Saturday, September twenty-fourth was the date of the 17th annual Twin Cites Marching Band Show, hosted by Edward Little at Walton Field. The bands to perform were Biddeford, Edward Little, Leavitt, South Portland, Old Orchard Beach, Wells, Westbrook, and Lawrence. As part of the Leavitt marching band, we know how many hours of practice and work go into making that show.

Our theme is A Celtic Party, with songs from the Celtic region of Europe. We felt nervous, but excited as we marched onto the field. The lights brightly shone down on us as we started off our performance with the song, “The Galway Piper.” The second song was The Lord of the Dance, followed by the percussion feature, “The Jig is Up.” In “Lord of the Dance” and “The Jig is Up, we, unlike most bands, sing, and later dance. This is rather unusual but has helped us earn good scores and applause. The show closes with the song “An Irish Party in Third Class,” from the movie Titanic.

Marching band is a great activity, and it takes a lot of commitment. You always have to be thinking about the music, the marching, and how to make the show more interesting. We have to work as a team, because every member counts. Leavitt Marching Band is more than just a bunch of teenagers running around a football field. Multiple practices a week, strength training, endurance, and most of all, confidence, make us what we are. At the Walton Field show, Leavitt earned a two star overall rating, and our drum majors, Sarah McKeown and Dustin Harrison, earned three stars. The judges decide on our scores based on a four star system, four being the highest level of achievement.

Leavitt’s marching band has 36 members this year, (including colorguard), which is not the largest band out there, but we’ve grown intensely from the 12 members last season. We hope to continue with a great season, along with great scores. This wouldn’t be possible without the hard work from every member, along with help from these people. Thanks to Bill Buzza (director), Jim Raymond (assistant director), Scott Cole (percussion assistant), Audra Cole (colorguard instructor), and Jamie Hodgkin and Mandy (colorguard assistants).