Written by Kadin Luhmann
There are many elements of a gameday atmosphere. Some popular ones include the likes of tailgating, playing cornhole and worst of all, finding a parking spot. However, what does gameday sound like? Obviously, it's loud as the sound of exuberant fans making their opinions known is a college football staple. In a football game however, the action stops quite frequently. Someone who is unfamiliar with college football would most likely presume that the time in between plays, reviews, and timeouts must be a hush period. Well, that's where we come in!
The Triton Marching Band provides an atmosphere that is almost unimaginable for many junior college schools, all while matching the enthusiasm of the top bands in Division I. We do much more than play the fight song after touchdowns, although the sound of "Tritons Fight On" is a common occurrence inside Dodger Stadium, all thanks to the potent Triton offense. However, the Triton Marching Band also provides the soundtrack to these games by playing shorter, familiar tunes one would hear in between plays at an Iowa or Iowa State game. The band also provides halftime entertainment along with the dance team that will make the people who got up from their seat regret their decision.
Iowa Central had a tremendous 2022 season in football as they went 4-1 at home while winning a bowl game inside the Uni-Dome. A common misconception made about marching bands is that they only play at football games; however, that is not the case and is certainly not for us.
In 2022, we traveled all across the state while performing at multiple parades and contests. On October 1, we pulled double duty as they not only marched in the Algona Band Day Parade, but performed at a follow-up gig as hundreds of people gathered to watch. Many of the onlookers were high school band students, and it wasn't the first or last time we performed for aspiring musicians. Two days prior, the band traveled to South Hamilton High School and played at the end of their showcase. As you can see, the Triton Marching Band travels to many places; however, those performances were not as ambitious as the ones we would take part in a few weeks later.
October 21 was the Triton Marching Band's annual run-out day as we traveled all across central and eastern Iowa to perform at various schools. The evening prior, we left campus and headed towards Altoona, where we would be staying in a hotel. The next day was a quick turn-around as we then performed five or six gigs and ate a great lunch at a casino in Tama.
The Uni-Dome in Cedar Falls was the last place we traveled to before our season ended. The Tritons got a huge victory against Trinity Valley in The Game One Bowl to close out a tremendous season. We ate our last meal of the year at "Peppers" before heading back to campus after a long, but exhilarating season.
To wrap things up, the season for the Triton Marching Band started in August and ended in December. Many things took place in those four months and although it was hard work, we had a tremendous season and most importantly, made memories that will last with us for a lifetime.