TOP WARS! Senior marching band members share final season thoughts

Stephanie Brocato, Cambia editor-in-chief|November 23, 2015

Front Row: Mr. Gervais, Miss Wartick, Samantha Sullenger, Rachel Pfleiderer, Connor Tomlin, Chuma Humphrey, Quinton Renno, Miss Shuck, Mr. Farley. Second Row: Emma Leeds, Christian Hockman, Megan Leach, Rylie Barling, Steven Horn, Stephanie Brocato, Chris Fusco, Bethany Viles, Ashley Bozwell. Third Row: Tom Kranz, Desireé Byas, Claire FIncham, Kyle Seyerle, Brady O’Donnell, Todd Perry, Keegan Rapp, David Crawford.

Front Row: Mr. Gervais, Miss Wartick, Samantha Sullenger, Rachel Pfleiderer, Connor Tomlin, Chuma Humphrey, Quinton Renno, Miss Shuck, Mr. Farley. Second Row: Emma Leeds, Christian Hockman, Megan Leach, Rylie Barling, Steven Horn, Stephanie Brocato, Chris Fusco, Bethany Viles, Ashley Bozwell. Third Row: Tom Kranz, Desireé Byas, Claire FIncham, Kyle Seyerle, Brady O’Donnell, Todd Perry, Keegan Rapp, David Crawford.

Some senior marching band members share final season thoughts

Rachel Pfleiderer: I think that our season went really well! I think that everyone had a lot of fun with the show, and even when we weren’t performing, just goofing around, I could tell that everyone was enjoying themselves! (TOP WARS!!)

Kyle Seyerle: Since my Senior Marching season is over, and looking back to the first show, and comparing it to the last show…Everyone improved & performed tremendously. During the Award Ceremony at Trenton, I took a few minutes to somewhat, humble myself, and to reminisce. And I look forward to visiting Oak Park Bands during their next season.

Rylie Barling: I honestly think we did great this year. We may not have won any awards, and although awards are great, they are not what makes the season great. Marching band isn’t really about how well you do in working on the show. Its about creating a family and a wonderful experience with your fellow marchers. I mean, yes it is important that you try your best, but if someone goes into marching band to create a perfect show, they are not going to be happy with the outcome. All you can do is hope for the best and when something does turn out beautifully, it is a phenomenal moment; not just because you and 100 other people were on the same wave length and created an image using each other, but because you worked together as a family. Even if you have been in a huge argument with some of your closest friends in band, in that moment, none of that matters. That moment is what makes any season great, and that moment occurred a few times. Thus, it was a wonderful season.

Brady O’Donnell: This year was definitely my best as a leader. I was far more confident and knowledgable than in previous years, and I used my skills to teach and help more band members than ever before. I can confidently say that I’ve become a model for some of these kids. I hope they keep growing both as individuals and as a team. I’ll do whatever I can, with the time I have left, to encourage that growth.

Christian Hockman:

Well, in hindsight, I feel like we made a good solid foundation for the concert season. Everyone knows each other, we all know how we play and sound, and we have an idea of what needs to be done in the future. So overall I believe that everyone did their part and was as good as they could be by the end of the season. Now, we do have some bad habits that developed over the season, but those can be fixed. I say that we have an opportunity to make great music with this group we have now.