This past Tuesday, the Oakmont-Overlook Marching Spartans had their first rehearsal to kick off the 2025-2026 season. Over the summer, the band will slowly prepare for their fall show, Uncaged, until their season picks up with football games and competitions in the fall. The band and staff are particularly excited about this show. When asked about his thoughts, Band Director Kris DeMoura said, “I’m really excited. We have some great pieces to challenge and show off each section. I’m also happy that we’re ahead of schedule in the design process.”
When the show was revealed to the students back in April, it felt different. Usually, the show is revealed in late May, with a mock-up of what the show will sound like. This year, however, DeMoura put together a visual presentation for the band along with the mock-up. Multiple members of the staff also came to see the students’ reactions, which had not happened before.
The story of the show is based on Maya Angelou’s poem, “I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings.” However, the Marching Spartans are portraying this story backwards. Instead of going from freedom to oppression, the band is portraying a story of oppression to freedom. Their story is about perseverance and fighting back.
The first Movement of the show is about isolation and longing. The music includes “My Body is a Cage” by Arcade Fire. There will be props that “cage” the band, leaving them locked away to watch others flying free. Movement 2 is about resistance and struggle. The props will be rattled, symbolizing the struggle against oppressive bars. Music will include classical pieces “Violin Concerto, Op. 14, Mvt 3” by Samuel Barber and “Symphony #4 in C Minor, Op. 43” by Dmitri Shostakovich.
Movement 3 is about uncertainty and emergence. The band has broken free from the cages, but they are now in a world of exhaustion and the unknown. Music includes “Flying” by Cody Fry. The last Movement is about victory and freedom. The music includes “Firebird Suite” by Igor Stravinsky and “Freebird” by Lynyrd Skynyrd. This movement reflects that the band owns the sky, and they are now open to boundless possibilities. They have risen above oppression and are reborn to a life no longer controlled by others.
The Oakmont-Overlook Marching Spartans will begin performing this show for audiences in the fall of 2025 at football games and NESBA competitions. If you are interested in becoming a Marching Spartan, the second rehearsal for the band will be THIS TUESDAY, JUNE 17th, 2025, from 5:30 pm to 8:30 pm. This rehearsal is open to all who are curious as to what the program is like, and we hope to see you there! No prior experience is needed.
