GM Marching Band to Compete in LMBA Competition


Ellen Eisert

The band performs at halftime at the Homecoming football game.

Liam Mercurio , Reporter

The GMHS marching band’s final competition of the year, the Lake Shore Marching Band, or LMBA was held at Veterans Stadium on Saturday, Oct. 27 in Erie PA. Leading up to this competition was hundreds of hours of practice and hard work.

  The band performed the show “Rise” this year and has rehearsed and prepared to make it perfect.  Prior to LMBA, the band already competed in several competitions, winning three of them and placing third once.

   “We spend every class preparing for that [week’s] competition, which basically means fixing drill spots, perfecting our music, and adding in new moves. Then we spend all Saturday morning basically doing the same type of things. Right before we perform we do this thing called a ‘power pose’ which is where everyone stands in a pose that makes them feel powerful and we think through the show  and mentally prepare for what we have to do while we are performing,” confided senior drum major Olivia Green.

  Mr. Malec, the band director, confirmed that the group rehearses alot to prepare for the shows.  To get them pumped up for competition day, Malec stated that, “I ask them who are we and they say GM, it gets louder the more we say it. Each section has their own rituals that they do.”

  Malec selected this year’s show, which is more conceptual than past shows, based on feedback from students.  “Every year I play music in the spring time for students and I choose the music that they connect to the most.”   

   Although her favorite show to perform was “Gotham” during her sophomore year, Green stated that “I really like [Rise] The music is a lot of fun.”

   The band has put in a lot hard work leading up to their final performance of the year at LMBA.  “One thing people don’t really know is how much work it takes. [Band is] a class but there is a lot of outside work. Then when you get done you see how satisfying it is.”

 “The season goes by quick so you definitely need to take advantage of all the time you have.  Marching band is a lot of hard work and dedication, but when you rise to the challenge you realize how amazing it is,” concurred Green.