On Oct. 26, the ANHS Marching Band held their annual eighth-grade night during the pink-out football game against San Juan Hills High School.
During eighth-grade night, band students from Aliso Viejo Middle School, Don Juan Avila Middle School and Marco Forster Middle School play with the ANHS Marching Band all throughout the football game. A total of four flutes, eight clarinets, nine saxophones, five trumpets, one trombone, one baritone, one tuba and nine percussionists made up the middle school band. With this, the middle school students experience playing their instruments at a high school level.
Band Director Mr. Ma speaks about the importance of eighth grade night: “We do eighth grade night for marching band recruitment and the creation of bonds between upperclassmen band members and middle school band members.”
All middle school and high school band players were required to meet in Room 1005 at 4:30 p.m. The band members then moved to the back field, and were later divided into their own instrument sections. After all instrument players were placed in their own groups; the band as a whole practiced a few pep tunes and the “Star Spangled Banner,” which they would later play during the football game.
After about an hour of rehearsing for the football game, band members had their dinner break and ate food provided by ANHS Marching Band parent volunteers. Parent volunteers grilled hamburgers and cheeseburgers as well as brought in chips, cookies and other sweets to energize the students before their long night at the football game.
During the dinner break, band members of all grades were able to get to know each other and spend time with their newfound friends. Towards the end of the break, a few percussionists also decided to show off their skills on the drumset, entertaining the marching band, middle school band members and parents.
The ANHS marching band and middle school band members headed up to the football field half an hour before the football game began. All band members were organized in two lines and marched to the drumline’s cadence to truly get the high school band experience before a football game.
Overlapping with community night, the stadium stands were filled with friends and family. Loved ones who came to support their middle schooler in band were given the chance to see them playing on their future high school football field, and middle school band members were given the chance to play in a high school football field.
During the first, second and fourth quarter of the football game, middle school band members played pep tunes with the ANHS Marching Band. When it was halftime, the middle schoolers got to see the 2023 field season show “Heartbeat” performed by the ANHS Marching Band, Drumline and Color Guard. Along with the marching band, middle schoolers had the third quarter off to visit their families and chat with their friends, taking a break from playing pep tunes.
Drum Major, Aidan Scherffius (12), shares his thoughts about this year’s successful eighth grade night: “It’s always a blast to get to play with all the protective future band members and get them excited to join us in the coming years. I think all the high schoolers had a lot of fun getting to know their future bandmates and I hope the middle schoolers felt the same way. Hopefully, they got a chance to see how fun the marching band is and will join us next year to keep the program thriving.”
At the end of the football game, eighth graders followed the marching band’s tradition of forming a moshpit with the entire marching band, drumline and color guard at the back field. The middle schoolers and marching band were able to reward themselves with a small celebration for their hard work and dedication to band.
