Most students would say they know that Pleasant Valley has a marching band, and that it is quite large, 320 to be exact. But what else do they know? This is where several students’ unknown perspective of Pleasant Valley’s massive, successful marching band begins.

Every day all 320 members put their instruments together and head out to the football field for an hour-long rehearsal. Before that they must check the board to make sure they have all the materials they need for that day. Such materials include coordinate sheets, flip folders, and pencils. What is a coordinate sheet? Flip folder? Students don’t just find a random spot on the field, march to another spot, and hope it looks good. It takes much organization from the band directors, drum majors, marching leaders, and section leaders.

This year the four band directors decided to create a new version of a marching guide known as the coordinate sheet. This coordinate sheet is a piece of paper customized to each student as they use it to find their spot on the field. Without it, students would have no sense of where to march on the field. Content that can be found on this sheet includes phrases such as “mark time 16,” FM 40,” HTTBFO 8,” and much more. These phrases indicate what kind of marching to do or what to do on the field, and for how long. For example, “mark time 16” means the student must have his/her heels together, and lift them up off the ground to each beat. Visually, it is similar to walking in place, but instead the toes do not come off the ground. “FM 40” demonstrates that the student must forward march (marching in whatever direction the student is already facing) for 40 counts. Finally, “HTTBFO 8” often is used at the end of a song. At this time you might notice students raising their horns all the way to the press box as their left foot steps out. This is called “HTTBFO,” abbreviated from “horns to the box foot out.” Again, the 8 indicates the number of counts in which the move must be done. These three phrases are just a few of several others that the band members learned over the summer during marching band camp.

As mentioned earlier, it takes a lot of preparation and organization to keep the marching band running as smooth as possible, especially with the large number of kids who participate. Therefore, specific roles are assigned to certain students based on the band directors’ decisions as well as the band as a whole. The marching band has five talented, driven drum majors who make the show possible. They are the ones who conduct the 320 members to success. Then there are marching leaders; they are the ones walking around the field during rehearsal helping better the marching technique of their fellow students. There are also section leaders, as they are assigned to lead their section, based on instrument, in making sure the students are participating, marching correctly, and having a good time doing it. Enthusiasm and a family atmosphere is necessary to the Spartan marching band’s progress. Perhaps, this is why one fourth of the school is the marching band.
Overall, it takes a lot of preparation, time, and a good attitude to to make for a marching band like Pleasant Valley’s. Hours of rehearsal are put in so the thousand-member audience of Spartan stadium can enjoy an amazing show. This behind the scenes of the Pleasant Valley marching band.