About Marching Band and Color Guard

Overview

Marching Band is an extra-curricular activity that meets from late August through November. Practices are after school on Tuesday and Thursday with performances and additional rehearsals each weekend.

Performance Opportunities

The Marching Band plays in the stands as a pep band for all football games as well as performing our field show during halftime at home games or as part of pre-game at away games. The Marching Band also performs for audiences and judges in competition with similarly sized bands in at least four band festivals each season. While these events are competitive in nature, the primary focus of our participation is to receive an evaluation from highly regarded experts, which reinforces student learning and fosters continued improvement over the course of the marching season. The band also performs in community functions each spring such as the Memorial Day parade.

Sections of the Band

The marching band is comprised of three primary sections: winds, percussion and color guard. Winds include both brass and woodwind musicians, usually with several years of experience playing in school. However, many students take up a new, secondary instrument strictly for marching band. The school provides specialized marching brass instruments for French horn, baritone and tuba players.

The percussion section consists of two separate sections: the battery and the front ensemble. The battery is composed of 8-10 percussionists specialized playing snare drum, toms, and bass drums while marching on the field. Auditions are held during the summer for battery percussion assignments. The front ensemble, or “pit,” is the only stationary segment of the marching band and contains the percussion instruments already familiar to percussion students – keyboard percussion, timpani, cymbals, and accessories. There is no audition requirement for the front ensemble.

The color guard provides the marching band with its greatest asset for visual interpretation of the music being performed. Color guard performance is equal parts dance, theater, and equipment work with instruction in all areas. No experience is necessary. While color guard members are not required to play an instrument, Concert Band members are welcome to join the color guard for marching season.

Parent Involvement

The continued success of the Ridge Marching Band would not be possible without the great assistance provided by the Ridge Marching Band Association. The RMBA provides valuable logistical and financial support to the band throughout the year. Information will be available from the RMBA board outlining exactly how interested parents can help.

Questions?

Please feel free to contact Mr. Gabriel Olochwoszcz, Ridge Marching Director, with any questions.