It is halftime of yet another football game, and they take the field. Every time LHS scores, they are there. Every morning at seven when I am trying to sleep, they are two blocks away getting into form. They are the LHS marching band.

Ask any student at LHS about the marching band, they will say that they have seen their performance at football games or that they hear on the announcements how great they are. And yes, this band is the best band in the state and better than a lot of bands within a 500 mile radius of Sioux Falls. But the greatness of this band goes deeper than the performance.

The greatness of this band lies in the music they play. It is a difficult task to track across a football field while playing music. Everybody has to learn how to control their breathing with playing and fast-pace marching. It is an activity that requires an intense amount of endurance. The music they play is breathtaking. From the beginning of the show, through the ballad and the finale, the music is played to such a high quality that the audience does not want it to end.

The music and the performance compliment one another so perfectly that everyone is intrigued for around 10 minutes. It makes everyone think about the hardwork and dedication it takes for them to piece it all together, knowing exactly where to stand at which moment and what music correlates. It is a truly beautiful art.

Think about a practice for a sport. An athlete has practice every day, for about an hour and at a high level. Now compare a marching band practice. The band has practices every day, some days before and after school. The practices range from an hour and a half  in the morning when there is frost on the football field to a 10 hour day in the blazing heat of the summer. Senior guard captain Haley Meyer does not believe that people understand the time commitment that this band makes.

“Most people underestimate the time commitment,” said Meyer. “Band takes up entire summers, most evenings and mornings. It’s hard to be in any other activities at the same time.”

The music and the performance truly put this band above many others, but just like the skin, there is a third layer of greatness. It is all of the connections and friendships made that make this band something special. They are together all the time, mornings before school, after school for sectionals and long road trips almost every weekend. Take one look and it is easy to see that these are friendships they will have for the rest of their lives.

Senior color guard member Matt O’Hara reflected on his years as a marching band member and admitted that the friendships he has made through marching band are not like any other.

“Some of my best friends are bandos,” said O’Hara. “These are bonds that go beyond being friends. No matter what goes down, they are there for me.”

Some people would shy away from an activity that would eat up their summer and make them show up at LHS around 6:30 a.m., but all of these members can tell say that their hard work was worth it. They will tell you all of the sacrifices that they have made for the greatness of this band was worth it. Some of the best memories they have will come from their years in marching band.

Both O’Hara and Meyer agreed on their trip to St. Louis as juniors and having the opportunity to perform in finals, a huge moment for the band. But there are some members who enjoy the little moments more.

“It is hard to pick a favorite memory,” said senior trumpet section leader Isaak Hansen. “But if I had to pick, it would be when Mr. Carlson tore his pants at morning practice.”

All three seniors say that marching band has been such a vital part of their high school careers. The friendships and the memories they have all made is not something easy to find. Meyer believes she will join marching band in college and O’Hara safely said he will return to LHS as much as possible to lend a hand with the band.

Another extremely successful marching band season is almost ready to be put in the history books. With one last trip left, the LHS marching band will head to Los Angeles where they will lead Santa in at the Hollywood Christmas Parade.