Marching Band Readies 'Spellbound'

How would you like to stand with a 25-pound tuba on your shoulders, in the heat of summer, for the bulk of the day?

That's what it's like for members of the Upper Moreland High School Marching Band Unit. The 95-member troupe has been hard at work playing, perfecting technique and getting ready for the upcoming marching band season.

"It's grueling," Upper Moreland High School Band Director Glenn Cowen said of the long hours, which since Aug. 19 have been from noon to 9 p.m. Monday through Friday. "People don't realize with marching band how physically and mentally challenging it is."

While Cowen said, "it's not a parade down Main Street," he said students are "so focused."

"They really push each other," he said. "They're here to be part of something bigger than themselves."

Cowen, who oversees the marching, concert and jazz bands, said the long hours are worth it. Last year, the marching unit placed second in the Cavalcade of Bands Open Championships, he said.

This year's theme is "Spellbound," which he describes as a "paraphrase of classic princess" tales in which the princess falls under a spell and needs help breaking free of the spell. 

Parents and the community at large can hear the "rough draft" of this season's marching band during a parent preview event on Aug. 29 at 7 p.m. at Upper Moreland High School's stadium.