With the closure of the 2025 Marching Band season this past November came many tears and “cherished memories,” recalls freshman Zoe Doremus. Doremus participated in the band’s colour guard for the past two seasons, as well as the school’s Winter Colour Guard. A widely overlooked activity at Morris Knolls, the colour guard performs alongside the marching band for shows, football games, and more. The guard uses elements of dance, and equipment like flags and (fake) weapons to include visual interpretation to the music that the band is playing.
Following their success in the 2024 season, Knolls’ marching band was ranked fourth in the state at championships, performing their show titled “Fate And Fortune.” The band played music that give a mysterious effect, and the colour guard used elaborate props like crystal balls. The show told a compelling story exploring the highs and lows of fortune. Voice recordings asked questions, and responses resembled those from the iconic Magic 8 Ball. Such as “without a doubt,” “ask again later,” or simply “yes.” Like the story, the music score went up and down through satisfaction and disappointment, and even included an excerpt of “Ode to Joy” by Beethoven.
Although playing an instrument or spinning flags around a football field may not seem so intense from the sidelines, it takes months of preparation and persistence to nail down. Rehearsals occurred twice each week, and once again on the dawn of long Saturdays before competitions and football games. Practices began in the spring and stretched into fall when the season ended.
Regarding his debut season of colour guard, Aiden Raper revealed that the season “started out a bit stressful, but it was totally worth it because I had lots of fun!” In contrast to Raper’s views, 2025 also marked the end of a marching era for the band’s senior members, who were honoured during Senior Night. Many expressed gratitude for the friendships, discipline, and creativity that the marching band brought into their high school experience, and they’re all excited to pass down this tradition to many more students to come.
