One local High School Marching band is currently in the midst of an 18 hour journey. The Riley High School Marching band is headed to New Orleans for the Sugar Bowl The band and chaperones packed up buses Saturday for the trip. Clarinet Player Jeremiah Easterbrook said, "preparing to perform on one of the biggest stages." They'll be performing during halftime at the Sugar Bowl. Band Director Jeff Gorman said, "we're happy we're headed to one of the biggest bowls in the country and our kids get to be in the Superdome and play in front of thousands of people."
You'd think that big of a stage would make some nervous, but not this band. As they loaded onto the buses they said all they felt was excitement. "It gets my adrenaline pumping just thinking about it," said Easterbrook. Flute Player Olivia Lianez said, "It's just like getting ready for a football game. More people will be there but you can't get too nervous cause no notes will end up coming out."
Maybe it's because at least some of them have done this before. The band performed at the Gator Bowl in 2010. And even though many current members were too young... throughout the past decade the band has shown off their stuff at several more bowl games...including the Alamo Bowl and the Champs sports bowl. "We have continually grown and continually gotten better because students work hard," said Gorman.
This year they've been working extremely hard to learn the three songs they'll be performing at the Sugar Bowl. "The songs are born to be wild, I don't care, and I don't want to stop," said Clarinet Player Cassidy Davis. Easterbrook said, "we all have it memorized to where we can play it, turn around, eyes closed...anything." And they said they're one of the only High School Bands who does memorize their bowl game music.
The band will get to do more than just perform on this trip. They're also going to see the sights of New Orleans including a swamp tour, jazz club, and more.
