More challenging music and a chance to actually have a season – that were the things many senior band members listed as highlights of this Mount Vernon Marching Mustangs band upcoming season.
Marching band practices are much easier without the need for masks or bell covers, Mount Vernon band director Scott Weber said.
“Last year, we had two different sessions of band depending on what day in the hybrid schedule students could attend,” Weber said. “I’m hoping that our students start building those friendships and relationships you do in band and get the full band experience this year, from marching band competitions to jazz band performances and concert performances.”
With the first performance for the band at the Mount Vernon versus Solon home game Sept. 3, followed by the Fort Madison competition on Sept. 18, Weber hopes his students will be ready.
“This year’s show is very difficult,” Weber noted. “There’s a lot of challenging music and challenging drill associated with the show. I think it’s pushing our students, however, to do more and you can see the energy they have during this camp as they’re progressing on the drill sections we need to iron out.”
Weber said he looks forward to the return to Chicago this November to march in that parade with the band as well.
“That’s such a fun trip and experience for our band to represent our entire state,” Weber said.
Senior drum major Ellie Barkalow noted that one of the things she enjoyed about the band camp this year was the ability to see every student and get onto the field to practice marching.
“We have two grades of students who have never had marching band experience, and we juniors and seniors have also been missing a year of marching band practice,” Barkalow said.
Seniors Kael Dimmer and Steven Wolfe are excited just to be marching again for the first time in a couple years, due to the COVID-19 pandemic last year.
“Our biggest challenge is having a lot of people who haven’t had marching band experience in the past,” Wolfe said.
“We’ve got a large incoming freshman class to the band this year,” Kael Dimmer said.
Senior clarinetists Lauren Swartzendruber and Jaegen Bechtold are both looking to the marching band season returning once again as well.
“It’s been a long time coming,” Bechtold said. “I’m excited we’ll be having a competition year and performing at marching band competitions.”
Swartzendruber noted that the music is some of the most challenging music they’ve played as a band in her four years.
“It’s a faster rhythm and quick notes we have to hit on a clarinet, which is a little harder to play on a clarinet, but we’re getting there,” Swartzendruber said.
Seniors Vance Arnold and Natalie Spinsby also are looking forward to this year’s marching band season. Both echoed the importance of the marching band camp this year, noting that two years of students haven’t had marching band experience.
“We’re playing a more rock jazz influenced set this year,” Arnold said. “That’s got a faster tempo and that means we need to get our marching and playing in sync.”
“We’re moving through a lot of band movements as part of this year’s marching band camp, and it’s night and day difference where we’re at today compared to where we were at the beginning of the week.”
Senior Kian Hageman concurred with that progress seen in the marching band camp.
“We have two marching band camps this year, and we’re already seeing vast improvement on what we’re doing on the field,” Hageman said.
Junior Ava Dimmer echoed that sentiment, noting she is looking forward to the connections she’s going to form with other members.
Seniors Aden Grudzinski and Jacob Russell noted as well the difficulty of the music.
“It’s a difficult show in both the drill and music we’re playing,” Russell said. “We’re getting those steps down now with this camp.”
“I’m looking for all of us to gain more experience playing in marching band,” said Grudzinski.
Senior Mark Liberko is just happy to spend more time with his marching band family.
“As Mr. Weber always says, this is a family, and this camp is the opportunity for so many of us to get to know other people in the band and form closer connections,” Liberko said.
The brass section of the marching band works on drill and moving during a drill section of the Mount Vernon marching band camp Wednesday, Aug. 4.