Photos courtesy of Jim German Photography
As the high school football season draws to a close, the Upper Arlington High School Golden Bear Marching Band will conclude its outdoor marching season with a major indoor performance.
The Marching Band Indoor Concert Extravaganza will highlight the past season and give the Upper Arlington community a chance to hear the marching band play one last time in 2017.
“The students involved in marching band are fantastic young people, a great representation of the Upper Arlington student body,” says Edge.
This year’s indoor concert, set for Nov. 2, will feature musical pieces from several shows throughout the Golden Bears’ marching season.
“We review five different shows from the football games, so it serves as a sort of year in review,” says George Edge, director of bands. “It’s a wonderful, reflective time.”
The performance will include the pregame show as well as an indoor version of Script Bears, the Golden Bears’ rendition of Script Ohio.
“We play the entry to the field for home games, a patriotic piece, ‘ The Star-Spangled Banner,’ the fight song and the alma mater,” says Edge.
The indoor gymnasium presents a space issue for the marching band, however.
“Outside, we have a whole football field to cover. Our biggest challenge is making things a little more compact,” says Edge. “We tackle this by marching a smaller version of what we do outside. We play all the songs, but we don’t march them all.”
It will also be a special time to commend the students’ enormous efforts over the past few months. The marching band time commitment is nothing to scoff at. Managing a co-curricular activity such as marching band in addition to regular coursework requires a solid work ethic and disciplined time management. Students involved in marching band also endure both mental and physical challenges, sometimes under less-than-ideal weather conditions at the games.
“The students involved in marching band are fantastic young people, a great representation of the Upper Arlington student body,” says Edge. “Their dedication, enthusiasm and hard work are what make this band so successful year after year.”
This year, the Golden Bear Marching Band is Fiesta Bowl bound. In December, the marching band will head to Phoenix to represent Ohio at the nationally-acclaimed Fiesta Bowl Parade.
“This is a very prestigious honor for the marching band, to be nationally recognized,” says Edge.
The band will participate in the parade along with other bands from around the country.
Situated right at the close of marching season, the indoor concert is a fitting time to celebrate the marching band’s achievements as well as the positive community spirit of Upper Arlington.
“It’s a way for us to thank the Upper Arlington community for their support over the past season,” says Edge. “The parents, families and friends who come out to support us at the football games all season, it’s a big thank you for them.”
The Marching Band Indoor Concert Extravaganza will be held in the Upper Arlington High School gymnasium on Nov. 2 from 7:30-8:30 p.m. Admission is free.
Mikayla Klein is a contributing writer. Feedback welcome at jwise@cityscenemediagroup.com.
