Can you imagine going to a quiet football game? While this might not be something many students have considered, it would be a reality if South’s marching band, the Spirit of ‘76, wasn’t part of South’s gameday experience.

Each year, the Spirit of ‘76 marching band prepares a variety of music that is performed throughout South’s football games and at competitions. This year, the band is made up of 44 students who put a lot of work in to prepare for this year’s performances, according to sophomore Emily Higgins, who is part of the color guard.

“We have twelve hours of practice as a group per week and about three hours of at-home practice on the weekends,” Higgins said.

According to Spirit of ‘76 director Eric Menderski, many of these hours of practice are dedicated to repetition that helps make the performance as perfect as possible.

“We meticulously practice each set of movements and the music that goes with it. We make sure each member is in the correct spot and that they look good moving to that spot,” he said. “We also spend lots of time practicing music as that’s the most important part.”

According to senior Drum Major Meghan Hutchins, “getting in shape” can be just as important as learning the music and movements.

“Getting in shape for marching band is a lot more important than people might think. You have to be able to have good breath control to play your instrument while also moving the whole time throughout the show,” she said.

According to freshman AJ Haynes, all of the hard work needed to put on a good show doesn’t just start when the season begins. 

“It was kind of hard because I was trying to relax on summer break, but I also wanted to work hard, so I could be ready when practices started,” he said.

Each year, the band has a new theme for its competition routine, and this year’s theme is not going to disappoint, according to Hutchins.

“Our show is called Tempest, and it’s all about thunderstorms and the progression of a thunderstorm,” Hutchins said. “Our first movement is like it’s cloudy out, the second movement is the storm, and then the third movement is the calm after the storm.”

Spirit of ‘76 doesn’t just perform at football games; they also compete at competitions later in the fall. This year, they’ll be competing Sept. 20 at the Lafayette Contest of Champions, Oct. 4 at the Gene Hunt Marching Band Invitational, Oct. 11 at the Fort Zumwalt-North River City Showcase, and Oct. 17 at the Bands of America St. Louis Super Regional.

Competitions are a great way for the marching band to see real results from all their hard work, according to Higgins.

“Competition environments are very welcoming and fun, and the feeling of getting first place is one of the best feelings,” Higgins said.

This year will be Menderski’s second year as the director of the Spirit of ‘76, and he says he appreciates not only the talent of the marching band, but also the close bond the team creates.

“The marching band becomes a family through the course of a season, and the students we have are very dedicated to our program,” he said. 

According to Haynes, the team’s close bond is part of why he wanted to join the group.

“Mr Menderski gave me private lessons in middle school, and told me I should join, so I went to a couple of marching band events over the summer,” Haynes said. “When I was at some of these events, I realized that I really liked the people and I wanted to be a part of it.”

Syed thinks students should be less quick to judge the Spirit of ‘76, because it has brought her so many opportunities, and it could help other students out in the same way if they gave it the chance.

“While marching band lives up to some of the stereotypes, I think if more people kept an open mind about it, they would really find something they’re passionate about,” she said. “Color guard is one of the best things to ever happen to me.”