Many people do not give enough credit to the members of our marching band. Between memorization of songs and lines to fitting three hour practices into busy schedules, being a member of the band takes a lot of skill and dedication. This year, that work has paid off, and PV’s marching band has qualified for two competitions, as opposed to one last year. Although the competitions are close to the same, the band’s mindset is completely different. Casson Scowcroft, one of the marching band instructors, states that some of the things that have helped create more success this year has been hiring Andy Shoemaker, a professional marcher, and having two days a week to practice instead of only having one last year. More practice means more time to learn harder material, and that is exactly what they are doing. Not only are there three songs to learn, but the band also has to learn more complex step routines to go along with them. The marching band is also very costly due to instruments, outfits, and time. It’s safe to say that marching band is as difficult as other extracurricular activities and deserve to be celebrated just as much.