Every Friday night, the Central York High School marching band performs their field show at the football games in front of hundreds of people. They make it look so easy, but how do they prepare for such a great performance?

This year’s marching band show is called “Flight” 2021. Some songs include “Rocket Man,” “Jet Airliner” and “How to Train Your Dragon”. The show lasts around eight minutes and is performed either before, during halftime or after the game. Senior Ellis Holman said his favorite time to perform is before the game. 

“Performing before the game gets the crowd engaged and excited for the game,” Holman stated. 

Practice began for the season last May with band camp in August. This year’s band camp was one of the hottest on record. The students had to practice inside due to the intense heat. This year the students started practice at 6:30 A.M. instead of 8 A.M. before the heat set in. The long hours of rehearsing and learning the music makes it all worth it for senior Jaelen Tatum. 

“I had to prepare for the heat by drinking lots of water and getting some rest the night before,” said Tatum. 

On Friday the band stays after school to prepare for the performance. They practice on the football field and run through the show and make changes if needed. 

“Being able to march and play can be difficult and you really have to focus on the conductor the whole time,” Tatum says.

The marching band lines up after dinner at 5.50 P.M. to march to the stadium for home games. This gets them prepared to put on a great show for the fans. 

“I always get energized while marching over to the stadium. The roar of the crowd helps me get ready to perform,” Tatum describes.

Many band students enjoy playing in the stands and entertaining the crowd. When the team scores a touchdown the “Fight song” is played and this gets the crowd going crazy. Many other stand tunes include “Seven Nation”, “Fight on, Central,” and of course if the team wins the game, “The Alma Mater” is played.

“My favorite stand song is the “Fight Song” because it gets the crowd cheering for the team when they score,” Tatum says.

Other performances include the Homecoming parade and band showcases throughout the season. The last practice of the season is the “March Off” competition. All the band students line up and march. If they mess up they are tapped out and the last person standing wins a prize. 

 “My favorite memory in marching band was the drum corner after the Homecoming football game,” states Tatum. 

The Drum corner happens after the homecoming game and Senior night. The drumline puts on a show for all the band students and displays their drum skills. This gets the band excited and many describe the moment as energetic and thrilling.

“For me the Drum Corner is fun because we get to show off our skills and impress the rest of the band. I enjoy watching my friends perform drum solos,” Tatum describes. 

The musicians always put on a good show every year. Many describe the band as lively and impressive. Each show is made from scratch and the students are able to learn it within two weeks. During the season some things may get added to spice up the action and make it more exciting. The Central York marching band is always one of the best in the land.