AUTAUGA COUNTY, Ala. (WSFA) – In just a few weeks, football fields across Alabama will be filled with the familiar sounds of drumlines and brass instruments, and don’t forget the color guard, majorettes, and dance team.
Before that happens, marching bands must brave the summer heat to make sure they’re in tune with the routine.
“In the springtime, we start getting music in, start preparing the drill, and of course when we come out here, we’re trying to set everything and get the drill out on the field,” said Prattville High School Band Director Chris King. ”Once we get the drill on the field, we’re preparing for our football games.”
Instruments can weigh upwards of 30 pounds, and when you combine that with feels-like temperatures above 100 degrees, frequent water breaks are a must.
“I’m thankful to have a neck strap for my instrument, although my neck hurts. Those tubas, I don’t know how they do it,” said Sarid Clark, a member of Marbury High School’s band.
“I feel like we really get breaks every 30, 45 minutes,” said Prattville High majorette Annabelle Anderson. “We definitely try our best to really hydrate, make sure we’re getting a lot of electrolytes to be able to retain the water we’re drinking.”
At Marbury High School, band director Brett Johnson has switched practice times as a precaution.
“We actually have adopted a model where we go from 5 to 10 o’clock at night where we have a little bit of sun, but mostly it’s going to be under the lights,” Johnson explained.
“It’s a lot better than what I’m used to,” expressed Marbury High School band member Jayden Seamon. “It used to be an all-day thing. Now it’s just a half day, so now I get to enjoy my summer and do this at the end of the day.”
High school football starts in less than a month in Alabama. WSFA’s first Friday Night Football Fever of the season will be August 22.
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