Students from the Aurora High School marching band are reaching for the stars this year as students begin practicing and improving on the opening of this season’s show.
The Marching Huskies will be covering music across the beloved sci-fi franchise, “Star Trek.” When band directors Dan Sodomka and Katie Metzger presented “Star Trek” as one of the choices the band could perform this year, the choice was not rocket science.
“It is something that we have not seen any other bands do,” Sodomka explained. “We felt like the arrangements were really well written and it showcases a lot of our strengths. It’s not a theme show that is readily obvious. You have to listen to quite a bit of the music before you start to hear familiar phrases and so in my opinion, the music is more of the concert style than it is the actual marching band style, which is because we have something that steps us up in our game a little bit more.”
The first week of August was met with promise with perfect weather for the band, as returning members alongside incoming freshmen made their way onto the field for band camp. Like every year before, band camp would begin with the band splitting up and switching throughout the day from practicing the show’s music to learning marching fundamentals. As the week progresses and the students pick up more marching fundamentals, the band is brought together as a whole at midweek to piece together the opener of their show.
For the freshmen, memorizing marching fundamentals, music and charts for the show may appear like an overwhelming task, but senior drum major, Jorja Pohlmeier, said the freshmen were not the only students learning something entirely new.
“I just personally had some challenges because I’m relearning everything, being a drum major my senior year and I’m not on the field,” Pohlmeier stated.
As freshmen began their first year with the marching band, there were older members who were beginning their first year as members of the leadership team, helping everyone learn their parts within the show and making sure the band stays on track with completing their charts before their first performance of the year.
“It’s challenging not being out there and being able to tell everyone where they need to be and when everyone’s doing a really good job,” Pohlmeier said, “and the seniors especially are really stepping up and helping everyone get everything done.”
Drum major and junior, Emi Huls, also expressed her appreciation and pride at being part of this year’s leadership team.
“This is my second year as drum major, second year on the leadership team,” Huls responded. “It’s nice having a nice group of people you know you can rely on from different perspectives of everything. It’s really nice we’re working as a great team.”
The energy was quite visible when the band started wrapping up from adding new charts Thursday afternoon. Washers were placed on the football field to help students learn where they should be at movement of the opener. With each washer placed on the field, the students would move back and forth across the field with more speed and confidence than before. Then when Sodomka would call for the band to pick up their washers, he was answered back with cheers as the students ran back to their last spot with their instrument and music in hand. Band members were itching with excitement as both onlookers and the band watched the show weave itself together.
When looking towards the future of the season both directors and drum majors speak nothing but pride for the potential that has been ignited within the band.
“I’m excited about the second part of our show,” Sodomka stated. “We have not done a ballad that has been a ballad from beginning to end for many, many years. And this one we do and it will challenge us to march and play slow and musically and in a way that it just it was a show that we thought if it was voted on it would fit us very, very well.”
With the constant challenges students face in both musicianship and marching style, the excitement of watching students grow as musicians is what the directors look forward seeing every year.
“The growth of the freshmen is what I’m always amazed with these freshmen coming in,” Metzger stated.
“This is something totally new, watching them learn and figure things out,” Metzger stated.
“It’s always fun to watch that happen in a week and then as it goes throughout the year, and about time we get to Harvest of Harmony, you can’t tell the freshmen from the rest of the them.”
Pohlmeier and Huls agree that they also see growth even among the most experienced band students.
When asked her favorite part of band camp, Pohlmeyer said it was watching first year leadership team members step into their roles.
“I think that’s been really cool to see people handling the first conflicts on the leadership team,” she said. “I think it’s really cool to watch them handle it because everyone handles it differently. That’s really cool that we’re finally seeing like, wow, this is the leadership team, I need to step up. So I think that’s pretty cool.”
“I just want to see everyone continue to grow closer. It was really cool. Seeing some of the sections there give each other high fives and keep talking to each other so much. It’s like they’re a family. So I’d like to continue to see that and then just continue doing well,” Huls replied.
“We’re looking forward to seeing continued growth,” Sodomka stated. “Watching everybody figure out what their role is, and how they’re going to accelerate that role is something I always enjoy. Just watching the band as a whole where we started on Monday, how we continue to improve and continue to grow as a band as an ensemble, both the leadership team and just the members in general and seeing how the family atmosphere is starting to develop, and develop quicker than some years.”
The Marching Huskies will be performing “Star Trek” at every home football game and will be competing in the Columbus Marching Band Festival on Sept. 30 in Columbus, at Harvest of Harmony parade and field show on Oct. 7 in Grand Island and at the State Marching competition on Oct. 21 in Kearney.