What really goes into a ‘very ambitious’ marching band Homecoming performance?

By Melísa Bonenge, Contributing Writer

During football season, the stands in Johnny Unitas Stadium fill in what can feel like an instant. For some, this means preparing for a high-stakes game. For others, it’s just another Saturday to tailgate and show school pride.

But for junior Katie Russell, it means steadying her hands to conduct the Towson University Marching Band. 

“It’s always excitement right before the field,” Russell, one of the marching band’s drum majors, said. “We put in a lot of practice hours, so when we finally get to perform, it’s exhilarating.” 

For the marching band, Homecoming is an opportunity to connect with the rest of campus. 

But Homecoming performance preparation starts well before football season.

From day one of band camp in early August, rehearsals led by band directors Taylor Yozwiak, Tim Mason and Megan Schreck, last 13 hours a day, three days a week.

“What we do is unique in terms of instrumentation,” Yozwiak said. “We’re an actual band, and this variety allows us to feature soloists and performances that other colleges typically won’t.” 

Typically, people associate a corps-style marching band with familiar music and abstract on-field formation. Some forget that this includes the color guard.

“Our performances are much more corps style than anything,” Schreck said. “Funnily enough, corps isn’t really traditional. Just much more technical and demanding than the performances you’ll see from other guards.” 

Junior Vivian Oliva, one of the color guard’s captains, called the show “very ambitious.” 

“A lot is put into this show,” Oliva said. “Some of the routine has been in the works since May, and the rest is learned during band camp.”

Russell, however, said the hardest part of the day isn’t the performance, but what happens after. 

“The excitement of the day is gone, and it can be a struggle to have the energy to clean up sometimes,” she said. “When the game ends and everyone is going home, it’s just the band left to pack up.” 

She also said that she hopes students see how much goes into the show. 

“It’s harder than it looks,” she said. “There is a lot of discipline and focus that goes into our rehearsals that not many people know about.”

The Homecoming game is scheduled for Saturday, Oct. 31 at 1 p.m. against Hampton University.