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LET THE MUSIC PLAY: Glenbrook North's marching band relishes being (kinda) back in the 8-to-5 groove

With postponement of the high school football season from fall to spring due to the pandemic, the Glenbrook North marching band finally had the opportunity to perform at a home game as the Spartans took on the Trevians of New Trier in Northbrook Friday.

While the marching band did manage to have a fall season, playing at nursing homes instead of football games, Friday's game was the last chance for the high school's seniors to perform in front of their peers and Spartans fans.

There is one more home game left on the Spartans' schedule, but Friday was the marching band's only performance at a game this season.

Due to COVID-19 restrictions limiting the number of people who can be inside the stadium, and because of students' schedules, around half the marching band was present, including all of the seniors, said marching band director Daniel Briggs.

"We had to wait for football to be a go, and we had to balance it with all the other activities that normally take place in the spring," Briggs said. "So the hard part was just playing the juggling game with these kids' schedules and with what the football schedule was going to end up being."

Senior drum major Zach Torf led the marching band during their performance. He was still dressed in his baseball uniform from a scrimmage that concluded on the adjacent diamond just before the start of the football game.

His uniform was covered with infield dirt from an apparent headfirst slide, and he said he had just enough time to run to his car to change from spikes to sneakers.

Torf took the adjustment from fall to spring in stride.

"I'm just happy to be out here, just the fact that we are all here. We didn't have that in the fall, " Torf said. "It's awesome. I miss these guys."

Prior to kickoff, they performed the national anthem near the edge of the track, then moved to bleachers that had been set up beyond the south end zone. They played at halftime as well.

Briggs said it was good that the marching band was able to do something for the school, and that this year was the year of making things work.

"A lot of these kids made sacrifices so they could do it," Briggs said. "This is just such a part of the high school experience that, without it, it just wouldn't be the same."

  Drum major Zach Torf, left, leads the Glenbrook North High School marching band in his baseball uniform as it performs "The Star-Spangled Banner" before the start of Friday's varsity football game. Joe Lewnard/jlewnard@dailyherald.com
  Members of the Glenbrook North High School marching band play before the start of Friday's varsity football game. Due to COVID restrictions and students' schedules, about half of the band was able to perform. Joe Lewnard/jlewnard@dailyherald.com
  The Glenbrook North High School marching band performs before the start of Friday's varsity football game. So far, this is the only time the band has been able to play for Spartans' fans. Joe Lewnard/jlewnard@dailyherald.com
  Senior Brendan Biernacki plays the sousaphone as the Glenbrook North High School marching band plays before the start of Friday's varsity football game. Joe Lewnard/jlewnard@dailyherald.com
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