MIHS students are proud to be part of marching band

If there was a big bang theory in the marching band realm, it would surely be occurring at the Mercer Island High School (MIHS) stadium.

Senior center snare drummer and section leader Erika Sutkus said the Islanders aim to strike into the year ultra-strong with heaps of spirit while sporting colorful Hawaiian beach wear during band camp from Aug. 12-16.

About 200 of the 220 members attended the camp, which took place from 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. over the five days, and their enthusiasm is off the charts, said director Kyle Thompson.

“The band is a big, big program, and I’m super proud to be a part of a program that’s this big,” added Sutkus, who began her band journey in fourth grade.

Sutkus and Thompson feel the band is building off the momentum from its epic performance at last fall’s Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York City. Plenty of bonding and learning their playing and marching basics were on the band camp docket as the Islanders began gearing up for their first performance of the year at MIHS’s initial home football game at 7 p.m. on Sept. 13 against Foss.

The contest will take place the night before the University of Washington versus Washington State University Boeing Apple Cup at Lumen Field, and the Wazzu Cougars’ band will join the Islanders for their local show.

“We’re going to be doing a joint performance with them, which is really exciting. Kicking off the year with a huge, awesome event (is) something that’s really special,” said Thompson, who is joined in the directors’ sphere by Parker Bixby and Ume Lindemeier this season.

Also on the agenda for the band this year is playing at the Spokane Lilac Festival and more football games, learning tons of new music and a baseball-themed show and celebrating each other, Thompson and Sutkus said.

Senior drum major Julius Perez has been part of the band program since fifth grade and said they are building marchers and leaders through the no-cut program.

“It’s really remarkable that we’re able to do things like the Macy’s Day Parade. My freshman year we played at the Seahawks opener with Macklemore. To be able to do that as a program that intentionally moves away from auditions and exclusion is really special,” said Perez, who has played clarinet over the years.

It’s been a growing experience for Perez, who’s been developing leadership and listening skills that he hopes to utilize in the political world down the line. The band is sowing the seeds for the future while making an impact in the present day.

Perez noted that the directors are “not building all of us to go off into the world and be musicians, but to be leaders, to be people of integrity.”

Working toward a successful on-field performance can often be a nerve-wracking and challenging experience, said Sutkus, adding that they need to push hard and trust each other to piece all the moving parts together come showtime.

“Do your part so that everybody can kind of come together and work together and become a big band doing the right thing,” she said.

Life lessons abound within the band orbit that Sutkus is quick to explain while watching band camp participants work on their formations.

“What I’ve learned is kind of being able to roll with the punches,” she said. “I think that’s so valuable for anything in the workplace, anything that I’ve seen around school, like in my classes. Learning to adapt is a super important skill that I’ve learned.”

Building a sense of community flowing with kindness, empathy and understanding is of utmost importance to the program, Thompson said. Another key element in the band world is possessing grit through successes and failures, which creates Island pride.

“The music is the common thread. It’s the whole reason why we’re here. So we’re really looking to bring a lot of energy and enthusiasm,” he said.

And when thinking about that music soaring through the air when the band is firing on all cylinders, Thompson nails down his brief, perfect description: “It’s electric.”