Mustang Marching Band gives preview of upcoming season
Medina will perform show, ‘Fragile World’
Photos by Natalie Baron: Medina Marching Band students perform on Thursday. The band has 80 students this year, including 16 newcomers.
By Natalie Baron, Orleans Hub intern
MEDINA— The Medina Marching Band on Thursday gave the community with a preview of their upcoming performances. The band offered a sneak peak in the high school parking lot next to the band barn.
The marching band program features students from the junior-senior high school, grades 7-12. This year, the program has 80 kids, including lots of rookie members. The 16 rookies stepped forward to be recognized during their first band camp. There are 4 seniors this year: Hagen Van Leuven, Natalie Herbert, Mackenzie Poynter and Lyla Page.
Each year, the band develops a performance with a different theme.
“The theme is called ‘Fragile World,’” Director Matt Jaeger described. “It’s ‘The Way We Were,’ so it starts out dark and mysterious. You won’t hear them tonight, but there’s voiceovers that talk about how we are fragile and frail as a society. Then, it works into the end, which is joyous.”
Director Matt Jaeger speaks with the crowd of parents and other band supporters.
Medina will host the Home Show on Saturday, Sept. 20, with 11 bands part of the show. It will be the third week of the season and the band’s second show. During the season, the band will go to West Seneca, Medina, Oswego, Webster, Victor, Orchard Park and conclude at the dome in Syracuse.
Jaeger could not be prouder of the students. “These kids have worked hard this week,” he lauded. “It was really hot Monday and Tuesday, but they pushed through, and it’s exciting to watch them grow from the beginning all the way to where we are now. So, it’s a long week, but it’s a rewarding week. And this is the hardest week of the season. After this, it gets a little easier. It’s not as hot, the days aren’t as long. We have less time, but it’s like a breath, because we do a lot this week, and we go a little slower and easier for the rest of the time. It’s pretty cool.”
Color guard and the band together create quite the show.
Senior Drum Major Lyla Page remarked about the program, “It’s really great! As soon as you get into the Medina school district, you know it’s gonna be a music school. We rely very heavily on the arts, and being part of the marching band is just so fun, because there’s so many great supporters of it. As you can see, there’s a lot of parents! It’s a very involved community, so I really enjoy it.”
There was a sizeable crowd in attendance this Thursday.
Lyla conducts for the band positioned near the back row. “I do a lot of helping people with drill, do their feet and time, and I mainly just stand up there and wave my arms in time with the music. But, it’s also harder than it seems, because you have to remember all the cues and all the time signature changes. So, it can be pretty difficult.”
The band highlights a number of students in solos.
The drumline, pit percussionists, and color guard receive an extra day of practice to prepare them to work seamlessly with the rest of the marching band
“Because there’s so many different moving parts, we start them a little bit differently,” Front Ensemble Instructor Tiffany Organisciak said. “In the summertime, we’ll usually run a pit, battery, and guard rehearsal by itself, and then Thursday will be everyone.”
The band works tirelessly to ensure the performances come together.
Money drop offs for registration, shoes, and fundraisers will take place on Tuesdays during the first half hour of practice, to be collected by a Booster. To sign up for the fall shows, reach out to Chaperone Chair Meghan Tuttle. The winner of the Fall Cash Raffle will be announced during the Home Show on September 20.
The band groups got together to share a cheer before dismissal for the day.
