BILLINGS — The first performance in 12 years for a Billings high school marching band debuted during the first football game of this year's local high school season on Thursday night.
“The whole band is really excited. I think it’s great that we’re bringing back something old," said Cort Kaufman, a Skyview senior who marches tenor saxophone with the Billings Public School Marching Band.
The last of Billings' marching bands were previously dissolved because of Montana's short window of opportunity for marching season due to weather and a lack of enough interest from students at each school, according to Amy Schendel, the fine arts education coordinator for Billings Public Schools.
"We’re still trying to give a little bit of taste of what they’re getting into. We’re learning some ra-ra cheers, some drum cadences, and now we’re actually doing some drill at half time," said Sam McKenzie, the band's director.
The school district has constructed the band out of approximately 50 students from various schools across Billings and its surrounding communities who met during the summer to rehearse music, drill, and drum line.
“We just found a way to do it that’s a little more hometown community that way," said Schendel about the abridged and collaborative marching band model.
