For its music this year, the Warsaw Community High School Marching Band is going to the gritty, dark underbelly of the city. “The theme this year is ‘While the City Sleeps.’ It’s based on a combination of different themes and ideas. The overall theme is the cityscape at night, but the setting we’re trying to portray is a much darker view of the city,” director Mickey Ratliff said Tuesday afternoon during rehearsals. The show encompasses “dark, gritty” visual ideas from television shows like “Gotham” and “Daredevil” as well as movies like “The Dark Knight” trilogy, he said. He also was inspired by the stage setting of “STOMP” which includes chain-link fences and graffiti on the walls. “So we’ll have a silhouette of the cityscape and different props that represent the city. We’ll perform from those props, on them and around them to get through what we’re trying to get across,” Ratliff continued. Another idea that gave Ratliff the inspiration for this year’s show is the sport of Parkour, where athletes use the environment around them in the city – curbs, buildings, rooftops, etc. – to do gymnastic feats. One of the music pieces for the show is titled “Parkour” by Sam Hazo. Another piece is “City Trees” by Michael Markowski. “We’ve used his music quite a bit. Two years ago, our entire show was based on his music. Last year, about two-thirds of it. He’s a great composer and I like his music and it fits the marching band style,” Ratliff said. The other two pieces, “Harvest” and “Asphalt Cocktail,” are by John Mackey. Ratliff said most of his music is “very dark and aggressive.” Warsaw’s show starts with “Harvest” and ends with “Asphalt Cocktail,” and both pieces have very fast tempos. “City Trees” is the ballad so it’s “slow and pretty,” Ratliff said. Markowski wrote that piece as a lament on missing more of the pastoral setting after he moved to New York. “Parkour” is more funky and groovier like George Clinton and Kool & The Gang, Ratliff said. “It’s not necessarily a pop tune but it has those elements in it,” he said. The marching band is learning all about the music this week and three days next week in band camp. The first public performance of it will be at the first home football game, Aug. 21 versus Columbia City. The rest of the home football schedule is: Sept. 4, versus Plymouth; Sept. 18, versus Northridge; Oct. 2, versus Wawasee; and Oct. 9, versus NorthWood. The first competition for the band is Sept. 12 at Goshen, then every Saturday after that until the end of October, Ratliff said. The dates are Sept. 19, Concord High School; Sept. 26, Penn High School; Oct. 3, Homestead High School; Oct. 10, ISSMA Scholastic State Preliminary, Homestead; and Oct. 24, ISSMA Scholastic State Finals, Lawrence Central High School. Senior Sara Perkins is a drum major, but also is conducting the band this year. “I’m really excited about it,” she said of the music. “It reminds me of my freshman year and how it was really intense. It’s going to be a great show once it’s all put together.” Bass clarinet player and senior Mary McGrath said, “I think it’s really cool. It allows you to take on a dignified character and lets you be strong and powerful.” She said the hardest part was memorizing it and keeping tempo. As for goals for this year, Ratliff said, “We’ve made state finals the last two years in a row since ISSMA created the Scholastic Class. Last year we placed fourth out of 20 bands, so I think making the state finals is a great motivator for students and placing fourth also is a great motivator. For me, too.” He said he wanted to up the ante this year as far as the music he chose for the band to play and the band’s performance. Only 14 seniors were lost last year to graduation, so he said the band is a “real veteran group this year.” As a freshman, flute player Tatum Pace said, “It’s been challenging, like the transition from just sitting down and playing to having to memorize a song and moving, but it’s been fun.” Freshman and alto saxophone player Carly O’Hara said, “It has been difficult with the hot weather and all, but it’s been pretty fun with the people and everything.” In the end, the band’s only competition is with themselves – trying to be better than themselves, trying to be better than their last performance, he said. With the marching band placing high at the state finals the last two years, the Percussion Ensemble making it to state finals and winning a number of years, the Jazz Ensemble being invited to the Elkhart Jazz Festival, the Concert Band doing well, 40 to 50 students earning Gold ratings at the state Solo & Ensemble contest and the color guard doing well, Ratliff said the Warsaw band program has come a long way over the years. It’s growing each year and “I’m really proud of that aspect,” he said. Ratliff said the students over the past few years learned that if they work hard, they will see the results. “The accolades are the reward for all the work they put into it and many of the kids are starting to see that,” he said. Perkins said her goal for the year is just to see everyone perform their best, especially the last performance of the year because that’s the one they will remember most. McGrath said her goal was “to grow as a musical player and become stronger in my musical interpretation. Growing more confident, too.” Pace said, “I wold like to see us get first if possible. I know it is possible, we have a lot of great musicians to help us get there.” O’Hara added, “I would like to see us get in the top again this year, like they did last year.”
