Looking toward the future, band students from Vandeventer and Fowler Middle School experienced first-hand what high school marching band is all about at Friday’s Middle School Night at the football game against Heritage at Toyota Stadium.

“My sister is an eighth grader this year,” sophomore Kayla Pernis said. “Having her at Middle School Night was fun to see, even knowing that she might not continue. I didn’t really get to see her because she was with a different section, but she had a good time. When she and the rest of the middle schoolers performed with us at halftime, I could tell that she was really enjoying herself and getting to know the people around her.”

The joint halftime performance, where current and incoming members performed Imagine Dragons’ “Believer”, was the first in school history, and served to give rising eighth graders especially an idea of what band could look like next year.

“Middle School Night really shows middle schoolers what it’s like to be a part of something bigger than themselves,” junior Natalie Watkins said. “In years past, the middle schoolers were not really involved; they just kind of stood around and were bored. But this year, I noticed that for many, the experience completely changed for them.”

The event is about allowing younger students to glimpse their future if they choose to stick with band throughout high school career.

“I think Middle School Night is important when it comes to deciding to do band in high school or not,” Pernis said. “[Older members] are there to talk them about the decision and our own experiences that we’ve had with band, but to also answer questions they might have about high school in general, or the balance between school and band.”