The Knoch High School Marching Band. A staple at every football game, parade, pep rally, and more! This new season, the band has made quite a few changes in terms of style, staff, and work ethic. But, how do the brand new ways of the band affect the members and staff?

Ms. King is so far very pleased with how the band has responded to all of the changes. Her belief that the entirety of the band has been doing amazing is holding strong.

“I believe all the students have risen through the difficulty and showed me that they can perform to a high standard of excellence,” said Ms. King. “This aspect makes me enthusiastic, and I plan to continue working toward a successful program for future years.”

Ms. King was previously assistant director of the Deer Lakes Marching Band, and had absolutely zero percent of negative attitude when moving from a competitive band to your very own Knoch High School Marching Band.

“I love how energetic the band members are even without the competitive style, and I find myself having more fun directing Knoch! Change can be difficult for everyone, and I’ve certainly felt the pressure from all ends,” said Ms. King. “As I learn and grow in this position, I only hope to make it better with age!”

Meet Co-Drum Major Abby Cebollero, junior assistant of Drum Major Sarah Edder. Cebollero describes her first year as a drum major as challenging.

“There haven’t been any major issues, though,” said Cebollero.

Cebollero is content with the new staff! She likes that they keep as much tradition as possible, though it can be tough. 

Junior Caden Hassler plays the trumpet and feels great about having the new staff for the band.

“I think the new staff is doing an amazing job. They have brought about a lot of change, but change is good and necessary for growth,” said Hassler. “I really liked the fact that even though we got some activities canceled for us, they have done their best to implement some new ones in place.”

Though not many were aware about the cancellation of Pie Night, the summer tradition, it affected the band greatly. 

“My staff and I were highly looking forward to Pie Night, so the cancellation was a setback for us and the band. I’ve never had the opportunity to experience an event like this, and I was disappointed that we couldn’t continue this Knoch tradition,” said Ms. King.

There has been no rescheduling of the beloved Pie Night, but the band is still going strong and performing their best at games!

“Unfortunately, I had to be the one to break the news to the band. The look of sadness in the room made me feel a mix of emotions, but I knew I had to continue working hard and keep moving forward,”Ms. King said. “This hindrance was not going to stop us, and I fully intend to resurrect Pie Night next year.”

Though Cebollero and Edder were upset about the cancellation of Pie Night, the opening of time gave the band more room to work on the show.

Supporting the marching band is very important to the school.

“The marching band represents the music department at our school,” said Cebollero. “If we didn’t have the support we need, our school wouldn’t get recognized.”

Ms. King also said, “I believe to thoroughly respond to this question, I must propose my own questions to the reader. How would this school look different without a marching band? Would people notice if the band were no longer at football games or other community events? By thinking about these questions, I hope people will realize how significant the band is for Knoch.”

“It’s important to support the marching band because we are already such a minority when it comes to other activities,” said Caden Hassler. “A lot of other sports get things over us. However, we are always the fun and sound behind some of the events and football games.”

Very clearly stated, the marching band needs support! With all of the changes in our program, the community is what holds us all together regardless of what we have to change.

“If there is no support, there is no program,” said Ms. King. “With that said, any assistance is greatly welcomed and appreciated!”

If you’re looking for ways to support the marching band, ask any band or auxiliary member what their fundraisers are, and how you can help! You can also go to the concession stand at the Knoch High School football games every Friday!

Also, if you are interested in joining the marching band, everyone in the band highly encourages you to do so! Come watch the Hallowed Knights performance on October 28th at 7:00 p.m. if you’re interested!

Finally, director Ms. King said, “I truly think this school has a band program that the students and community can be proud of, and I am fortunate to be a part of it. I look forward to continuing my time with the Knoch Marching Knights!”