It’s not just the end of basketball season, it’s also the end of the nights the Wayne City High School band plays their hearts out on the sidelines. The band brought in five new songs this year, including Paint It Black by The Rolling Stones and Happy Together by The Turtles. Senior night was Friday, February 21, where the band had four seniors being honored including Sydney Jackson, Isaiah Young, Reneki Embry, and Kyle Borah. These four have felt a ton of emotions, ranging from happiness and sadness to relief. Senior night truly is a bitter-sweet time, saying goodbye to that spot in the gym with the student section cheering on the band during halftime. Isaiah Young says, “The last four years of band has been great. I love playing drums with a passion. It’s kind of strange knowing it is my last time, but I’m enjoying every second of it.”

The incoming freshmen were invited to play with the high school band to get a feel for how their next years of band will be. It will be nerve racking sometimes, especially playing the national anthem in front of all the basketball fans at every home game. Three eighth graders stood up to the challenge, fought any nervousness they had, and helped the band support the basketball team into one final victory. For them, it can seem intimidating, but for others it was just a normal Friday night appreciating the seniors.

The band isn’t quite done playing yet, however. The spring concert on April 28 is quickly approaching, and the band has already chosen and begun practicing three songs for the night. Band class is now spending every day practicing to be fully prepared. After the concert, the seniors officially say goodbye to their instruments, and most will put their instruments away for the last time.