North Polk Marching Band continues to put on memorable performances for each home game in spite of immense changes in regulations and social aspects because of their massive efforts and determination to make this football season as “normal” possible. 

North Polk Marching Band has experienced many alterations to their regular routine, including a shorter practice season, masks on their instruments and a terminated competition season. In light of this, the marching band has continued to pursue and create new performances for each home game to keep up the audience’s spirits. 

“The band is doing a pretty good job in protecting the students by having masks on the instruments, like instrument covers, thankfully they do not affect the sounds of the instruments at all… We also have to put our spit in cups which is kind of a hassle and gross.” said Lesl Schoenberg, a band member and trombone player. 

Like Schoenberg, a number of students think that the requirements are a little out of the ordinary, but almost all of the students have the most mixed feelings about their competition schedule being completely terminated. 

Daniel Pierre, a saxophone player, said, “We aren’t doing our big competitive show, since we don’t have competitions, we are doing like four mini shows that are like pop music.” When asked about whether he liked it or not he said, “Yes and no, you get rid of the thrill of having competition but it’s also nice to not be working on the same group of music for four months.” 

Some students spotlighted the lack of social aspects in the band season.

Gabe Bayse, a trumpet section leader and football player said, “We don’t really do things out of band like section bonding stuff like we normally do”. Another saxophone player, Colby Anderson said, “Not having interactions is very bad for the band. Things like seeing faces is nice… activities like stuffing people in cars and having potlucks can’t happen anymore.” 

Lastly, the band director Brandon Weeks spoke on the hard work and importance of the band itself. 

“You can’t gather in giant groups, I can’t tell the kids they are going to come over to my house for a giant potluck breakfast.. can’t have a barbecue,” Weeks commented. Weeks also shared a really important message, “I don’t think there is any other band that I know of that would have been able to make the switch that they did, ’cause they basically lost their entire competition season after practicing the whole summer just two weeks before it started and in spite of all of this, they are still trying to get better even though they lost all that stuff. I am very happy and proud of what they have accomplished.”