Marching band members are no strangers to hard work. They practice hours every week in preparation for their competition season, and the dedication of these athletes and musicians is truly admirable. As a way to showcase their talent and diligence, an annual Marching Expo is held at Keller ISD stadium.
The Marching Expo will be on Oct. 8. Gates open at 6 p.m., and the show will go from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. Admission is only $5 and you must ask a marching band member to get you a ticket to the show because they are in high demand.
When asked what the Marching Expo entails, Sofia Facundo, varsity band member and trombone player, explained that all four high schools, and all middle schools in Keller ISD go to the stadium and play their pieces. The high schools put on their varsity show, and the middle schools perform the music that they’ve been practicing throughout the school day.
Laura Pearson, a clarinet player also on varsity band, shared that the high schools and middle schools will even be making music together.
“At the very end, [we] come onto the field and this year we’re going to play ‘September’ [by Earth, Wind & Fire],” Pearson said.
As far as the amount of preparation that goes into the show, Facundo explained that marching band has been rehearsing for a long while for their Bands of America (BOA) competition, so the Marching Expo is just a way to get a feel for the real thing later this year.
“It’s all practicing for BOA show. We’ve been practicing since the summer, so we use [Marching Expo] as more practice, but we will perform the show as it is in competition,” Facundo said.
Pearson shared that marching band polishes their routine as much as possible, without breaking the UIL rule of practicing no more than eight hours a week.
“Almost every single day after school our band goes out on the practice field. We’re cleaning drill and doing choreography. It’s a lot of work,” Pearson said.
When asked why students and faculty should come and see the show, Facundo stated that it’s a great way to see what the marching band actually does beyond football games.
“It’s a good way to see what the bands do. We perform during half time, but some people don’t get to see it. It’s really nice to hear all of us play,” she explained.
Pearson said that having an audience that shows encouragement and interest really does hold a lot of importance to her and her fellow musicians and athletes.
“It would really mean a lot to us to know that people are interested in what we are doing,” she expressed. “It’s cool to see people who aren’t in band come out and support us.”