Sounds like teen spirit
North Side band marches to Nirvana, Lauper as it gears up for state finals
The beeping of the metronome pulsed through the megaphone like a beating heart.
The consistent beat was being drilled into North Side High School students' heads and feet as they stood at attention with their instruments Wednesday.
On the cue of their instructor, they marched eight steps forward.
Then they marched backward with their heels up, balancing on the balls of their feet. Sometimes the lines ended up straight. Sometimes they didn't.
This marching band practice focused on the basics. In the 47-degree weather, it was a chance for the students to warm up their bodies and get the juice back in their feet.
The straight-line attack was nothing to these students.
Soon they would be practicing their show, "Rock Swings," and taking different sized steps to get to their mark, all while playing music in preparation for Saturday's big event.
North Side is one of nine area marching bands that qualified for the Indiana State School Music Association's finals Saturday at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis.
The others are DeKalb, Heritage Junior-Senior, Norwell, Angola, Concordia Lutheran, Bluffton, Woodlan and Homestead.
The North Side marching band is putting a unique spin on some popular songs. This year's repertoire includes "Ordinary World," by Duran Duran; "Time After Time," by Cyndi Lauper; "Both Sides Now," by Joni Mitchell; and "Smells Like Teen Spirit," by Nirvana.
While these songs would typically fit into the pop, alternative or '80s music genres, North Side is placing them in the jazz category.
"The show itself is really unique because we are mixing genres of music, and it's kind of uniquely us in that jazz is a real big deal at the school, and now we're taking the skills we have in interpreting jazz and putting it on the field," director Ed King said.
North Side has three jazz bands and a large jazz festival every year.
King began as band director at North Side 36 years ago, and this is his 29th appearance at state finals. Schools have upped the ante on their performances, and the shows are much more complicated than when King first began traveling to Indianapolis to compete, he said.
"Now the drill has so much movement to it," King said. "It's just unbelievable, and the variety of tempos that we march at is so demanding. We spent a lot of time trying to get our skills together with the marching element to it."
The oldest students were toddlers when the most recent song in the show, "Ordinary World," by Duran Duran, was released. Many of the seniors were born the year "Smells Like Teen Spirit" was released by Nirvana, while Lauper's and Mitchell's songs predate them by several years.
"I think it's a great show," said Calvin Thomas III, a senior snare drum player. "Last year, I didn't feel like the show had a lot of meaning to it. This year, I felt like everyone could relate to the show, and I think we bring the show out pretty well."
North Side is entering state finals with a first-place win from a regional competition. The students say they are pumped up, and the band hallway is evident of that, with posters wishing the band good luck and photo collages of band members.
"I feel pretty good," said Donald Byrd, senior bass drum player. "Since I'm a senior, it's good that your year you go to state."
ksoderlund@jg.net
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