The Stevenson marching band opened its season on Sept. 2, with a halftime performance at the football team’s home opener.
The Marching 100 plans to build upon last season, and is extremely confident going forward this year due to a large returning core, according to Terrell Smith, assistant band director.
Smith added that he believes this is the most talented band that Stevenson has fielded in its short six-year history. This is thanks to both the experienced veterans, as well as a strong group of incoming freshmen. These talented newcomers hail from all over the northeast and were recruited through Stevenson’s wider outreach methods this off-season, relative to previous years.
Recruiting was a focal point for the team last year. They performed at high school competitions in the Philadelphia Arena and Allentown, Pennsylvania, to get Stevenson’s name more visibility. The band will continue to perform exhibition shows this fall both at Navy-Marine Corps Stadium on Oct. 1, and at Maryland Stadium at College Park on Nov. 5.
VETERANS AND FRESHMAN EXUDE CONFIDENCE
The routines performed this year are similar to last year’s, with the exception of surplus of talent on this year’s squad. The directors were able to enhance it both in terms of difficulty and entertainment value.
The percussion group is especially prominent this year, explains Smith, because of the large number of talented veterans. Along with head band director, Mark Lortz, Smith plans to add pieces to the halftime show every week, whether with the color guard, the dance team, or the band itself.
The students who make up the Marching 100 also share their director’s confidence. Sophomore piccolo player, Molly Meyers, explained that the veterans have stepped up to fill the void left by last year’s graduates, and are impressed with this year’s freshmen.
A big confidence builder for the team was the two-week band camp in August where freshmen received an extra day of training to ensure a smooth transition from high school to the collegiate level.
The band hopes that this will be a breakout year, and is happy to have completed the best preseason to date. Meyers praised the marching band, calling its work ethic “dedicated,” while Smith simply said, “Amazing.”