The North Allegheny Tiger Marching Band has been captivating audiences with lively shows for many years. This year’s show, Anthems On Parade, has continued the band’s legacy of excellence.
Directors Evan Brown and Emily Rickard both worked hard before the season to dream up a show for the band.
“It was a combined effort between us all. We knew we wanted to do something a little bit high energy, faster tempos, and pop punk. That whole emo punk kind of resonates with what we wanted to do,” Brown explained.
All the directors worked to pick songs that would perfectly match the vibe of the show.
“We probably start with a list of like 20 to 30 songs and break it down from there, so it’s a long process,” Rickard said. “It’s just finding artists and bands that fit into what we are looking for. We’re also not picking anything too slow or fast and that’s how it all comes together.”
The band has been practicing since the start of band camp. The directors and band members have trained and rehearsed to amaze audiences during halftime with songs by My Chemical Romance, Blink-182, Jimmy Eat World, and Good Charlotte.
Percussionist Tyler Croyle remarked, “I really like the parade setting on the opener.”
Just like some instrumentalists, even the directors and staff have favorite parts of the show, Brown’s personal favorite part showcasing the percussion section: “It’s right in the middle of the closer, which is based on ‘The Anthem’ by Good Charlotte. The battery comes forward, our dance team and majorettes are staged near them. The majorettes do some flips while there’s advanced choreo going on. It’s just a cool moment for the entire ensemble.”
Just like Evan, members of the drumline, like snare player Liv Harris, love the percussion feature.
“The drum feature really gets the audience excited,” she said.
Multiple members of the band and directors have also brought up “the ripple effect” and other sections that really pull the show together.
Flute player Sally Horton said, “I like the way we first march on the field during the follow the leader segment.”
But even the award-winning band has their challenges.
“Last year, the fastest song we did at halftime was in the 160 BPM range. This year we bumped it up to 172. That’s a big change. So by getting our feet moving at that speed and just having the energy and stamina, we definitely challenged our students this year,” Rickard explained.
Despite the inevitable challenges, the NA Tiger Marching Band has put on fabulous Friday night shows all season and looks forward to performing at the WPIAL football championship at Pine-Richland High School this Saturday.
