Cymbals clash. Drums beat with a resounding bang. Flutes trill. And standing in the midst of it all is junior drum major Charlotte Delaney. Ever since she was a freshman, Charlotte has been a part of Bandtasia, but this year will be her first year as a drum major.

“It’s weird [being a drum major],” Charlotte said. “It’s so much fun though, and I enjoy it with a dying passion. I don’t know how else to explain it– like you’re a part of the family but you’re also in charge of your family. So you’re like the mom. I want to be considered the mom, but I’m really not because I’m only a junior. It’s just weird. I’m doing stuff I didn’t think I’d do before.”

As a drum major in Bandtasia, Charlotte has a plethora of responsibilities. A part of the outcome of Bandtasia weighs on her shoulders and the shoulders of her fellow drum majors, senior Sydney Verlinde and junior Addy Kaechele. However, Charlotte wasn’t too worried about how the would perform. In fact, she was more worried about her inherent clumsy-ness than anything else.

“Falling [is my biggest worry],” Charlotte said. “I fall a lot, and there are these ladders that are right on the edge of the stage, and I’m gonna fall. I just know it. I’m really hoping not to fall; that’s my goal.”

However, even with the worry that she’ll fall, Charlotte knows that the band is ready to take on Bandtasia.

“Oh yeah, we’re ready,” Charlotte said. “We still have some tweaking to do on the music, but yeah, everyone’s excited. Everyone should get pumped. It’s going to be good. We’re ready. I’m ready.”

And she’s definitely not the only one that felt this way. Junior trombone player Spencer Buquicchio agreed that he felt the band was ready, but admits that they won’t really know till the dress rehearsal.

“I think we’re ready,” Spencer said, “but we won’t really know for sure until Monday once we get everything set out. But we’ve improved with the music throughout the year which is very good. The trombones are looking good for the suicides. Drumline’s sounding great as always. So yeah, I think we’re ready.”

To make sure they are ready, each member of band must be prepared for each of their unique challenges and thrills. For drumline, that’s fifth quarter; for tenor drums, that’s upside down tenors; and for trombones, that’s trombone suicides.

“Definitely the trombone suicides– that’s the best part for me,” Spencer said. “I don’t know how to describe it. We have a little, choreographed thing that we do with all the trombones that’s kind ofa�� dangerous. So that’s definitely my favorite part because it’s a rush doing it. You don’t know if you’re about to get hit in the back of the head with a slide; you don’t know if you’re going to hit someone. It’s a lot of fun.”

It’s the insanely interesting things like trombone suicides that make Bandtasia such a unique thrill. And it’s those extra enticing parts of Bandtasia that the audience has grown to expect. With this being the new band director’s first Bandtasisa, everyone is excited to see what changes she will bring to the table but hope that their favorite parts will remain.

“I think it will be different in terms of what we do and how we go about stuff,” Charlotte said. “I think that Bandtasia won’t be changed. I think she’ll put a little zest of her own opinions in there, which is good. I think it will be a good show. I think it could be a better show then it’s been in the past two years.”

Despite any changes that may be in Bandtasia, it will still be an amazing performance that both the audience and those participating will enjoy.

“It’s always been a lot of fun,” Spencer said. “It’s high energy. It’s very loud because we’re playing all this marching music in a more confined area. So it’s definitely a lot more “POWa�� for the people in the audience.”