Is it halftime or a rock concert? The melody is familiar. Wait, is that “Don’t Stop Believing?” The Pride Marching Band has set aside the typical, and fans on both sides of the field are singing along at halftime.
With their performance of “The Journey,” the Band continues to surprise football fans with well-known songs by the band Journey and unexpected formations. The choreography, outstanding solos and a unique rock and roll atmosphere creates a fun halftime for fans and the Band members themselves.
Football fan Freshman Jake Harrison said, “I really like the halftime performance. It kind of makes you want to just stay in your seat because they play such cool and unconventional music.”
Senior piccolo player Riley Gunderson said, “This performance is so much fun. The rock band really gets the crowd going. People actually want more when we are finished, and that has never happened before.”
A big part of the energy comes from the four-piece “rock band” on a mini stage at the front of the field. They go by “Juicy and the Electrics” and include two electric guitarists, a drummer and keyboardist. And they go hard, playing to the crowd and setting that concert tone.
Drummer Junior Jeremiah Joseph said, “It’s very fun music to play. They have very good drum beats. It’s also really nice for people to see our show after all the practice we put in.”
Planning for the performance began last November. Band Director Mr. Larry Reynolds and Percussion Instructor Mr. Tony Lopez knew they wanted a rock performance. Mr. Reynolds said, “I stayed up all night listening to classic rock, and Journey kept coming on.”
Then they considered the Band’s strengths. “Tony said, ‘Why don’t we have a rock band?’ I thought about it, and we had Senior Clay Moore who is excellent on guitar, Senior Luke Eustis who played bass, Junior Karen Sculley who is solid on keys and Jeremiah who could play drums,” said Mr. Reynolds.
They planned solos by Junior Jonathan Rountree, Sophomore Lydia Reynolds, Sophomore Donovan McManus and Senior Carlos Taboada to punctuate the songs and connect with the crowd.
Fans are not the only ones who appreciate the performance. The Pride Marching Band also received straight ones, or superior, ratings at the Texas Private School Music Educators Association State Marching Contest held at the end of October.
The Band will perform “The Journey” during halftime of the Varsity Football playoff games beginning November 18.
