Those who have seen the Sandburg Marching Eagles perform have probably done so in the form of a halftime show at a Carl Sandburg High School football home game. They compete their Stranger Things themed show throughout the fall season, bringing viewers through the UpsideDown and back up again with a powerful wall of sound and visuals. However, there is much more to what meets the eye and ear than their halftime show, in the form of competition that takes up a full day.
The marching band is a co-curricular ensemble, separate from the band classes that perform in concert in the PAC. The Sandburg Marching Eagles have long practices after school to perfect a visually and sonically mesmerizing production. Practices also start even before the school year, and are run during the summer break.
Savana Santos, a sophomore playing the baritone said, “It’s a lot more intense because it’s a lot more time dedicated to practice.”
Differences also come in the form of music memorization and choreographed movement. Color guard is also included in the Sandburg Marching Eagles ensemble, students interpreting the music through dance with flags and rifles. They train both separately and together with the full band.
The halftime performance is only one or two movements of the full show, which has a total of four. But for the most part, Isabella Hudson, a senior on color guard, said that, “The way we go about it isn’t a lot different, we still perform it the same.” She switched from flag to rifle her junior year, and absolutely loved it.
Hudson said that her favorite part is how, “You get an adrenaline high just from, not even winning, but just going to the competition, walking off that field, and being like, ‘I did good’.”
In competition, the band is scored in a variety of categories. These are then combined to provide an overall score, for an overall placing. Most recently, in their last competition of the season at University of Illinois Urbana Champaign the Sandburg Marching Eagles placed fourth. Judges, on the ground and watching from above, listen and look, providing feedback.
“Where you’re going and marching, and your step size, the choreo, you have to be on top of everything,” Santos said, in order to have as many points as possible.
Depending on the competition, color guard has either a separate ranking or is considered a part of the ensemble’s visual element. As an overall band, they are not a part of a larger bracket like one might see with soccer, so any scoring remains isolated to the competition in which they received it.
Before even leaving for competition, the band meets at Sandburg early in the morning in order to practice for a few hours. It’s run very similar to the after school sessions during the week, rehearsing music and marching. Then, after packing up all their instruments, electronics, and props, they get into uniform and depart for competition.
Prior to actually competing, they have a short time set for more rehearsal. This preparation looks a little different for color guard. “We keep it very minimal, just because we don’t want to, like, stress ourselves out,” Hudson said, as they focus more on warming up their bodies and hands to their equipment.
Entering the field, the band plays their chorale, a short song that hopes to give a preview to judges of a uniform, skilled, ensemble. Finally, filled with adrenaline, they play.
Following the performance, which is the shortest part of the day, students are able to hang out and watch other bands while they wait for awards. At the competition at Illinois State University, Santos got to see their band, the Big Red Marching Machine, play, and was inspired by the energy and skill showcased.
Both Hudson and Santos said that they have thoroughly enjoyed their experience this year. The Marching Eagles provided an uplifting community full of talented friends. Hudson stated that the color guard had been overcoming struggles with injuries and physical welfare at the end of the season. She urges students to join, as numbers have also been falling exponentially. Santos feels that students stepped it up this year, with growing commitment to performance.
The Sandburg Marching Eagles work hard to represent the school on every field they step foot on. They exhibit an incredible commitment of time and energy culminating in a captivating show.
