By Alex Lensch & Steph Freund
The AHS marching band will be performing their half-time show for the first time to audiences on Friday, Sept. 6. The band has 56 kids out this year (down from the previous years). Band instructor, Jarrod O’Donnell, claims the low numbers are due to conflicting schedules from college classes, traveling sports, and loss of interest from first year members.
In the beginning of Aug. the marching band of Atlantic came together to start rehearsing their new show of the year. The songs this year will be Star Wars/ Raiders, Harry Potter, Hogwarts Hymn and Superman Opener. Three of the songs have been set on the field and one has been completely memorized. Mr. O’Donnell and Dr. Johnson along with the drum majors, Preston Hoye and Ben Parker, do this every year before school starts. They get the Marching band fundamentals down and so the freshman and everyone else gets use to the new season.
Other appearances for the band include the home football games. The first game is on the 6th of September. The other games are Sept. 20 and 27. The homecoming is on the Sept. 27 where the band will perform in a parade. The first competition for the band is at Clarinda where they work on the parade marching. That date will be on Oct. 5.
The flag team will now be choreographed by Maria Oltmans. They are still instructed under Mrs. Somers, mother of Junior Justin Somers and Freshman Nadia Somers. O’Donnell comment
ed on the flag team, “They are a good group of girls and they are working hard on it and will be ready by the time of state competition in Clarinda this year.” Also on the band, O’Donnell commented “I see a good sense of leadership in the band this year with the section leaders and drum majors”.