The Mount Vernon Marching Mustangs took part in camp over the last week to get them ready for the marching band season.
Director Scott Weber said the team will participate in seven competitions this season.
“We’ll have two doubleheader competition days, with competitions in Fort Madison and Mount Pleasant the weekend of Sept. 17,” Weber said. “We’ll also have the Cedar Rapids Prairie and Five Seasons at Kingston Stadium the weekend of Oct. 1.”
Weber said the Kingston Stadium show will help the group prepare for a return to state competition, which will be held at Waukee this year.
The Waukee show is one many senior drum majors and section leaders interviewed are anticipating.
Weber said the band has more than 120 students this year, one of the largest on record, and a big part of the band camp week is allowing that many students to work together and get to know one another.
“We work hard, but there’s also time for kids to play and get to know one another,” Weber said. “Marching band camp might be the most important thing we do all year, as it gets us all on the same footing for drill and what’s expected of them.
“It’s a great group of students who care about each other and the combination of work and play helps build the family atmosphere we want to see in our band.”
Senior Dylan Winkler, drum major, said his favorite thing is watching how the different elements and portions of marching they are doing come together for a final show.
“It’s fun to get the steps down now so we can get the best possible scores we can later in the season,” Winkler said.
This year’s show is a combination of James Bond and New World Symphony music.
Winkler said he is looking forward to the Linn-Mar and Waukee competitions this season.
Dallas Olberding, captain of the color guard, said his favorite part of marching band has been getting to know each member.
He’s looking forward to every festival this season, but especially Waukee.
“Being a senior, that senior send-off they do is very special,” Olberding said.
Olberding said marching band was not something that was ever on his radar, but he is glad he has been a part of it the past four years, especially with the color guard.
“We just get to help visualize a different part of the marching band experience,” Olberding said.
Senior Layla Moellering, who plays the clarinet, said she really likes the community aspect of the band.
“I especially love meeting new people,” Moellering said. “We have all different grades working together as one.”
Moellering is looking forward to the state competition at Waukee this year as well.
“I really love getting to know the members of my section, especially whenever we have new members join us every year,” Moellering said. “All we do in camp ends up in our final show.”
Senior Claire Gaffney, trumpet, said her favorite part of marching band has always been the feeling she gets when things are complete, especially the melding of the music and marching elements.
Like the other seniors, she is looking forward to the competition at Waukee.
“We didn’t go to that competition last year, and that was a very big deal for us seniors that we’re returning to that competition this year,” Gaffney said.
She loves the camaraderie the band develops over the course of several days of camp that builds into the season.
“Yes, it’s a lot of work, but there’s also a lot of jokes and entertainment,” Gaffney said.
Members of the Mount Vernon Marching Mustangs work on a portion of their field show last week.