 |
|
Photo by Fenton/Webb Photography
Madison-Plains High School’s marching band has new uniforms this year. |
Performing songs about flight, the Golden Eagles marching band is soaring across the field this season.
Derek Scoles, in his second year as band director at Madison-Plains High School, said he picked the theme in honor of the school’s mascot and chose music that creates a feeling of motion.
The tunes are familiar ones: “Fly Like an Eagle’’ by the Steve Miller Band, “Blackbird” by Paul McCart-ney,’’ “Free Bird’’ by Lynyrd Skynyrd, and an ageless classic, “Fly Me to the Moon” in a rendition arranged by Scoles.
Trae McClelland, a senior band member, will be featured in a trumpet solo during “Fly Like an Eagle’’ and Zach Runyan, a junior, will be featured on the trombone during “Blackbird.”
“We will have a group solo percussion performing during ‘Blackbird’ as well,’’ Scoles said.
Marching a band that has grown from 24 members last year to 36 members this year, Scoles said he picked music to highlight band members who switched instruments to make areas of the band stronger.
“We have some amazing students here who were willing to learn an entirely new instrument to help us achieve the sound we are looking for out there. I can’t say enough about these students. They are all willing to do whatever it takes to do it right,’’ Scoles said.
The band’s pride will show not only in their perfor-mances but in the marchers’ uniforms, too. New duds were debuted at the last football game of 2006.
The new black and hunter green uniforms were purchased with money raised by band members and their families, a donation from the school board, and donations from corporations. A Velcro feature allows students to wear different sashes for football games and special events.
“We will wear the white and gold sashes for football games, and the gold sashes will be worn for contest participation,” Scoles said.
The band also will wear black gloves during all performances, a difference in the norm of the white gloves normally worn by high school bands.
“The black gloves will give the illusion that their instruments are floating in air,’’ Scoles said.
The Madison-Plains marching band marched in the Ohio State Fair parade in August and was on the ticket to perform in the West Jefferson Ox Roast parade. Scoles said he has applied for entry into four band festival competitions and is waiting for confirmations.
