Band Students Love Marching Band

Students enjoy marching, playing and performing in marching band during the football season at Carter High School. The Carter High School marching band is relatively small compared to most marching bands, but that does not stop them from giving wonderful performances and having fun. The students range from freshmen to seniors, all putting their all into the show, marching and playing until they are dead exhausted. The band practices during third period, the longest period of the school day as well as every Monday from four pm to six pm, and Thursdays, six pm to eight pm. It takes a lot of work to perform the shows but it is worth it. The shows are the highlight of marching season, with fun music, movements, and shapes formed by the students when marching. The two drum majors, JaDejsha Arnold and Ploomie Messer, are vital to the show, conducting the band and keeping them in time. When asked what her favorite part of marching band is, JaDejsha Arnold, senior drum major commented, “Doing something I love with people who love it just as much as me.” JaDejsha finds the most rewarding part of band to be the people, the players and the performers. She enjoys performing just as much as any other member of the band and always does her best when conducting. Other than drum majors, there are a multitude of woodwind, brass, battery, and front ensemble players along with guard and majorettes. Everyone is important to the show as the band is smaller than in previous years. Cameron Walker, a senior tuba player, said competitions are his favorite part of band due to being able to come together with other bands, interact, play, and listen to them play. “I feel special,” Cameron Walker commented, describing why he enjoyed band so much. Marching band makes everyone feel special, like Cameron. Even if a person is just in the general ensemble, he or she still has an important role to play, making them vital to the band. There’s lots of movements from the majorettes and the guard as the band plays on. The woodwinds play fun trills and sixteenth runs while the brass players have flowing eighth notes and quarter notes, usually having more supportive parts or melodies of the songs. Other than music, there are performances, competitions, and football games where the band performs.