Five Bellefontaine High School alumni have competed for and obtained spots in the 2017 OSU Marching Band.
Five Bellefontaine High School graduates have been selected as members of the 2017 OSU Marching Band. They are, from the left, Connor Oppy, Adam Verbsky, Marshall Verbsky, Courtney Chervenak and Heather Johnson. (PHOTO | SUBMITTED)
While Bellefontaine and Logan County have several OSU Marching Band alumni, it is thought that this is the most BHS graduates at one time to march with the band.
The members are Connor Oppy, sousaphone, first year; Marshall Verbsky, flugelhorn, first year; Heather Johnson, trumpet, second year; Courtney Chervenak, mellophone, third year; and Adam Verbsky, baritone, third year.
One of only a handful of college bands that still maintain a stringent tryout procedure, the candidates for OSU’s band began conditioning and drill practice in June and then competed with hundreds of candidates in early August for one of 228 spots.
All members, whether veteran or first-year, must try out each year to maintain the quality and work ethic required of membership in this group. All sections have a fixed amount of members to maintain the musical balance enjoyed by the largest all brass and percussion ensemble in the world.
The competition is particularly fierce in the sousaphone section, as they are the lucky members to dot the “i” in Script Ohio.
The band practices 12 hours weekly and learns new drill and music for each home game.
They also perform for several charitable causes, give concerts, and they traveled to Indiana, and also will travel to the Buffalo and Michigan games, as well as possibly the Big Ten Championship and a bowl game.