BY KEVIN MCCONLOGUE
Mason Zajac and Coleman Wohlken are ready to fire up crowds again this fall.
Even on a sweltering, almost 90 degree day, the two Lackawanna Trail seniors are out leading the rest of the Marching Lions. The band is preparing its 2021 field show, which will be performed at all of Trail’s football games this season.
Zajac, a trumpet player, and Wholken, a trombone player, are ready to get out and perform once again, especially after the COVID-19 pandemic canceled most performances during the 2020-21 school year.
“Last year, we were only able to perform at home games and all of our competitions were canceled,” Zajac said. “We were able to do the best we could, but this year everyone is going full steam ahead.”
The title of this year’s field show is ‘Like Clockwork’ and will feature three songs: ‘Watching Memories,’ ‘Consistency,’ and ‘Like Clockwork.’ The band started rehearsing the field show at the beginning of July for one day per week. Full week rehearsals started on Monday, Aug. 9. The seniors are really confident in the hard work everyone is putting in.
“This is the place where some of the best musicians in the school can get together and play music,” Wohlken said. “We aren’t the biggest marching band in the world, but we do have a lot of fun every day, and that’s what matters most.”
As practice went on in the practice fields behind Trail High School, marching band assistant director Mason Stiver made sure the students watched their technique when practicing their formations. Getting the formations right can be just as important as the music when presenting a field show.
“This year, we have a young group with a lot of underclassmen,” Stiver said. “The seniors like Mason and Coleman have really stepped up with helping in the formations. There’s some inexperience, but practices have been going extremely well.”
With the Marching Lions being an overall younger band, Wohlken has taken on more of a leadership role during practices, making sure his fellow brass section members are always on the same page in music and technique.
“I want the younger players to take this same type of leadership role after I graduate,” Wohlken said. “Previous seniors always helped me when I wasn’t sure what I was doing and that really helped me grow as a performer.”
Overall, the band is just excited to have a full season, not just for football, but also looks forward to participating in competitions through the Pennsylvania Music Educators Association, as well as a Christmas and Spring concert.
“I just want to have fun,” Zajac said. “Sometimes I think being a smaller band is better because we all become very close and can really focus on music and technique.”
When the Friday night lights get turned on for the season on Aug. 27, there won’t be many people more excited to perform than the Lackawanna Trail Marching Lions.
“It’s going to be exciting, especially for students who didn’t get the full experience last year,” Stiver said. “Their dedication to coming to practice every day shows a lot about their love for music and their character as students.”
