Marching to the Beat of Their Own DrumlineWarriors’ Marching Band Wants to Entertain, Not Just Accompany

Warriors' marching band expects a great season. Photo Courtesy / ESU Bands
Warriors' marching band expects a great season. Photo Courtesy / ESU Bands
Warriors’ marching band expects a great season.
Photo Courtesy / ESU Bands

By Melissa Valentovic
SC Staff Writer

The ESU Warrior marching band kicked off their season at the first football game of the semester last Thursday night, Sept. 3 at Eiler-Martin Stadium.

The band is directed by Tim Eick, along with visual director Franko Robinson, and percussion coordinator Jim Wilson.

Led by head drum major Marcus Howard and assistant drum major Miranda Tripus, the band kicked off the night by playing, “Seven Nation Army,” to get the crowded pumped up as the football team sprinted onto the field.

During the game they played various, fun, upbeat pep songs and at halftime they performed their 2015 show titled, “Marilyn,” featuring music from the television show “Smash.”

Howard, a senior computer science major, felt the show went well, and could hear the crowd getting into it.

“For the amount of new members we have, everyone stepped up and the show was really exciting,” Howard said.

What he emphasized was that this year, the band’s goal is to be “entertainers out on the field,” rather than just being marching band members.

According to Howard, the audience can expect an, “exciting, in your face kind of blend of music and choreography.”

Junior art and design major, snare drummer Amanda Amodeo, has high anticipations for her third consecutive season with the marching band.

“The drumline grew a lot in numbers this year. I thought with having more people it would be a lot more difficult but that is not the case at all. The drumline has been putting in long hours of practice before, during and after rehearsals. All of this hard work is paying off,” Amodeo said.

Comprised of performers using dance, flags, batons, rifles, and sabers for visual effect, the ESU color guard has also grown, with sixteen members this band season.

One of the color guard’s captains, senior hotel, restaurant, and tourism major Zach Jacobes, says that it is exciting that there are more members than there have been in previous years and that he is excited to go out there and perform the show and excite the crowd.

The Warrior Marching Band’s 2015 season includes performing at all of the home football games at ESU and various exhibition performances at marching band festivals.

One event the band is also excited to perform at is the Collegiate Marching Band festival on Oct. 10, in Allentown, along with twenty-two other college marching bands such as West Chester University, Bloomsburg University and the University of Massachusetts.

Email Melissa at:
mvalentovi@live.esu.edu