Soaring To New Heights: The Coosa Eagles Marching Band

Laughter and music filled Coosa High School’s updated football field on Wednesday as the school’s marching band celebrated the end of band camp.

On their last day of practice the students rehearsed their upcoming show on the high school’s new turf, which was installed this summer.

Over the last two weeks, the Coosa High Marching Band has dedicated itself to preparing for the upcoming season with daily practice from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Band director Cody Bray said the students’ dedication is apparent in their performance.

“Kids have put on way more than we thought they would at this point,” Bray said. “We have the full opener done. It was way more than we thought we could accomplish and they pushed through and got it done.”

The band’s show is “Infinite Sky,” a medley of sky-themed pieces representing the band’s identity as the Coosa High Eagles.

“It’s basically us soaring to new heights,” drum major Lucy Bergstrom said. “We’ve had a few rough years in the past so this is like our comeback season.”

The show’s music will feature the high school’s fight song and alma mater, as well as a few widely recognizable pieces. Amanda Waits, the high school’s color guard instructor, said the students are excited for the season because of the music and the show’s theme.

“The audience for us on Friday nights is what gets them really hyped,” Waits said. “The fact that they’re presenting their fight song and their alma mater, and the way their audience is going to respond to that, has made their excitement greater.”

Bray said the show will highlight each section of the band. There will be many solos, and each section will have a moment to stand out during the performance.

“This is our show to represent us,” Bray said. “It’s a lot of high-energy music. It should be exciting.”

The high school band is holding a preview of the show for parents and the community at 6:30 Friday night when the band will perform the show opener on the football field.