Clearfield Bison Marching Band hits halftime with heroic show

The+Clearfield+Bison+Marching+Band+takes+the+field+for+another+heroic+show.

Jessica McDanel

The Clearfield Bison Marching Band takes the field for another heroic show.

Cruz R. Wright, Staff Writer

As our football team forges its way through game after game of notorious wins, some of the heroes to look for are the ones who take the field at halftime. With the theme, Summon the Heroes, the Clearfield Bison Marching Band is bringing a new sensation to the field.

Challenging music and difficult drill are no strangers to the Bison Band, according to director of the band, Mr. Raymond Mandell. With a field team constructed of about 100 individuals, the band is bringing an immense amount of rhythm and talent to the lights.

It’s a bird, it’s a plane, it’s the Clearfield Bison Marching Band with sights to see and phenomenal things to hear. This season the band is bringing a variety of superhero-themed music to the field. They take flight with the Olympic Fanfare “Summon the Heroes,” a pow with “Theme from Superman,” a bam with “Batman Television Theme,” a zap with “Spiderman,” and close each show with a bang “The Incredibles.”

The Clearfield Bison Marching Band has a truly heroic trio of drum majors this year. Ms. Haeley Stott, Ms. Emmalee Marshall, and Mr. Austin Fontenoy work together on the field to bring the hard work and skills of the Band together. Three drum majors may seem like a crowd, considering that other schools lack drum majors, but these above-and-beyond musicians benefit greatly from this system. At any given point, at least one drum major is participating in the on-field presentation with their peers while the other two conduct. These three students go up-up-and-away with talent, dedication, and cooperation to help their fellow band members.

Ms. Marshall and Mr. Mandell both express that the halftime show is an important part of the Friday night family found at Clearfield High. Ms. Marshall elaborates: “This year’s marching band is showing their hero inside as they perform not for themselves, but the members of our community.” Members of the band have highly anticipated every performance at Friday night football games.

A true hero must overcome challenges and train endlessly to grow strong and powerful. The Marching Band has had its fair share of challenges this season with an extraordinary range of weather abnormalities that have prevented their ability to practice outdoors. An extremely rainy season has flooded the practice field time and time again, reports Mr. Mandell, which he says brought the band’s greatest villain, the bugs.

Don’t let these monsters stop you from becoming a member of the Band. The Band is always looking for new members to join their show-stopping, crime-fighting team, expresses Ms. Marshall. She says that the music wing is always looking for new students to participate and they embrace new members with open-mindedness. If interested in joining the rhythm that fuels the Friday night family, talk to any member of the band and get directed to the people who can help you find your niche in the Marching Band.