From multi-day practices to sweat-inducing charts, marching bands across the country spend weeks preparing themselves to give the show of a lifetime. A school’s marching band can make or break a halftime show. A poorly directed band can lead to disappointment, while a devoted band with a good director can incite cheers and screams of approval from a crowd.

The Lenoir City High School marching band has been hard at work with this year’s show titled Lights, Camera, Action! This includes pieces from ET, Jaws, Superman, and Jurassic Park. With this year’s football season ending, the band performed their final halftime show, as well as their last few stand tunes, and said a sad goodbye to the field. Megan Osborne, a senior member of the LCHS Colorguard, was not ready to say goodbye.

“It was very upsetting to know that my time with the high school band is ending, but I’m very grateful that we got a new band director that was more involved and caring. It just made everyone have a better time. I’m very sad I have to leave,” Osborne said.

While this was the end for some members, it was just the beginning for others, like Zachary Slimp. After graduating from the University of Tennessee just last year, he was hired by Lenoir City High School as the new band director with very short notice. Band camp was just around the corner and neither the kids nor Slimp were prepared.

“It was very unfamiliar territory. You don’t know what you don’t know until it hits you in the face. That was the biggest hurdle; overcoming things that I wasn’t aware of. My biggest concern was I never knew what was coming next,” Slimp said.

Although this was new and nerve-wracking for everyone, the band was able to give it their all. This, mixed with the determination of the band and their new director, resulted in an end to an amazing season.

“I couldn’t be happier [with this season.] We were able to score all superiors, which is the best you can get, in competition and we ended the year with a very positive celebration,” Slimp said.

Whether they have been in the band for years or are starting for the first time, there is no doubt that this season was one of their best. With the help of a new, hardworking director, the band was successful in achieving a triumphant and fun marching season, ending with a very fitting rating from the judges: superior!