The Columbus East Olympian Spirit marching band is blending colors and the music of Coldplay with composer George Gershwin as it prepares to kick off the 2018 season.
The 70-member marching band has been working since Monday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. to develop its show, “Yellow and Blue Makes Green,” that blends the songs “Yellow” from the 2000 debut album by British rock band Coldplay and “Rhapsody in Blue,” a 1924 piece by Gershwin, an American composer whose best-known compositions are from the 1920s and 1930s.
East’s one-week band camp wraps up today.
This year’s marching band is a young one as 19 seniors graduated last season, said Liz Hagan, one of two senior drum majors leading the group.
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Hagan said the focus this week has been helping band members learn how to march and other elements tied to this year’s show.
“They’re doing a good job,” Hagan said.
Hagan is joined by fellow senior drum major Maggie Buffo, who is also in her fourth year of marching band.
“Everyone’s been working really hard this year,” Buffo said. “Everybody’s been doing good even though we have a younger band.”
Buffo said she considers her drum major role an important one, keeping the band connected and in rhythm.
By midweek, improvement was already noticeable, said the drum major, a liaison between the director and the band.
“Some of our freshman marchers are really strong and we’re really impressed,” Buffo said.
East band director David Rodgers, who is in his 18th year overseeing the band, said he will depend on the leadership of Hagan and Buffo to keep things running smoothly.
“There’s a lot of responsibility that falls on their shoulders,” he said. “The ultimate goal of the season is to perfect and improve the product.”
Marching band members have kept busy learning different pieces of the show this week in band camp, which follows four weeks of camp held in June, Rodgers said.
The focus this week has been learning steps and overall positions for the show, he said.
The cooler weather has made it easier to practice this year, Hagan said. However, rain early this week kept practices indoors, Rodgers said.
“We all want to be outside,” Rodgers said. “It’s definitely easier when it’s cooler. I think we’ve dodged a couple hot-weather situations.”
Junior Merrick Goen said she has been impressed with new members of the Olympian Spirit marching band.
“They’re catching on and learning very fast,” Goen said.
Goen, who has participated in marching band since her freshman year, has taken on a mentoring role this year.
“Helping out the freshman will help the whole band in general,” Goen said.
Rodgers, who stood atop the director’s tower watching the group’s movements, said he feels good about this year’s group, which includes upperclassmen and freshmen who have never marched before.
“The attitude is really good,” Rodgers said. “I believe the balance will be a strong situation in the long run.”
This year’s show will utilize 20 15-foot poles that will be designed with the colors yellow and blue and include green going up to the top, Rodgers said.
The poles, which can be moved from side to side, will match the uniforms that color guard members will wear, he said.
And regarding the sound, the music from Coldplay and Gershwin should be familiar to those who see the performance, Rodgers said.
The Olympian Spirit marching band will travel to Cork, Ireland, for a week-long trip in March that will involve performing in a St. Patrick’s Day parade. The marching band will be one of two in the parade from the United States, Rodgers said.
Closer at hand, the band will showcase its performance Aug. 17 during halftime at the season-opening varsity football game against Whiteland, 7 p.m. at Columbus East, 230 S. Marr Road.
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Sept. 8: Sound of North Invitational, Columbus North High School
Sept. 15: Lawrence Central Invitational, Lawrence Central High School
Sept. 22: Greenwood High School Invitational, Greenwood High School
Sept. 29: Ben Davis High School Invitational, Ben Davis High School
Oct. 6: Indiana State Music Association (ISSMA) scholastic preliminaries open class invitational, Whiteland Community High School
Oct. 20: ISSMA scholastic finals, Lawrence Central High School
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