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What does it take to march with the Pride of Dexter? What happens before halftime?
Get an exclusive inside look at the world of marching band.
WRITTEN BY ELENA LU
Horns blare. Flag silks snap in the wind. Snare drums tap steadily. Under the stadium lights, the Pride of Dexter marches and twirls its way through the halftime performance. There’s a final blast, and the last note lingers in the air for a moment before the band marches off the field.
If you’ve been to a football game, you’re familiar with this scene. But how do hundreds of high schoolers learn to march in unison? What’s so special about the band?
MARCHING BAND combines technical precision, musicianship, and athleticism (believe it or not) into polished performances. Before the band can take thefield, there are section practices, leadership seminars, full band rehearsals, playing quizzes, and a week-long intensive band camp. It’s a considerable commitment that requires discipline and focus. But, according to senior trumpet section leader Diego Reyes, it’s also incredibly rewarding.
“Regardless of whether you love music or hate it, you’re going to find people you love and make memories for a lifetime,” Reyes states.
STRIKE A POSE: Cymbal players practice visuals for a drumline feature.
Band camp is where many of these memories begin. Yes, it involves repetitive marching technique drills, hours in the sun or rain, and nightly music rehearsals. However, band members can relax and connect with others during movie nights, games of Ultimate Rock-Paper-Scissors, and the band camp dance. “There is something about just going to band camp[…] with some of your best friends, rooming with them, and sharing every single meal,” Reyes says. “You get very close.”
SAY CHEESE: Band students pose for a photo at the Dexter v. Saline game.
The community established at band camp lasts far beyond the first week of August and is frequently cited as the best part of marching band. According to drum major Audrey Benson, “We’re really close. Even though it’s like a hundred kids, we all know each other by name.”
While the band is made up of several sub-groups, including the horns and woodwinds, drumline, frontline, and color guard, there is an undeniable sense of unity.
“It’s my favorite community at the high school,” says senior trombonist Claire Vander Haagen. “Being in the stands […] I love it so much.”
WHAT ARE YOU SNARING AT? The snare line waits for instructions at a pre-game rehearsal.
POPULAR CULTURE has conditioned us to believe in the stereotypical band nerd. But to the contrary, Dr. Kenneth Moore, Director of Bands at DHS, argues, “We have a little bit of everything in band.”
The Dexter Dreadnaught Marching Band is made up of athletes, scholars, artists, and student leaders.
As Moore puts it, “If you’re in the band, you’re really going to come across a cross-section of everything that is Dexter High School.”
Walk into the band room on a game day, and you’ll find a sea of students in maroon and white uniforms. Regardless of who they might be on any other day of the week, on Friday night, they are the Pride of Dexter.
A POP OF COLOR: The color guard practices choreography for the halftime show.
INTO THE SUNSET: Drum major Audrey Benson conducts at the band’s final evening rehearsal.
View the full photo gallery on SmugMug!
The original documentary film Band… Take the Field! Trailer out now on the Squall’s YouTube!
