The Doudna Fine Arts Center was filled with many people to see the annual Panther Marching Band Concert.
The concert was held Sunday in the Dvorak Hall, with the Panther Marching Band showing off many of the songs and traditions.
David Boggs, the director of the Panther Marching Band, said how he thinks the concert went.
“I thought the band performed very well,” Boggs said. “There was not a single selection of music that I thought was weak.”
This concert was a very important performance for the Panther Marching Band.
Boggs explained how the concert is one of the only times that people come to an event just to see the marching band perform.
“Everything that we do, we are on the periphery; we are a part of something that is bigger than us,” Boggs said. “This is the one time a year where it is all about the Panther Marching Band. People come just to see us.”
Boggs said how there are no distractions that come with the concert, as there are no other things going on while the band performs.
“It is a time where everybody can sit and just focus on what the band is doing,” Boggs said.
The concert was a very different experience for the Panther Marching Band, as they are all used to putting on a huge, loud show outside for large audiences.
Lauren Ray, a first-year student psychology student in the Panther Marching Band, gave her insight into the performance compared to the usual Panther Marching Band shows.
“It is a very different show but with the big differences, the band’s energy is very shown throughout the concert as if we were still outside,” Ray said.
The band performed songs from their past performances, including all of their halftime shows and their pre-game show.
Boggs goes into this, as he explained why he enjoyed having the band play all of their previous music selections.
“I think it is just a good way to highlight the band,” Boggs said.
The songs were split up into different sections throughout the concert, having drum cadences, speakers and more in between them.
The concert also gave time to recognize all of the seniors in the band, showing them off and congratulating them for their time spent with the marching band.
Before the concert, the days prior was very busy for the band.
The band stayed during Eastern’s fall break to practice, followed up with a marching band skit night, an optional game night and a football game to perform a show at.
The busy weekend ended off with the annual concert, which was a favorite for many members.
“I think it was a great way to end the weekend off,” Ray said. “It was a nice way to end the weekend off with people who love and want to specifically see Panther Marching Band.”
Zachary Woodard can be reached at 581-2812 or at [email protected].
