The Wakefield High School marching band performed their latest show, “Vanishing Act”, at the home football game against Middle Creek High. The theme is centered around magicians and trick, including original music, movements, and illusive props. The band created all of the props, drills, and music for this show. While the marching band is still working to add the final movement to the show, “Vanishing Act” has made its way to the field, making an impact on the students who perform it.

“This show has my favorite music in it,” senior Samantha Shefte said, the drum major of the marching band.“It has its own personal feel, and it was adjusted to Wakefield, so it was kind of meant to be ours.”

Michael Parnack, composer, Brian Munoz, the band director, and Shannon Proctor, the dance and colorguard teacher, created “Vanishing Act” with the help of the marching band students. The props were created by the band students themselves who volunteered their time to put together the tall mirrors, curtains, and wood planks. In the upcoming football games, the props will be covered in mirrors that will create optical illusions.  Each aspect of the show is unique to the school because the show is completely tailored for the band in instrumentation and the abilities of each player in the band.

“

The marching band works throughout the summer to create an original show that they will perform at football games and competitions. The music camp is held in June, and as the summer progresses, students learn how to march. All but two or three weeks are left after the summer-long marching band camp is over, and they often stay at school for twelve hours working on the music for the show.

“The camp was really good overall,” Emily Southard said, equipment manager of the marching band. “We ran a mile every single day. It’s a long day, but we get a lot accomplished.”

While the camp may be long, band students get to know each other and form lasting relationships over this time. For senior students, the last band camp is a significant event that kicks off their last year of high school and marching band.

“It’s bittersweet because you’re like, ‘I’m glad I’m done’. Your summers are not just this now, but it’s also kind of bitter because it’s your last year with your family that you’ve built up over the years,” Shefte said.

The marching band students learn to grow and develop both music and life skills together. They learn skills outside of the realm of music varying from how to be a good friend to how to remain accountable for your actions. These skills are taught through Dale Carnegie’s book How to Win Friends and Influence People and aim to teach life skills that students may not learn in their regular academic courses.

“For me, in band, I have more flexibility in the curriculum, and [I] creatively find ways to implement those life skills with the curriculum at the same time,” Munoz said. “Leadership for me is all focused on those life skills.”

The marching band holds multiple leadership positions, and students who want to apply for these positions must go through a six-month training process to prepare them for the roles of leadership. These skills are meant to help students both on and off of the field.

“Being a leader helps me help figure out how to get people to really enjoy the arts, so you have to put yourself in their point of view,” Southard said. “You have to get them excited.”

The arts program at Wakefield is meant to promote these skills, but it faces the realities of budget cuts and expenses. Those who appreciate the arts may find this devastating, while others that don’t support the arts may find it necessary to lower expenses. Regardless, the arts programs still perform for the audience to enjoy.

“You can learn to appreciate the arts without being in the arts,” Munoz said. “Art is our way of synthesizing how we feel and sharing that with other people. It’s how we can relate to each other.”