An unknown author once wrote: "The heart and soul of every performer is fueled by the desire to take the emotion out of the crowd and replace it with the fury of the best performance of their lives." A marching band’s purpose in a football game is to entertain the audience and give the football team a boost of morale while simultaneously taking the opportunity to showcase their talent. Without the marching band, football games would not be remotely as enjoyable.
The marching band is never far from the crowd during the game. Serving as musicians and entertainers, the band dances along with their music. Regardless of the team that the audience is cheering for, their excitement is uncontainable as the aura of the bands energy spreads. The crowd simply cannot resist singing along as the band plays fan favorites such as Cee Lo Green’s “Forget You” or dancing to the grooves played by the drumline. Although many people may not have come to the football game because of the band, they would not have enjoyed the game as much without it.
Just like the energizer bunny, the marching band provides the never-ending beat that keeps the football team energized. For every touchdown siren that pierces the air, the football team can be sure that the band will play the fight song. The fight song is played with such energy that when seated on the bleachers, it feels as though everybody’s cellphones have begun to vibrate all at once. When the football team is on the defensive, the band can be heard chanting constantly in an effort to keep the team driven to win. This extra motivation is at times all it takes to help the team make another touchdown or intercept an opponent’s pass.
All of the performers in the marching band yearn for their “moment in the spotlight.” However, for them the spotlights are the stadium lights blazing down upon them and glistening off of their instruments as bright as the sun. As for their stage, it is a green, grassy field freshly cut and painted for the game of the night. As they prepare to begin their show, the members of the band swiftly march on to the field with the lights shining down upon them. During practice they endure hours of seemingly endless sunlight and the salty taste of sweat. In addition, there is a constant odor of over sixty people desperately in need of a shower. Football games make it all worthwhile. From the step-off to the final step taken, the band makes many visually stunning forms that are so intricate the audience wonders how it was possible. The band works together seamlessly just as all of the small parts in an engine work together to make it run. As the final chords of their show powerfully reverberate throughout the stadium, the audience goes into a standing ovation for so long one might assume the audience was there only to see the band.
The marching band serves a very important purpose in football games. By keeping the crowd on the edge of their seats with excitement and by constantly motivating the football team, the game becomes even more enjoyable than football alone. The game also serves as the perfect opportunity for the band to display their talent and the countless hours of practice that they have devoted to it. The marching band is undeniably the heart of the game.