Niles North marching band drums up fans
October 5, 2018
Loud cheers from the crowds. Students shuffle their music. The stands are packed. The woody taste of the reed. The marching band members scramble to their spots.
The Niles North marching band prepares for their set during the homecoming halftime show against Prospect High School.
The Niles North marching band is an essential part of the Friday night lights here at North. They perform during the halftime show after the Vikettes.
Marching band also performs in the stands to get the crowd ready for kickoffs, playing Viking Victory after touchdowns, and giving the overall atmosphere more life.
“It tries to bring the college atmosphere to the high school program… the most exciting times that I know the students have had is when they’re playing something and they see the players on the sideline get pumped up by it,” Michael Moehlmann, band director said.
Even though marching band brings an exciting factor to the football games, it takes discipline and skill from the marching band member.
“Freshman year when I didn’t know anything it was difficult because you have to learn how to march in time and to take the right amount of steps, even reading the drill charts and knowing where to go. Now that I’m a senior it’s a little bit easier it’s just learning them,” Matt Stuart, senior marching band member said.
Students that are involved in marching band are usually part of the Concert and Symphonic band and marching band comes as an extra from being apart of the program.
“Marching band can be an easy out, a student can say ‘I don’t want to do that anymore’ and stop playing their instrument, and the fact that students don’t do that here is a great motivator for other students that come into the program,” Moehlmann, said.
The goal for upcoming seasons of marching band is to create more themed halftime shows, there will be more drill sets put on the field because every year the band program has increased in size. And with that comes continued support of the football program.
If you want to see the Niles North marching band perform at halftime come to their game Friday Oct. 5 where you’ll also see the Football team match up against New Trier.
