11th annual GBAPS Marching Band Showcase

Janelle Fisher

Students from Green Bay’s East, Preble, West and Southwest High Schools came together Saturday, Oct. 5, to perform in the 11th annual GBAPS Marching Band Showcase.

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Green Bay Southwest’s performance was focused on all things paranormal, incorporating spooky music and choreography. “We wanted to get into the kind of performance that the colleges do,” said Southwest Drum Major Addison Wendt.

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“My favorite thing [about the showcase] is that we get all four bands together and we all have one thing in common,” said Wendt. “It’s so great when we go to eat lunch and we’re talking with everybody because we all kind of know each other, even though we’re all strangers."

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Green Bay Preble’s performance was based on the Netflix series Stranger Things. “We picked that show because there’s a lot of fun music that the students enjoy,” said Preble Drum Major McKian Haney.

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The beauty of the Marching Band Showcase, Haney said, is bringing students together for a common goal. "“We all represent different schools, but we’re all doing the same thing,” Haney said.

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Green Bay East invited the audience to enjoy a day in the sun. “We chose it because it was really bright and summer just ended, but we wanted it to keep going,” said East Drum Major Abbey Edgar.

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Because not every GBAPS school will play each other during the football season, the Marching Band Showcase ensures each school will get to see each other's halftime performances. “I think it’s really fun to meet all the people here,” Edgar said. “I have a lot of friends that I don’t usually get to see except for during the showcase.”

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Green Bay West performed a Guardians of the Galaxy-themed show this year, incorporating music from the hit movie’s soundtrack. “I think of Guardians of the Galaxy as a team of misfits that join together to inevitably save the world,” said West Drum Major Audra Gabrielson. “We wanted to bring that family into our band.”

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The Marching Band Showcase also provides an opportunity for students to learn from one another. “Everybody has their own way and how they want their marching show to go, so it’s kind of cool to see how each director wants their show to turn out,” said West Drum Major Rileigh Zelzer.

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Posted Tuesday, October 15, 2024 7:00 am

Students from Green Bay’s East, Preble, West and Southwest High Schools came together Saturday, Oct. 5, to perform in the 11th annual GBAPS Marching Band Showcase. After performing their individual halftime shows, students from all four schools, joined by the UW-Oshkosh Marching Band, came together to perform Coldplay’s “Viva la Vida.” With that many students on the field, Southwest Drum Major Addison Wendt said, “It’s kind of like a feeling in your soul when you’re all playing together.”