The Colony High School Band and Color guard have been the threshold of halftime entertainment since 1990. With the beat of the drums and the ring of the bells, The band holds the spirit of Friday Night Lights at their fingertips.

“Yeah, we bring a lot of energy to the game, and people feel that energy,” Head Band Director Michael Larkin said. “They pick it up from playing and our movement, and I think it’s a super important part of the Friday night.”

The band occupies the far sides of the stand. While they are there to perform for the crowd, another vital element for band is distracting the opposing team by playing loud and upbeat songs called Stands Tunes; or, if it is only the drum line playing, cadences. 

“We play when the football team is on defense,” Junior and Field Commander Olivia Gu said. “We call them stands tunes because we do play them in the stands, and usually they’re pretty popular-old songs or are just kind of groovy. We have a little dance that we do, too.”

Once you hear the tap off from the drum line, the show has just begun. You can find the band lined up in a block on the field after the second quarter ends. A tradition the state of Texas has always done, Larkin added. They perform a routine with the drill team- the Topcats- where they perform a pop song while the Topcats perform in front of them to the crowd.

“Just being there and looking like we’re having fun affects other people [and] makes them much more fun too, you know.” Senior Drum Captain Landon Davis said. “My role as drum captain is pretty much being like the person that taps them off and kind of calls what we play.”

Band and Color guard take the field after the routine is finished, setting up to showcase their marching show for the year. This year, they showcase is Zentangle, a show about abstract art.

With the final product being constantly polished, the band spends hours outside of school rehearsing for these performances. But on Friday Night, it all comes together for the crowd to see.

“It’s the time for the students to shine and have a great performance,” Larkin said. “They feel the benefits of having a good run of the show. And, you know, I feel good about having the students get that opportunity.”

During the show, another visual aspect to capture the audience’s attention is the Color guard. Members perform a mixture of contemporary and ballet dance movements while spinning equipment called flags, rifles or sabres. The Color guard is responsible for the overall visual appeal of the show.

“We make it really hype by dancing around and screaming chants [in the stands].” Senior Color guard Captain Avery Garman, said. “Our performance usually gets pretty hyped too.”

While it all takes a lot of work, the members continue to show their dedication to not only cougar pride, but in their musicianship. Larkin said despite the students having the choice to not attend, their dedication continues to show with each rehearsal they have.

The band and Color guard will perform their first home game show at Tommy Briggs Cougar Stadium on Friday Night during halftime, after Topcats routine to ‘Love Runs Out’ by One Republic. Make sure to be on the lookout and listen up for crowd favorites like ‘Bang Bang’ or ‘Sweet Caroline’.