Band festival is showcase for hard work

Marching band is among the activities that Perryville High School would have to cut should there be no tax increase in November, and that would be as tragic as losing anything else.

Band members are unsung heroes who need not take a back seat to athletes. Just like football players, band members practice in the summer heat. They get up early and stay late for practices.

And athletic events aren't the same without them. When the band belts out the school song, even the most unemotional alumnus must pause and reflect.

The Jackson Marching Band Festival gives band members in our area an opportunity to shine uninterrupted by other activities.

And it gives fans of their music the opportunity to hear the results of all those early and late practices.

Their heads held high, their instruments raised proudly, these musicians crowded the streets of Jackson for the 57th annual event last week.

If we're lucky, they will continue to do so for many, many more years.