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Marching Virginians - The Show Must Go On.. Virtually

The Marching Virginians

Health and safety precautions have already postponed two football games at Virginia Tech, but the team will take the field at Lane Stadium Saturday night.  Those delays have meant another 300-plus students are in limbo.

The Marching Virginians have been more than ready to perform, and plan to bring back a little normalcy this weekend.

Director of Athletic Bands, Polly Middleton, says rehearsals have been split into sectionals with the pandemic, with different groups rehearsing each day. 

“Everything is completely different from what we’re used to doing," she said.  

Middleton says Saturday marks the first time this semester they’ll all play together.

But the traditional halftime show – as well as the band itself – won’t even be in Lane Stadium. Middleton says the Atlantic Coast Conference has prohibited bands from taking the field this fall.

"There’s a great group of band directors in the ACC – and we all talk and compare what we’re all doing – but everybody is doing something different, and a lot of that is because every state has different guidelines that inform what can be safely done," Middleton said.

All performances from the Marching Virginians, who have posted to their blog about current times, will come from English Field, Tech’s baseball field.  They'll be standing six feet apart, with a video feed for the roughly 1,000 fans in Lane Stadium, where attendance is limited to the families of student athletes and coaches. And the band won’t be marching.

Rehearsals and performances still need extra steps to ensure safety.

Credit Jeff Bossert/Radio IQ
Marching Virginian Karen Small shows off her special face mask for playing instruments.

Alto saxophone player Karen Small serves as band executive officer.  She says all wind instrument players are wearing two masks - one covering most of their face, with a small slit for playing.

“But the rest of the mask covers the other particles – essentially – that would be coming out when the instrument is played to therefore keep it safe," she said. "But then, if I need to talk to someone in between us playing, I have a second mask that I cover, so hence, a dual mask kind of system.”

polly_interview.mp3
Jeff Bossert talked with Virginia Tech Director of Athletic Bands Polly Middleton.

Senior and drum major Ashlyn McDonald says she’s just trying to make the best of things.

“Based on how many bands across the country aren’t able to do anything at all, I think most of us are just really excited to be her with our friends and playing music together," she said. “My parents bought season tickets for this year, cause they were planning to go to most games since it’s my last year. But now we’re hoping since we’re in the baseball stadium and they’re recording us, we’re hoping we might get a little more TV time, so hopefully our families can still watch us that way."

Band Director Polly Middleton says she’s proud of her students adapting at to new health standards.

“And they have excelled at making sure that they can be safe to take care of each other," she said. "Take care of the community, make sure we can keep doing what we’re doing."

Like many college students in this strange time, Karen Small says much of her day is confined to her dorm room, taking classes on Zoom.

“But I know you’ll hear from almost everyone in the band will say 5:30 to 7:30 pm is their favorite time of day," she said. "Because that’s when you get to go to rehearsal and see all your friends. And it’s definitely different not having that every day this year, but we definitely count our blessings on days we do get to go and rehearse.”

The Marching Virginians’ first performances of 2020, as part of the Virginia Tech vs. NC State game, are Saturday night. 

Radio IQ is a service of Virginia Tech.

Jeff Bossert is Radio IQ's Morning Edition host.