North High Ranger Marching Band
By MEGHAN sENIK
The Eastlake North High School Ranger Marching Band has been rehearsing since early June in preparation for various parades, football games, and festivals. This year’s marching band had 52 members, thanks to some new freshman that came up from the middle schools.
The marching band performed multiple different shows and sets, including the Eagles Show (Take It Easy, Heartache Tonight, and Desperado), Show #2 (Take It Easy, Dude Looks Like A Lady, and Walk This Way), Alumni Show (Take It Easy, Knock On Wood, and R.O.C.K. In The U.S.A.), Senior Show (Safety Dance, Zoot Suit Riot, and Renegade), and Pregame Show (North Fight Song, God Bless America, North Alma Mater, and Star Spangled Banner).
They played the pregame performance and the halftime show at the football games, but not without hard work. Each marching band member has to ‘pass off’ the day before the game. The students play the music for their instructors by memory, to determine whether they are able to play in the game. If you can do what is asked you get to ‘pass off’ and are immediately ‘passed off’ on that song for future games. If you’re on probation though you have to continue to improve each week until you ‘pass it off’ or you get benched and are not able to perform for the game that week.
Since marching band season takes place in the summer and fall, there are two different uniforms to adjust to the change in the weather. The summer uniforms are used in the summer when they participate in parades, and maybe a few football games depending on the temperature. The fall uniforms are used in a majority of the football games, and festivals that take place in colder weather.
Ever since the school year started, the marching band has had after school rehearsals. Monday and Friday are the days they don’t rehearse, so they practice every Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday. Even though they have Fridays off they still have to be back at the school by call time to rehearse and prepare for that night’s football game.
The marching band performed multiple different shows and sets, including the Eagles Show (Take It Easy, Heartache Tonight, and Desperado), Show #2 (Take It Easy, Dude Looks Like A Lady, and Walk This Way), Alumni Show (Take It Easy, Knock On Wood, and R.O.C.K. In The U.S.A.), Senior Show (Safety Dance, Zoot Suit Riot, and Renegade), and Pregame Show (North Fight Song, God Bless America, North Alma Mater, and Star Spangled Banner).
They played the pregame performance and the halftime show at the football games, but not without hard work. Each marching band member has to ‘pass off’ the day before the game. The students play the music for their instructors by memory, to determine whether they are able to play in the game. If you can do what is asked you get to ‘pass off’ and are immediately ‘passed off’ on that song for future games. If you’re on probation though you have to continue to improve each week until you ‘pass it off’ or you get benched and are not able to perform for the game that week.
Since marching band season takes place in the summer and fall, there are two different uniforms to adjust to the change in the weather. The summer uniforms are used in the summer when they participate in parades, and maybe a few football games depending on the temperature. The fall uniforms are used in a majority of the football games, and festivals that take place in colder weather.
Ever since the school year started, the marching band has had after school rehearsals. Monday and Friday are the days they don’t rehearse, so they practice every Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday. Even though they have Fridays off they still have to be back at the school by call time to rehearse and prepare for that night’s football game.