After an exciting Friday night football game, the crowd thins and clears out of the stands. The football players return triumphantly to the locker rooms. The atmosphere and volume slowly dwindles down until the only sounds heard from the field are the distant noises of buses running and heavy pieces of equipment being loaded onto trucks. The Bob Jones Band is departing after a long night of stand music, cheers, and a successful run of their halftime show.

BJHS Band marched their new halftime show for the second time during Friday night’s football game against Decatur. The BJHS band started working on the halftime show during band camp before school started. It took 2 weeks of sweat and work to present a complete halftime show near or equal to a record time.

The halftime show includes four songs “Rhythm of the Night,” “Poker Face,” “Man with the Golden Arm,” and “Sing,Sing,Sing” chosen by band director Doyle Thornton. Mr. Thornton commented on the selection of music, “ I was looking for something that would fit a football game and be entertaining to the crowd. It would be music fun to listen to and fun to play.”

Most band members find themselves with around 5 hours of after-school rehearsal a week, not including the many hours put into attending every football game. Many band members may not enjoy the physical stress, but their work is rewarded with success. Cameron Shea commented on the many long hours of rehearsal, ” I think the after-school practices, while long and tiring after a full day at school, are definitely worth it. We work together as a band to accomplish more and strive for perfection under the direction of Mr. Thornton and Ms. Thomas. I think that by the time we perform our shows, at the games or at competition, we will look great and sound great, proof that hard practice pays off.”

The band will be attending all the football games this season. “There is always a positive sound coming from the band,” Mr. Thornton stated, “It keeps the players and crowd enthused during the game.”

Want to hear the band play, cheer, and perform? Come and cheer on the Patriots at the next football game!