Ready to ‘Fly’
Tiger Marching band approaches end of successful season
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MARSHALL -- The Marshall Tiger Marching Band has been having a successful season this fall, band director Larry Petersen said.
Band students have been busy with competitive events, as well as community performances like Friday's halftime show at Marshall homecoming.
"We've been working with a really tight-knit group of students this year," Petersen said. "The show has been a big hit. Judges seem to like it."
The Tiger Marching Band had a busy weekend going from performing at the homecoming football game to competing at the Festival of Bands in Sioux Falls. The Tigers placed second in their class in Sioux Falls, Petersen said.
This Saturday, the Tigers are headed to the Youth in Music show at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis.
About 35 marching bands from Minnesota, Wisconsin and South Dakota will be competing at Youth in Music on Saturday, Petersen said. It will be the largest competition that the Tigers have taken part in this season, he said. The Festival of Bands last weekend had 24 schools competing.
The marching band's field show this year, "Someday I'll Fly . . ." is something a little different than past programs, Petersen said.
"The music is a little more cerebral," and challenging, he said. The show is centered around the idea of metamorphosis, like a caterpillar turning into a butterfly. More broadly, the idea also applies to people, and the ways they grow, discover their talents and see where the future takes them. "It's like the metamorphosis of you," Petersen explained.
As students get ready to compete at Youth in Music, Petersen said there are some special steps the band is taking to prepare.
"It's a very different performance space," Petersen said of U.S. Bank Stadium. To get ready, the band will be working spread out across a bigger area during Wednesday's band practice. In order to adjust to performing in an indoor arena with echoes, the Tigers will also be practicing inside the MHS gymnasium, Petersen said.
Although Youth in Music is different than other competitions the Tigers perform in, being at the stadium is a lot of fun for students. "They love walking up through the same tunnel that the Vikings do," Petersen said.
The last performance of the season for the marching band will be at 7:30 p.m. on Oct. 19. The Tigers will perform an indoor show at Marshall High School gymnasium. In addition to members of the public, Petersen said the concert tends to draw MHS students and coaches who may not otherwise have had a chance to see the field show during the fall sports season.