When the 48 members of the Lancaster Catholic High School (LCHS) marching band gathered at the school, 650 Juliette Ave., Lancaster, in mid-August to start practicing the fall drill, they knew camp would be a little different. "The world is different, and we are changing with the world," said Jacob Fertal, vice president of the band, referring to the pandemic and the restrictions associated with COVID-19.
The band members met from Aug. 10 to 13 to begin learning the drill to a program titled "Resilience." Practices were also held Aug. 18 to 20 and Aug. 25 to 27.
"Resilience" will be performed in three parts, beginning with "We Are Family," moving into the ballad, which is "The Sound of Silence," and finishing with "Daft Punk Medley." Fertal explained how each segment of the show relates to the theme. "With everything that is going on in the world, we think a lot of resilience is needed," he said, noting that "We Are Family" focuses on staying together to get through hard times and that "Sound of Silence" talks about being strong enough to work out your problems. "'Daft Punk Medley' (includes) the words 'harder, better, faster, and stronger' (because) after you get through your struggles, you're better than you were before."
Band director Paul Murr said that he and assistant director Daniel List chose the music for the drill with the uncertainty of fall in mind. "When school was shut down in March, we started thinking about how it would affect summer and fall," he said, noting that "Resilience" was picked from about seven different ideas because it would be easier to learn and allowed for social distancing.
Student director Sarah Scott noted that the drill utilizes curves and interconnecting circles and other shapes. "We move around each other and connect at different points," she said. "A part of the band will break off from the rest and then reform into some other shape together." High points will include a woodwind feature at the beginning of "Sound of Silence," which will also spotlight the color guard. This year's band has seven color guard members working with both flags and rifles.
To offer the students a safe environment, drumline section leader Emma Graybill said that students only remove their masks when they are a safe distance from each other or to play their instruments. Wind section leader Vivian Clemmer added that temperatures are checked before practice starts and that students who register above a certain threshold are sent home. Students are also queried about virus symptoms. Scott reported that special protective coverings have also been ordered for wind instruments to further enhance safety.
Anna Cancilla, mellophone section leader, said that to keep camp fun, members have focused on simple things. Some band members have volunteered to talk about their experiences to help encourage others. As in the past, theme days that pay homage to clothing from different decades or ask students to dress in the purple and gold school colors have been held.
Although the group has dealt with a number of changes, including the cancellation of their own annual fall band showcase, Scott said that the students are happy to be back together. "There's a lot about band camp that is different," she shared. "But Monday was the first time we played as a whole ensemble all summer, and it was very exciting."
Clemmer agreed. "It was nice to have some normalcy," she said.
Additional student leaders are band president Freddy Arnold, wind section leader Isabella Folts, drumline section leader Alex Lopez, front ensemble section leader Lizbeth Stephan, color guard captain Katie Lyle, and sanitation coordinator Christopher Johnson.
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