The Marching Band has been rolling along in their traditional eight steps to five yards walk, but it takes a special kind of talent to coordinate the movements of nearly 250 highly trained students.

The marching band recently received the highest possible score at the state festival, which features band competitions from all across the state where every aspect of the performance is scrutinized in great detail.

The band received a “one” out of one on the competitions for performance, and music. This puts them on track to make honor band by additionally receiving a “one” in the spring competitions.

Giving the entire band marching orders is a difficult task. With such a large team commanding them can be difficult but senior band captain Alice Fuller said that everything comes down to determination, and repetition.

“During marching band season we get maybe a day off a week, and 14 hour practices,” said Fuller.

Band practice starts three weeks before the beginning of summer. In the summer band members have to cart out their instruments and roll out of bed when most would still be asleep. It might start to get brutal in the summer but it hardly takes a break till the next one. The dedication is even more prevalent in the captains.

“I was there at six setting up and we were starting at five o’clock that day,” said Fuller.

Like any sport, the marching band, gives it there all when ever they can balancing school work and practice.

With all that they give to the band, which requires stamina and careful planing, the captains of the West Springfield Marching Band have brought home 12th in the national competition this past spring, scoring a 92 in what they consider their most important competition.

“We came in second to last the year before, but a 92 is good,” said Fuller.