The CB South Marching Titans stood on the field at 8:15 PM on Saturday, October 5, ready to perform in front of the crowd at their Sights and Sounds home show. In the pit was Julia Schofield, a sophomore synthesizer player enjoying her first home show experience.

The Sights and Sounds home show is a marching band competition hosted by CB South. Many different high school bands from throughout the region come to compete in this all-day event.

The competition holds a great deal of sentimental value to marching band members.

“It’s the biggest marching band event of the year,” Julia explained.

Even though nationals are technically a bigger deal, she says that “the home show is bigger to the people at band. It’s a tradition that everyone gets super hyped up for. We get lots of food before and we all chill together. We watch old marching band performances and think about memories. Everyone looks forward to the home show, and it’s really sad when it’s over.”

Julia’s home show experience started early in the day, as the band arrived at 11:30 AM. After practicing their show and enjoying food and the company of her fellow band members, it came time to perform.

This year, the marching band’s theme was Suite!, a candy themed march.

“It’s a play on the word ‘suite,’ it sounds like ‘sweet.’ The idea is that we’re dropped in a candy forest and don’t know where we are. The drumline is bowing down to the color guard in the beginning,” Julia said. “The band is having fun in the forest but then the trees get covered up with taffy, which is a bad omen. There’s a darker tone in the music, but then the trees are uncovered so it ends on a happy note. It’s an interesting show.”

Even after all the bands were done performing, the night wasn’t over yet. In celebratory spirit, the marching band members gathered at iHop after the show, a long-time tradition.

“We take up half the iHop,” Julia recounted. “I arrived late to the iHop, so it was really crowded when I got there. It was really loud. I ended up having to grab a chair that was suspiciously off to the side and really rickety just to sit with everyone.”

Julia remembers her first home show experience fondly, especially the time she spent with her friends.

“Overall, it was really fun and kind of crazy,” she said.

The Sights and Sounds home show is a night of tradition and fun for the marching band, a night where fond memories are made. Congratulations to the Marching Titans on another successful home show!