Ladies and gentlemen, we proudly present to you, the Beaver Area High School marching band! With this year’s student leaders and the addition of 13 talented new members, there are high expectations for this year’s season.
This year’s show is titled “Marching through the Decades.” The songs that the band is playing are “Don’t Stop Me Now” by Queen, “Take on Me” by A-Ha, “Smells Like Teen Spirit” by Nirvana, and “Poker Face” by Lady Gaga.
Senior Lindsay Malloy who plays the mellophone, is in her first year as a student leader.
“I think my experience as a student leader has been pretty cool. It’s fun helping the other students and watching them improve. I also think the new students are taking feedback really well, which is a very good thing. I believe that I’m making a positive impact, on the new members especially. I try to be as friendly as I can,” explained Malloy.
“I really think that being a student leader has helped me improve my own marching and playing skills a lot. I watch others to see what mistakes they’re making, and sometimes I realize that I make the same mistakes, so I know what I have to fix to improve myself,” said Malloy.
“So far, I think my section, high brass, is doing great! We gained a lot of new members, and they all seem to know what they need to do. They’re also quickly picking up things that are usually difficult for new members, like the challenging music, which is good,” Malloy explained.
However, Malloy still feels that there is room for improvement.
“Of course there’s always room for improvement. I feel that we have all of the basics down, but we really have to focus on little details,” explained Malloy.
“The fact that I’m a senior is bittersweet. It’s a lot of work, but I think I made pretty much all of my friends through marching band, which is really cool,” said Malloy.
Junior Evan Linkimer is this year’s drum major in the marching band. It is Evan’s first year in a leadership role.
“At this point in the season, I think the band is doing really well, especially since we had so many strong leaders and players graduate last year. This year we’ve had a lot of leaders step up. The marching and playing is very good as well,” said Linkimer.
“I still think there’s room for improvement. Especially in a marching band, there are a lot of little things that need to be perfected so the band looks and sounds the best it can be,” explained Linkimer.
Over the summer, Evan attended the George N. Parks Drum Major Academy in Ohio in order to prepare himself for the season.
“The academy was a great experience. I learned things like time management, conducting, and pretty much how to run a band. I definitely think I’m applying the skills I learned to the marching band. Especially the conducting skills, a lot of how I conduct I learned at the academy,” said Linkimer.
“I have pretty good expectations for the rest of the season. I feel that right now we’re at a big point in the season, and we can always improve. At some point in the season, I’d love to have a perfect show,” said Linkimer.
Asia Frantz is a junior in the marching band. It is her first year in the band, and she plays the saxophone.
“I’d say my first year in the band is going pretty well. Learning the drill and everything wasn’t too hard, and all of the student leaders have been very helpful,” said Frantz.
“You know I’ve thought about joining the marching band for a few years, but I was always busy during the summer and I didn’t think I could make up for the days I wasn’t there. But this summer I felt more comfortable, so I thought joining the marching band would be a good idea,” explained Frantz.
“I really enjoy the social aspect of the band, like seeing all of my friends. However, I don’t like things such as outside practices when it’s really hot,” Frantz admitted.
As of right now, Frantz plans to continue with the band next year.
“I encourage people to join the band. It’s a great experience, and you get to meet a lot of new people and make new friends. Especially if you’re in eighth grade, because it will give you an introduction to what a high school band sounds like,” said Frantz.
Mr. James Scanga is the director of this year’s marching band.
“The group has made very good progress since the beginning of the season. We have a number of first time student leaders in the band, and they are all gaining confidence in their ability to guide the group. There are also a high number of students in the band who are making great strides,” said Mr. Scanga.
You can see the marching band perform Friday nights at every varsity football game during halftime. You can also see the band perform in parades such as the homecoming parade, Memorial Day, Veterans Day and Light-Up Night.