On Nov. 13, the Jesuit High School Sacramento marauder band had their long-awaited field show at their home football field. The band played the song “Glory Days” from the 2004 Pixar film “The Incredibles.” A multitude of people attended the event, which the student-led band had been practicing for months.

Flute player Zachariah Michelena ’24 said that he was happy with how everyone performed at the field show.

“This year we had more people come out, we had a bigger band,” Zachariah said. “I’m pretty happy with the results. Music was good.”

The success of the event was only possible because of the band’s hard work. Drum Major Gillian Rogado, a Saint Francis student, conducts the band and leads the parade. Gillian explained how the band had been practicing for this important event.

“We had a lot of fun during band camp, which is our preparation the week before the season starts,” Gillian said. “Other practices, just three times a week. We did marching for parade and marching for field show, we learned a lot of sets, we did a pre-game, and a halftime show, and a number of parades.”

Gillian also discussed the many ways band members have grown over the season leading up to the event.

“They’ve grown a lot and they know when to listen and they know when to have fun,” Gillian said. “Also just as musicians and marching, they’ve grown exponentially. I’m so proud of them.”

Trombone player Sam Daniels ’22 echoed these sentiments of pride and says he’s impressed with the band’s recent performance, especially after all of the struggles the band had to deal with last year.

“I’m really proud of the work that we put in,” Sam said. “Especially coming straight back from COVID, was tough, but we really pulled it together. We’ve really had to work a lot harder than we normally would, and it was really impressive.”

According to Zachariah, the band has been developing a positive culture over the season despite the struggles of coming back from the COVID-19 pandemic, with each member learning about all the others.

“Last year was tough; we didn’t know each other,” Zachariah said. “We got to know each other, and now we all know each other […] We’ve built that community again.”

Sam said that despite being a senior, he’s also looking forward to the future of the band and seeing where their hard work will take them.

“I can’t wait to see what the future holds,” Sam said. “It’ll be fun to come back and see how their progress this year will affect the next years to come.”

The field show was the culmination of the marauder marching band’s months of hard work and community building. The event showcased their musical talents and dedication to each other and the student body. Despite the hardships of the COVID-19 pandemic, the band has persevered and is looking forward to another promising season.