It’s Friday, and a mass of cheerleaders, football players, and eager students gather at the football field to watch the game. Halftime comes, and the crowd shrinks. For most people this is an opportunity to get up, buy concessions, and talk to friends, but the marching band has been waiting for this moment. After weeks of long rehearsal, they can finally perform their show- but why is nobody watching? Unfortunately, this is something the band students frequently ask themselves. 

The Hayfield marching band, also known as the Marching Hawks, consists of over 75 members. This not only includes the Marching Hawks, but also Hayfield’s talented color guard, which is often forgotten alongside the band. 

Sophomore Isabella Underwood, who plays clarinet for the Hayfield Marching Hawks, reflected on the lack of attention they receive.

“It’s fun to spend time with other people in the band, but nobody at Hayfield watches us,” Underwood said.

While students prove to be more interested in the other aspects of the game, the marching band’s hard work is often forgotten, even though band members dedicate most of their personal time to rehearsals. According to band director Robert Specketer, over 200 hours of practice goes into the band show throughout the course of the marching season. All of that effort shouldn’t be forgotten.

Allison David, who holds the role of Drum Major, believes that the marching band is getting closer to a higher level of praise, but still hasn’t reached the amount it deserves. Like most band members, David not only dedicates her time to marching band, but also considers it one of her favorite activities.

“Most of my time goes to band… it’s my favorite thing,” David said.

While we can still appreciate the hard work of the football team, it’s just as important to give the same love and support to the marching band, who have not only won first place at every competition this year, but also got superior at VBODA state assessment. 

So next time you go to a football game, make sure to watch the halftime show and think about the effort and energy that went into it. No matter how overlooked it is, the marching band appreciates it.