PennLive showcases Harrisburg-area high school marching bands and this week features the Cumberland Valley High School Marching Band. See the gallery below.
Cumberland Valley has the largest high school band in the area that PennLive has photographed. It is directed by David Porter. He answered the following questions:
How many members are in your band? This year we have 98.
Describe your halftime show. The title is “Adventure is Calling,” and is about It’s about imagining an adventurous trip through the jungle. We use music from “Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle,” “Jungle Cruise,” and “The Jungle Book.”
Does your band have any traditions? Examples: do you play a particular song after a touchdown? Do you have a “spirit song”? Every time our team scores we play “The Victors,” which also happens to be the fight song for the University of Michigan. We also have several songs we play from the stands every year, including “25 or 6 to 4,” “The Horse,” and “Low Rider.”
Is there a favorite song the crowd likes most? Our crowd seems to appreciate the classics we play each year the most.
How do you engage the fans during a game? We play full tunes during timeouts, but we will also play repeated “shorties” for things like 3rd down, a new 1st down, a great play, and things like that.
Cumberland Valley High School’s 2022 Marching Band performs for family in Mechanicsburg, Pa., Aug. 18, 2022.
Mark Pynes | pennlive.com
Cumberland Valley High School’s 2022 Marching Band performs for family in Mechanicsburg, Pa., Aug. 18, 2022.
Mark Pynes | pennlive.com
Cumberland Valley High School’s 2022 Marching Band performs for family in Mechanicsburg, Pa., Aug. 18, 2022.
Mark Pynes | pennlive.com
Cumberland Valley High School’s 2022 Marching Band performs for family in Mechanicsburg, Pa., Aug. 18, 2022.
Mark Pynes | pennlive.com
Cumberland Valley High School’s 2022 Marching Band performs for family in Mechanicsburg, Pa., Aug. 18, 2022.
Mark Pynes | pennlive.com
Cumberland Valley High School’s 2022 Marching Band performs for family in Mechanicsburg, Pa., Aug. 18, 2022.
Mark Pynes | pennlive.com
Cumberland Valley High School’s 2022 Marching Band performs for family in Mechanicsburg, Pa., Aug. 18, 2022.
Mark Pynes | pennlive.com
Cumberland Valley High School’s 2022 Marching Band performs for family in Mechanicsburg, Pa., Aug. 18, 2022.
Mark Pynes | pennlive.com
Cumberland Valley High School’s 2022 Marching Band performs for family in Mechanicsburg, Pa., Aug. 18, 2022.
Mark Pynes | pennlive.com
Cumberland Valley High School’s 2022 Marching Band performs for family in Mechanicsburg, Pa., Aug. 18, 2022.
Mark Pynes | pennlive.com
Cumberland Valley High School’s 2022 Marching Band performs for family in Mechanicsburg, Pa., Aug. 18, 2022.
Mark Pynes | pennlive.com
Cumberland Valley High School’s 2022 Marching Band performs for family in Mechanicsburg, Pa., Aug. 18, 2022.
Mark Pynes | pennlive.com
Cumberland Valley High School’s 2022 Marching Band performs for family in Mechanicsburg, Pa., Aug. 18, 2022.
Mark Pynes | pennlive.com
Cumberland Valley High School’s 2022 Marching Band performs for family in Mechanicsburg, Pa., Aug. 18, 2022.
Mark Pynes | pennlive.com
Cumberland Valley High School’s 2022 Marching Band performs for family in Mechanicsburg, Pa., Aug. 18, 2022.
Mark Pynes | pennlive.com
Cumberland Valley High School’s 2022 Marching Band performs for family in Mechanicsburg, Pa., Aug. 18, 2022.
Mark Pynes | pennlive.com
Cumberland Valley High School’s 2022 Marching Band performs for family in Mechanicsburg, Pa., Aug. 18, 2022.
Mark Pynes | pennlive.com
Cumberland Valley High School’s 2022 Marching Band performs for family in Mechanicsburg, Pa., Aug. 18, 2022.
Mark Pynes | pennlive.com
Cumberland Valley High School’s 2022 Marching Band performs for family in Mechanicsburg, Pa., Aug. 18, 2022.
Mark Pynes | pennlive.com
Cumberland Valley High School’s 2022 Marching Band performs for family in Mechanicsburg, Pa., Aug. 18, 2022.
Mark Pynes | pennlive.com
Cumberland Valley High School’s 2022 Marching Band performs for family in Mechanicsburg, Pa., Aug. 18, 2022.
Mark Pynes | pennlive.com
Cumberland Valley High School’s 2022 Marching Band performs for family in Mechanicsburg, Pa., Aug. 18, 2022.
Mark Pynes | pennlive.com
Cumberland Valley High School’s 2022 Marching Band performs for family in Mechanicsburg, Pa., Aug. 18, 2022.
Mark Pynes | pennlive.com
Cumberland Valley High School’s 2022 Marching Band performs for family in Mechanicsburg, Pa., Aug. 18, 2022.
Mark Pynes | pennlive.com
Cumberland Valley High School’s 2022 Marching Band performs for family in Mechanicsburg, Pa., Aug. 18, 2022.
Mark Pynes | pennlive.com
Cumberland Valley High School’s 2022 Marching Band performs for family in Mechanicsburg, Pa., Aug. 18, 2022.
Mark Pynes | pennlive.com
Cumberland Valley High School’s 2022 Marching Band performs for family in Mechanicsburg, Pa., Aug. 18, 2022.
Mark Pynes | pennlive.com
What is the most challenging part of being in a marching band? Learning how to do ALL the things at one time: play the music, memorize the music, learn the choreography, memorize the choreography, and try not to be hit or get hit by someone or something else.
Does your band take part in competitions? If so, which ones and what is your theme? Yes, we compete on the Cavalcade of Bands circuit. We are scheduled to compete at 5 local shows this year, in addition to our own home show, Echoes in the Valley, on Saturday, 10/29, and Cavalcade Championships, the weekend of November 12-13.
What sort of fundraisers does your band do? I think we’ve tried most of them. The annual biggies are hosting a marching band show as well as a winter color guard & percussion show, as well as selling R&K subs, Krispy Kremes, and other food items.
What is the furthest your band has ever traveled? San Diego, CA, for the Holiday Bowl in 2006 was probably the furthest our band has traveled.
Have you ever marched in the Macy’s Thanksgiving parade? If not, do you want to? To my knowledge, our band has not participated in this parade. It would be an honor to be selected to participate in this performance!
What is another marching band or drum corps you’re a fan of? We’re fans of ALL the high school bands in our area! Yes, we compete against some of them, but we’re all “band kids” and we’re there to support each other. We’ve had several alumni participate in Bluecoats (Canton, OH), Carolina Crown (Ft. Mill, SC), Blue Stars (Eau Claire, WI), and Phantom Regiment (Rockford, IL)
How does your band honor seniors? Our seniors participate in Senior Night, where they get escorted down the 50 yd line with their families. They also receive a “banner” which includes a print of their senior band picture. These banners get hung on the fence in front of us in the stadium, but the students get to keep them if they wish.
What section do you struggle to fill? It’s a pendulum. When I first came on board in 2008, we had difficulty filling the color guard. In the last couple of years, we could’ve benefited from more students participating in the pit, or front ensemble.
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