Marching Band has been a long-ime tradition of Stephen Decatur High School, spanning decades under the supervision of band director J.D. Foell. This year has been an eventful one,  starting all the way back with the football games.

As they do every year, the Marching Band started out playing during football games, cheering the team with their music and playing at halftimes throughout the season. Then came the pep rally earlier this year, where the band was one of many within the school to perform for the crowd of students and teachers at Decatur.

The band’s business only intensified with the success of the football team; their victories as they tore through their competition paved the way to more and more games, granting the Marching Band even more chances to show off their skills.

Come December, the band had already been showing off their capabilities to all within the school. However, come parade season, and with the further success of the football team, their opportunities and success was only beginning.

With the football team going to states, the band followed, performing far from home during halftime in Annapolis, though this was just one event in an already busy time.

December brings Christmas, Christmas brings parades, and parades inevitably bring the band. Now competing against their fellow bands in Pocomoke and Snow Hill in each parade, the band pushed forward to strive above the competition and come out on top this parade season.

Going up against other bands wasn’t smooth sailing. The Marching Band has had trouble in recent years with recruitment, stemming from multiple problems largely beyond their control. Nonetheless, the band wasn’t fazed by the larger size of their competition. As they had in several parades in years past, they managed to come out on top in parades such as the one in Snow Hill on Dec. 4 where they won best band.

What the band may lack in numbers, they more than make up for in spirit, determination, and practice. Their performances and victories this parade season have made a clear showing of the band’s skill and ability to perform as many prepare for the transition over to Concert Band in the coming semester.