Brendan Rodgers recently declare his divorce….

Despite the heat, the show goes on for bands and other teams across the Tri-State.

As the start of the 2024 school year quickly approaches, the Green Brigade out of North High School is looking to repeat some of the success they saw in 2023.

To do so, they know as good as anybody how much work that takes, including coming out and practicing on days as hot as Monday.

Band Director Noah Farmer has his kids rotating between working inside and out.

He says getting out and practicing on the asphalt during this time of the year is crucial to their success on the back end, especially if they’d like to repeat as Indiana State Champions.

 

“Really, a third of our season happens this month,” says Farmer, “and it’s grueling, but through the heat and the hard work they learn, I think, the team work that will carry them through the entire season.”

With heat indexes in the triple digits, parents like Susanne Quinn take great care to make sure their kids are ready to go.

“Lots of sunscreen. Lots of water. Like, I prep my daughter two months out, only water. Water, water, water,” she says.

Not blind to the elements, having formerly stood in their shoes both literally and figuratively, Farmer says now more than ever people are really paying attention to what’s best practice to keep kids safe.

“We make sure, obviously, that we have water breaks every 20 to 30 minutes or so. We do a lot of conditioning in terms of dance training, and in that, they are prepared for how to stretch before and after, how to warm up, how to warm down,” he says, “and we’ve actually had some sports professionals come in and work with the kids and talk to the kids about how to prepare for injuries and prevention and stuff like that.”

While being out in the heat is something most of us can agree is uncomfortable, it’s the potential payout that keeps the kids and the adults coming back for more.

“Knowing what they go through,” says Quinn. “They don’t sit down. They do what they need to do, and last year proved it. Will they get first again? Who knows, but they’re trying.”

Through the heat, the band will continue practicing up until the start of school.

Once it begins, they’ll continue practicing and performing throughout the year, hoping to once again land a bid at the state finals.