BY DANI TIETZ
dani@sjodaily.com
For high school marching bands across the nation, knowing how to march and play an instrument are just a start.
It’s the foundation; the building blocks for something more.
In years past, the St. Joseph-Ogden High School marching band entertained crowds and judges with pop hits.
But this year, the crowds can expect something more.
Under the direction of Band Director Chuck Hess and color guard coach, Kyle Ayers , the SJ-O marching band will step into the trend of storytelling.
After watching a program in Florida tell the story of infected zombies, Hess, in his second year as band director, decided to take the plunge.
“I really wanted to find a show that the kids would enjoy doing, but would challenge them,” Hess said.
“It’s very challenging for them musically, and then just all the body stuff that we’re adding to it. It gives them plenty to sink their teeth into.”
Performers gathered for two weeks of band camp beginning July 22, ready to memorize charts.
By the time camp ends on Aug. 2, the performers will have completed the show as they add music from Bach, Beethoven and Mozart to their movements.
“It’s got this sort of spooky zombie-like kind of feel that we’re trying to capture,” Hess said.
Stepping out of their school-issued band uniforms and into red-tail coats and grey Victorian wigs, the band will tell the story of musicians who sold their souls for success and fame. Upon death, the musicians are resurrected every hundred years to perform as the price for their bargain.
“It’s a big change for us,” Hess said.
“I think it keeps the kids challenged, and it keeps them engaged,” he continued.
Hess is the first SJ-O band instructor to stay consecutive years in at least the last four years. Through consistency, he hopes to not only provide students with an engaging marching band experience, but also to teach them about accountability and responsibility along the way.
Tyson Madsen will lead the Spartans as the drum major in 2019.
Hess said that he began camp on Monday talking about a book he read called “Extreme Ownership.”
“I just hope that they really take ownership of their roles in the show,” he said. “There’s a lot of the character kind of things that we’re going to try and do, and it’s mostly fun.
“But in terms of their music, the color guard work that they do, they have to own their part in the show.
“With this show, I’m trying to give them a vehicle that they can really get behind. And feel like it’s going to take them somewhere.”
Hess said that the storytelling component will not only bring SJ-O up with current marching band trends, but also provide an enjoyable experience for both the crowd and judges.
Once school begins on Aug.16, the 51 band members will begin tidying up their performance between schoolwork and additional extracurricular activities.
“Once the school year starts, there’s just a lot,” Hess said. “I mean, kids get pulled in a lot of different directions. And there will be homework and class responsibilities, other clubs, other things the kids want to do in a small school.
“The best chance we have to make sure we were going to have a successful season is to try and get the show done before school starts. We can work on the cleaning it up, perfecting it, getting it ready for performances and competitions.”
SJ-O was scheduled to compete in four competitions in 2018, but two of them were rained out and their performance to end the season at the University of Illinois was held on a very windy day.
For the 2019 season, SJ-O will compete in six competitions: three in September and three in October, ending at the University of Illinois on Oct. 26.
