun time” which students highlighted as the best parts of their experience.
One mandatory fun activity considered by many students to be the best part of the trip was “Just Dance” Tuesday night. Santoshi Puttaganta ‘26, this year’s new drum major, expressed her views on how this experience allowed her to see new sides of people.
“I think Just Dance was really fun to watch just because everyone was doing it, and also, it was really fun to see everyone’s different personalities because a lot of people, I kind of just expected to be a little bit more introverted,” Santoshi said. “It was really fun to see that side of them, where they were just like, out in the open.”
Susanna Summers ‘29, who plays the baritone in the marching band, discusses how sectionals were her favorite part of the camp as she was able to have fun with her friends.
“It was really funny, because, yeah, we were playing, but we would also joke around, and it was very light, and it wasn’t completely serious because we all got to know each other really well,” Susanna said.
While band camp was very fun, students such as Raymond Pilloner ‘27, a trumpet player new to marching, also described it as hard work and noted that it allowed them to get a lot done and be prepared for the season.
“So I had not marched before, and I think that week allowed me to really just figure out what I was doing, so that I could really throw myself into it when we came back in,” Raymond said.
Color guard member Kaylee Curran ‘26 also emphasizes the importance of band camp for the rest of the season because it allows you to build bonds with the team and it is where you get a feel for what you will be doing for the rest of the season.
“It’s really important because, not only do you get to learn the show and how it feels to be on equipment for either the first time or the first time in a few months, you also get to know the team and the coaches, which is really, really important because, without that, it’s not as much fun,”Kaylee said.
With the conclusion of band camp, the marching band and color guard’s work was really just beginning. One week later they began practices three times a week on Monday, Tuesday and Thursday during which they finished learning the show, reviewed what they learned at band camp and refined everything down to the smallest details. Throughout September, practices continued, though they dropped to two days a week, Monday and Thursday, with games on Fridays.
Each practice follows a basic structure that allows for a productive and organized approach to getting as many things done as possible. Marching band practice usually starts off with a warm-up on marchers’ instruments at 3:45 p.m. and then a review of the music in the band room. The band next heads outside to the practice field behind Moss Hall where they run through their show and work on the drill for the halftime performance. Finally, they head back to the band room around 5:30 p.m. to either pack up and head out or go over the tunes they play in the stands on game nights.
Color Guard has a slightly different practice schedule, but they meet on the same days. At 3:45 p.m. the guard heads outside and begins practice with stretches. Then they warm up on the flag or rifle by doing drop spins and a few tosses or cone exercises. They’ll then spend the rest of practice either learning new choreography, cleaning old choreo or going onto the field with the band to work on drills.
In spite of their separate practices, every Thursday both the marching band and color guard have an annual tradition where students bring in snacks for everyone. Snacks that have been brought in so far include pizza, ice cream (cake), donuts, and cookies. This fun tradition fosters community throughout the group and is a delicious way to wrap up practice.
Despite the intensity and time commitment of marching band, Loren Mckee ‘29, who is new to the band, believes that it is worth it because there are a lot of advantages to being a marcher.
“Well, one [if you are in the band program] . . . it counts as an honors credit,” Loren said. “Two, it’s a challenge as a varsity sport, so you can get a letterman jacket for it. And three, it’s just, like, really fun. I’ve met a good amount of people doing it.”
And while not all students who try out marching band manage to survive all four years, Santoshi notes that, from her freshman year, it was an activity she knew she wanted to continue.
“I think I just really enjoyed my freshman year, and it was something that I really enjoyed doing,” Santoshi said. “I saw myself going for it in the long run with it, at least for high school.”
Santoshi is not alone in believing that marching band and color guard are amazing experiences. Color guard veteran, Ariana Alavi ‘26 believes that these activities can offer new friendships and opportunities all throughout high school.
“I think [others] should join because, if you feel like you haven’t found your group, Color Guard [and marching band] will definitely make you feel like you have your friends and just give you something fun to do for after school if you don’t want to just go home and go straight into studying,” Ariana said. “It’s perfect for all that.”
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The editors and staff of the butterknife do want to note that one of the authors of this story, Nethra, is a member of the marching band.
