Schools
In This Football Game, The Brass, Drums and Woodwinds Were the Stars
The Adams and Rochester marching bands came together Friday for a night of football and music.
While the and football teams were on the road, some members of the schools' marching bands shed their uniforms Friday night at the Adams stadium to play their own game.
This was the second year in a row the marching bands came together for an evening of touch football and music.
Tim Nadeau, director of the Rochester Marching Band, said that the bands had always played with each other up until last year when their football teams were no longer matched up in the same conference.
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Playing with one another has always been a great tradition for each school; this touch football game was a way of preserving that tradition.
“This rivalry brings out the best in each of us,” Nadeau said. “Both teams cheer each other on and have a great time.”
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The night started out with performances by both bands and a dual playing of the National Anthem. Each band had a group of musicians on the field playing football while the rest of the band members sat in the bleachers, playing their fight songs and cheering them on as they would at any normal football game.
“We ultimately want to have a real football game between these two schools like we have had the past 40 years,” director Jim Ferden said. “We’re just trying to keep it as close to the real thing as possible.”
Each half was 15 minutes long, and a 30-minute intermission allowed both bands to perform their regular half-time shows.
The bands came together as one at the end of the football game to play two tunes they rehearsed together. Many parents, students and community members attended the musical celebration and were impressed with the talent on the field.
“I think it’s a really neat event and I hope they keep it up,” said Kathi Daniels, mother of an Adams marching band senior. “I’m also excited to see so many fellow students out to support the bands.”
The Adams band members won the touch football game 28 to 7.
“I think it went very, very well. Again we’re trying to explain to the parents and the community how important it is to keep the bands coming together and I think it was very effective tonight,” Ferden said.
