By Hannah Brough ’18, Staff Writer

The Pride of the Valley has certainly earned the right to its name.

The 125 Lebanon Valley College students who make up this season’s marching ensemble have a long legacy of excellence to follow. Though a smaller group than in past years, the band’s size alone is impressive according to Dr. Christopher Heffner, Associate Professor of Music and Director of Bands.

“We’re about 8 percent of college enrollment,” Heffner said. “It’s ridiculously large for any school. There are no schools of this size that have marching bands this size. It just doesn’t happen.”

Heffner also said that this year, like every other, has presented its own challenges. Still, it would seem that the band has matched past seasons in music and marching quite brilliantly. However, living up to such a precedent is no easy task.

The Pride of the Valley begins work on the field show before classes even begin. They arrive on campus in advance to participate in band camp, where the marching is learned and the music is refined. Five days are spent working muscles both mentally and physically.

This workload continues throughout the semester. Three hours a week are dedicated to formal rehearsal on top of private practice sessions. On Saturdays when the football team plays at home, the Pride of the Valley dedicates almost the entire day to performing.

While this seems like a lot of work for not much reward, those involved with the band would disagree. Junior Music Education major Gabrielle Giarratano credits her involvement in the band to her numerous friends and ability to prioritize.

“It helps me manage my time better actually because it takes more time out of my day,” Giarratano said. “You also make a lot of friends.”

Giarratano also said that though she only joined band because her mother wanted her to get involved, she loves being in band now.

“I wouldn’t rather be doing anything else,” Giarratano said.

The benefits don’t just stop with the students. Heffner also finds the experience rewarding as he gets to meet a varied mix of students.

“The rewarding part is being able to kind of interact with people of all majors and of all disciplines from the college,” Heffner said. “I mean that’s a lot of fun. I get to kind of hear what’s going on in other parts of campus.”

Both the hard work and the fun don’t go unseen. Heffner feels that both the athletic department and the college’s administration value the band’s participation.

“I know that it doesn’t go unnoticed,” Heffner said.

The Pride of the Valley debuted this season’s field show “Rhapsody” in September. It featured music from George Gershwin, Sergei Rachmaninoff and Queen as well as several student soloists. They were also heard playing several recognizable standard tunes, chants and cadences to cheer on the Dutchmen football team.

The Pride of the Valley will perform again Oct. 1 when the Dutchmen take on Delaware Valley at 1 p.m.