Early before the school day starts, high school marching bands and drill teams gather to memorize routines, learning to march forward, backward and sideways in unison.
Students from Carroll, King, Miller, Moody, Ray and Veterans Memorial high schools are preparing to perform their halftime shows Tuesday evening at the Corpus Christi Independent School District’s annual Halftime Showcase.
The free show begins at 7 p.m. Tuesday at Cabaniss Stadium. Gates open at 6 p.m.
The bands began preparing for the season in the summer. Before and after school, they’ve practiced and fine-tuned their routines. They’ve performed during football games, starting with pieces of what will become cohesive shows by the end of the season.
With the band and color guard huddled around after an early morning practice Tuesday, Ray High School band director Felix Hernandez told the students that he believes they’ve made good progress so far and are further along in bringing the full show together than in previous years.