MHS marching band camp steps up

Drum major Emma Pfizenmaier, senior, leads Marshall High School marching band members through steps during band camp Thursday. Pfizenmaier and co-drum major Whitney Tuck said the secret to directing success is to sometimes not yell. [Click to enlarge]

Marking time, slide steps, crab steps and more. For the Marshall High School Marching Band, everything about them is in the way that they walk.

It's band camp time at Marshall High School and, with about 80 students taking to the field, drill after drill revolves around getting steps down perfectly for the upcoming Friday night performances.

"We're out here for 26 hours before school even starts," said Sarah Cavanah, MHS band director. The students, mostly underclassmen, started a week and a half of four-hour morning practices Monday, getting their steps down in preparation for a busy season.

"The band has increased only a little in quantity," said Cavanah, in her fifth year as band director at MHS. "And it's going to be our best year yet."

This year's theme is based around the Celtic traditions of the western European isles, sans bagpipes and kilts. Songs will include "The Galway Piper," "Danny Boy" and "An Irish Party in Third Class."

"Doing a Celtic show affords me the opportunity to teach 'classical music,'" Cavanah said. "It's better quality music from what we have done."

She said the folk tunes also give her an opportunity to throw a little bit of Celtic history and culture into the mix. "It's good folk music. It's good for them to learn."

Cavanah hopes crowds will recognize and relate to the band's tunes. "We love it when they stick around at halftime," she said, encouraging crowds to make some noise for the band at the Owls' home football games. "We enjoy the community's support and it is very important to the quality of our band."

The Marshall High School Marching Band practices stepping in formation during the fourth day of band camp Thursday. Roughly 80 high school students make up this year's band. [Click to enlarge]

This year, a set of brand new uniforms are on order for the first time in over a decade. "I got to custom design them myself," said Cavanah, with hopes that the new outfits will arrive before the first home football game.

And there will be plenty of opportunities for band fans to see the new gear. In addition to the annual marching band contests and football games, the band will perform in the Concordia Fall Festival Parade this September.

The band keeps students busy with events almost every weekend during the season, sometimes performing Saturday and Sunday in the same week. It can become quite a grueling academic activity.

But for now, it's step-step-step in preparation for the long season.

"Our goal is to be the best band we can be," she said, adding that the activity will make a lasting impact. "This music stays with them the rest of their lives."

Contact Matt Heger at

marshallbusiness@socket.net