The Mighty Sound of Mendham dominated recent marching band shows, with their season culminating in a third-place win in the recent all-state competition; but what went into their outstanding performances this fall, and what is being in marching band all about? After sitting down with staff members and musicians, it was made clear that the marching band is more than just a soundtrack for the football team.
If you attended any of this year’s football games, you may have had the opportunity to experience the Mighty Sound’s halftime show. This year’s show was titled The Climb, named after Miley Cyrus’ 2009 pop hit, which serves as their performance’s opening song. Resident math teacher and coach of the drum line, Mr. Kappel, remarked about the theme, “We are climbing a mountain as sort of a metaphor, like, for climbing our way to the top with hard work and perseverance, and that sort of is the theme from the first song to the last song that we do in our show.”
Speaking of hard work, the marching band’s rehearsal schedule is no joke. To be as successful as they have been, the band has practice from 6:00 PM to 9:00 PM every Monday and Wednesday as long as their season continues, which starts in early August and can stretch into November, depending on both the successes of the football season and their competitions. On top of that, they rehearse for hours before their competitions, which typically take place every weekend.
However, their attention to detail has certainly paid off. As one of the drum majors, Jess Pappas, stated, “We are undefeated so far. We won first place every competition we’ve gone to. We’ve gotten our highest score I believe ever in the marching band at our most recent competition. We were in the nineties, which never happens. When I was a freshman, our first competition we got like a 69.1, so now that we’re getting a ninety at a competition is crazy.” Much like their theme The Climb, the marching band has made significant strides in their journey to victory.
Despite their monumental scores, it seems that the glue that holds the band’s members together is something far more meaningful. While having the privilege of getting to know several musicians and staff members, the supportive and welcoming nature of the band community was apparent. When asked about this, Chelsea Pappas, a sophomore in the saxophone section explained, “We are worked hard, but we’re kind of like one big family. There’s really no animosity between the people in the marching band.”
Mr. Kappel summarized this nicely: “Marching band is a great activity. It’s come one, come all, even if you don’t play anything; it’s a good time, well it’s a lot of time, but it’s a good time!”