The marching band performs for every Spartan football game. They normally perform pregame for home games and half-time for away games. However, the band will not get members every year if people aren’t aware of them to begin with. So one game per year the marching band invites the eighth graders from the middle school to join them for one of the home games. This allows the eighth graders to decide if marching band is something they want to be involved in their freshman year of high school. 

The two bands perform the National Anthem and the school’s Alma Mater together. The eighth graders also get to join the band in the bleachers where they play music while the game is being played, as well as joining the marching band’s parade to the stadium that they do from the middle school every home game.

The two bands meet an hour before the game begins to get to meet each other and to warm up for the show. The eighth graders were taught how to march for the parade and the new drumline was taught the school’s cadence.

For the parade the band played one of their bleacher songs, “Hey Song,” instead of their normal parade songs because the eighth grade band was able to practice this song in advance. 

I interviewed Mrs. Megan Schneider, the band director for the WVW Middle School, about the event.

When asked how many eighth grade students were participating in the event this year, Mrs. Schneider responded saying “I would guess around 20 this year.”

When asked about the significance of eighth grade band night, she responded saying “It’s about exposure to the marching band and what a great opportunity it can be for students.”

When asked about how the band prepared for the event, Mrs. Schneider responded saying “The band practiced the two songs during class, as well as a few others for the parade when in the stands.”

Lastly, when asked how many eighth graders might join this upcoming year, she responded with “I never know. It’s a mystery every year.”

The marching band is important to the school and many of the students who participate in it. It provides entertainment for school events as well as gives many students opportunities to do what they enjoy, and the band needs new members to keep it running every year. Hopefully we’ll all see these eighth graders in the band next year.