Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, 2020 continues to be a year like no other within the Lakeview High School Marching Band. The 99 member band under the direction of Nathan Sensabaugh was scheduled to perform at 10 football games and 5 band nights.

That virus has whittled that schedule down to only 3 football games and 5 band nights – with a twist. The Marching Bulldogs are performing at every scheduled band night at Don Richards stadium all by themselves. On a usual night, the Bulldogs march into the stadium, perform their show, and leave. At the scheduled Lakeview Band Night on August 31st, they marched into the stadium, performed their football pregame show and then their 2020 show…… Emotions. 

Senior Trumpet Player and 3rd-year drum major Noah Mooney is taking it all in stride. “I feel like the solo band nights are ‘Cool’,”  Mooney said. “But in all seriousness, I am extremely grateful for the opportunities being put in front of our band in such a hard time. The fact that we even get to gather is amazing, so getting to put on solo shows for crowds is awesome to me.”

At the first practice of marching season. Mooney wasn’t too sure on how it would go, or what would happen, but he had a sense of hope. “When the marching band started up, I knew that ‘first version’ schedule was subject to so many changes,” Mooney shared. “Somewhere in the back of my mind, I’d say I saw it coming that most would cancel. But based on how we handled everything, I had a feeling there was definitely light at the end of the tunnel.” 

On the other hand, Junior trumpet player Ryan Kurtz his own feelings, “I mean, I definitely had some concern, but I wasn’t worried about it. I like playing at the football games more than band nights, so I wouldn’t have been very upset if they were cancelled.” 

The band has done their very best to work through these hard times not knowing if they would be able to perform in front of a live audience at all. As it has been, each time they have been greeted by a decently large audience who have appreciated the band’s performance. The final band night was September 12th. Now they are on to the next couple of football games and are hoping they continue to put on a great show to a standing crowd at half time!