The Texas A&M University-Kingsville marching band is gearing up to be ready for this year’s halftime show with a whopping 220 members this year.
“It’s a really big band,” said Assistant Director of Band Jason Kihle.
That many people can be difficult to teach with only a few faculty, not to mentioning the unforgiving Texas heat that plagues everyone, but especially the band students that practice outside everyday.
Kihle reassures that even the scorching hat doesn’t deter the many students of the band from trying their best and giving it their all.
“The most rewarding thing is to be able to interact with the students,” Kihle said.
The show that is being performed this semester is the show “The Music of Queen”. A show that takes the audience on a journey through three of Queen’s greatest hits.
The first movement centered around “Bicycle”, the second around “Somebody to Love”, and of course ending it with the iconic “Bohemian Rhapsody”.
“When I was growing up, my parents and I would clean the house to 80’s rock music,” began Drum Major Raelynn Najera on why she loves this years show, “it is very exciting to be in front of a talent ensemble for this.”
Not just the leadership of the band is excited for this years show, the students of the band that are marching on the field are confident, and doing everything they can to ensure the music and movements are as good as they possibly can be.
“Just a lot of repetition,” began Saxophone player Lyndsay Delgado, “practice makes perfect.”
Working hard in the hot sun, practicing hours in the small practice rooms, and staying positive in the face of adversity leads the students of TAMUK to work together and play their hearts out.
“It’s 200 people having to work together in sync,” explained Trombone section leader Jorge Rodriguez, “To think that all of us are playing and moving at the same time, it’s exciting and something that should definitely be appreciated.”