In another week, the Mighty Titan Marching Band will be performing this year’s extravagant half-time show, Behind The Mask.
The marching band always does a great job of hyping up any football game. They take part in many ways, from jazzy stand tunes to the famed half-time show. All these things take a lot of time to perfect.
It might be right to wonder, how much work just went into it? Also, what is this year’s show even about? With a little insight from the amazing band director here at Hidden Valley, Mr. Galyen, as well as band secretary Meghan Bagby (12), they might be able to provide the answer to your curiosity.
“One would be, are we able to memorize this music and march to it? We also like to have a variety of instruments playing the melody, and whether we have a chance for soloists, so we always look for that contrast when designing the show,” Mr. Galyen says, discussing the main criteria for the half-time show.
Late in the school year, the band director and the rising seniors begin cracking away at the next year’s show. Often, the process begins long before then, reaching as far back as late fall. With much discussion and brainstorming, they come to settle on an idea. Sometimes this can be a song, other times a concept.
“One of the ones we really liked was Phantom of the Opera. When Galyen played it for us, we were all like ‘Oh my gosh, we should definitely do this one!’” Meghan Bagby exclaims, when describing how the songs were selected.
Later down the line, the idea of the mask became very prominent within the show.
The first song featured is “Zorro’s Theme”, from the 1998 film The Mask of Zorro. Zorro is a famed television character, most well known as the masked vigilante hero who served duty to the victimized in the west. A compelling and action-filled entry to the show, Zorro’s theme builds up for what is only to come.
The second song featured is the brilliant, melodic “Music of the Night” from The Phantom of the Opera. This song exhibits a solo from Xander Glenn (12), a senior trumpet player.
The Phantom of the Opera is a dramatic love story between an obsessive musical genius and a beautiful young soprano, written by the famed composer Andrew Lloyd Webber.
The third song of the show is a callback to Zorro. Containing a drum feature, the Zorro drum break utilizes percussion for rhythm while the winds perform visuals.
The finale of the show also comes from the well-renowned musical and motion picture, The Phantom of the Opera. Standing as the climax of the show, it is a powerful and enchanting finisher.
“We’ve always been known for doing the fun show, so we decided to do something different. We were interested in something a little darker themed, more mysterious sounding. I think we’re playing it very well,” said Mr. Galyen.
