SLOHS Band always dresses and plays to impress. Photo courtesy of senior Jane Culbreath
The San Luis Obispo High School marching band will be showing Tiger pride at every home football game this fall season by playing pep tunes, performing a halftime show, and continuing decades-old traditions.
“It definitely adds a lot of more excitement to the game. It really emphasizes moments during the game, so when they score a touchdown and we play Tiger Rag, that’s a really exciting moment,” said sophomore Wesley Bartlett.
Band performances are an important part of the SLOHS football experience. A big part of the atmosphere at football games is the noise and excitement that fills the stadium. Loud, energizing music really helps to bring people together to cheer for their school.
“I think it brings a lot more energy to the games and kind of hypes everyone up to watch football, and it’s fun to listen to,” said sophomore Cordell Conover.
However, the performances don’t only benefit the audience and players: they are also fun for band members. They give the band an opportunity to perform for the school community and practice performing in front of many people before they go to competitions. Not only do these performances give the band a chance to practice and prepare, but they are also associated with many traditions that bring band members together and provide a sense of camaraderie.
“During the third quarter, we all go back to the band room, and we change back into our band t-shirts, and we all wear crazy hats and dance around in the band room. That’s really fun, especially for the shock value for the freshmen at the first football game, because we don’t talk about it ahead of time,” said senior and band vice president Jane Culbreath.
For many students, being in band gives them the opportunity to form bonds with other people and have a good time together. These traditions act as an initiation for freshmen new to band, and the sense of community really improves the band experience.
This year is set up to be even better than last year for the band, as they will be performing on the newly rebuilt Holt field, instead of cramming into a bus and driving to Morro Bay for every game. Band students, as well as the SLOHS community, are looking forward to many Friday night football games here at home.
