By Jordan Solomon, Quill Writer
The River Hill Marching Band finished their season Friday, October 24th with a highly anticipated performance. Despite chilly temperatures, the band pushed through for an emotional senior night and engaging halftime show that left everyone energized.
This performance came just over two months after the marching band first met on August 11th. Working first through heat, then through cold, they rehearsed both indoors and outdoors to bring the whole show together. The Marching Band performed their show six times throughout the season: four at the football game halftimes, one at Howard County’s Marching Band Showcase and one at our Homecoming Pep Rally. Being one of the only bands that does not take part in marching competitions in Howard County, the Band included members of both the Varsity Football and Varsity Cheer teams, along with students from all other parts of River Hill.
The band is directed by Mr. Blackman, who explained that while the show is complex and marching is difficult in general, the band does not hold after school rehearsals, unlike most other HCPSS marching bands. “[W]e can achieve at a very high level without a lot of out of school time” Blackman states. “I’m quite pleased with where we’ve gotten visually and musically”.
This year’s September 5th season opener was the earliest possible performance date. In spite of the shorter timeframe, Mr. Blackman believes that the band did phenomenally well. “[Being] able to go out there, that early in the season, and perform the entire show with all the drill and all the music, was extremely gratifying. And the fact we did it fairly well was a perk. But just to be able to go out there that early in the season, especially with forty students in the group that had never marched before August 11th, I was super proud of that.”
Mr. Blackman also explained the importance of the county Marching Band Showcase. “My favorite part of the marching season is probably the Marching Band Showcase. Not only because it’s the point in the season where our work shines the brightest, but because we are able to share it with the other bands in the county, which is uplifting in itself.” The Showcase is a free event open to the public held over two days each year where many of the HCPSS marching bands perform for each other and audience members. This year, River Hill performed on the first day at Oakland Mills High School.
Sophomore Dylan Chang, a tuba player, echoed this sentiment, noting that his favorite part of the showcase was that “when [they] started, everyone went dead silent [to watch their performance].” He appreciates the sense of community found at the showcase and the respect that each band has for each other.
Despite the many wonderful moments in the season, the director also acknowledged that there were some low points. Speaking on the topic of respect and consistently playing well, he states “…occasionally, students will get wrapped up enough in the moment, or in the football game, or in being social, that sometimes we fall just a little bit short in one of those areas.” However, this doesn’t seem to be too big of an issue overall: “..it’s never anything catastrophic.”
Clearly, the RHHS Marching Band season was a resounding success for all. From the opening number on September 5th to the closing song in late October, the entire Band grew together throughout the season in more ways than one. As the marching season winds down, the Band will begin to focus on their free indoor concerts during the winter season.