Metro Detroit marching bands are playing an incredible variety of songs this fall.
We put out a call to marching band students, directors, parents, and alumni at the start of the school year asking about their bands, and we got a massive response. As of today, more than 450 people have shared details about their marching band season, including details on what they're practicing and playing. Below is a breakdown of the set lists from across the region. Thank you to everyone for sharing, and keep us updated on your season here.
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What's clear from the lists is band directors can invest a great deal of thought into their programs. Like what we heard from Troy marching band supporters and how director Brian Nutting selected "Carved in Stone" theme for this season's performance.
""This year's show was inspired by the Earth, Wind and Fire tune 'In the Stone,'" Nutting said in a submission to ClickOnDetroit. "The opening lyrics summarize our message – 'I found that love provides the key, Unlocks the heart and souls of you and me, Love will love to sing your song, Love is written in the stone.' So, finding strength, hope and love from within as inspired by friendship and unity would best sum it up … everything the (Troy Colt Marching Band) represents."
We saw equal attention to detail across many bands. which played a mix of challenging and crowd-pleasing pieces spanning generations. Musical selections ranged from contemporary featuring the likes of Katy Perry and Bruno Mars, to classical Russian pieces and jazz.
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The L'Anse Creuse Marching Lancers are performing a "Day of the Dead" show this year featuring a variety of Mexican tunes, including "Diego's Goodbye" and "La Llorna," all arranged by band director Russell Hilton.
Warren Woods-Tower is playing "Burn" from the hit musical Hamilton as part of its "fire" theme, while Walled Lake Northern spans generations with its "Decades" show, including songs from the Beach Boys and Soulja Boy. Rochester Adams plays the Star Wars main theme song in its collection of John Williams movie tunes.
Riverview Community School District's Marching Pirates are performing songs from the movie "Nightmare Before Christmas" under the direction of William Beson and Jessi Walsh. They picked the difficult pieces to feature percussion solos and several sections of the band, including low brass.
The most popular artist in the list? Elvis still reigns. Two schools are doing entire shows dedicated to the King of Rock and Roll, while other schools fold in his songs.
Here's a look at set lists sent into ClickOnDetroit as part of our Friday Football Frenzy search for the most passionate marching band in Metro Detroit.
Are you in a band? We'd love to hear how your season is going, including updates on competitions. Fill out our form here.
Marching Band Set Lists
Waterford Kettering: 'Jazz Fever Show' featuring "Malaguena," "Fever,""Novus" and "Get It On."
Anchor Bay: It's an all-Elvis show opening with "Can't Help Falling in Love," then a medley of Burning Love/Heartbreak Hotel, "Hound Dog/Love Me Tender/Jailhouse Rock, and closing with "Can't Help Falling in Love."
Troy: The theme is "carved in stone." Songs include: "Papa Was a Rolling Stone," "Turn to Stone," "Loves Me Like A Rock," "Stone Soul Picnic," and "In the Stone."
Holly Marching Band: Songs from Santana.
Lincoln Park: "Iron Man," "Make Me Smile," "Bohemian Rhapdsody," "Rock and Roll All Night."
Howell: Songs by The Who, including "Who Are You?" and "Pinball Wizard."
L'Anse Creuse Marching Lancers: The theme is "Day of the Dead," including: "Diego's Goodbye," "El Salón Mexico," "Romance Anonimo," "I Want to Spend My Lifetime Loving You," "La Llorona."
Stevenson: Friends theme including the "Friends" theme song, "You've Got a Friend in Me" (Toy Story), "Never Had A Friend Like Me" (Aladdin), "With A Little Help from My Friends" (The Beatles), "Lean On Me."
Walled Lake Northern: The show called "Decades" includes: "I Get Around," "Funkytown," "Call Me," "Walking On Sunshine," "What is Love," "Crank That," "Da Dip," "I Like to Move It," "Sorry," and "Fireball."
Macomb Dakota: NFL theme song, "Thriller," "Bad Romance."
Fitzgerald Marching Band: "Crazy In Love" (Beyonce), "I Gotta Feeling" (Black-eyed Peas), "The Lazy Song" (Bruno Mars), and "Dark Horse" (Katy Perry).
L'Anse Creuse North: Theme is "Shadow."
Warren Woods-Tower: Fire-themed show including: "Light My Fire" (The Doors), "Light 'Em Up" (Fallout Boy), "Burn" (Hamilton), and a mashup of "Phoenix" by Fallout Boy and "Firebird Suite."
Saline: "R-E-S-P-E-C-T," "Sir Duke," and "Tears of a Clown."
Bloomfield Hills: "Don't Stop Believing"
Dearborn: All-Elvis show including: "Can't Help Falling in Love," "Burning Love/CC Rider," "Hound Dog/Love Me Tender/Jailhouse Rock," and "Can't Help Falling in Love."
Romeo: Santana, "Oye Como Va,"and "Black Magic Woman."
Chelsea: "Hotel California," "Birds is the Word," and other '70s hits.
Crestwood: "All That Jazz" and "Dignity."
Farmington Harrison: Their show is called "Chronometry" featuring "Black Dog," "Happy," "Kashmir," "Skyfall," "Soul-Bossa-Nov," "Uptown Funk," "Final Countdown," "Eat Em Up," "Let's Go Hawks," and "On Broadway."
Trenton: "Over the Rainbow"
Lake Shore Marching Band: It's a Ray Charles show featuring "What I Say," "America the Beautiful," "Georgia" and "Hit the Road."
Riverview: Three songs from "The Nightmare Before Christmas."
Belleville: Selection from Russian composers, including the "1812 Overture" and "Russian Sailor Dance."
Avondale: "I Dreamed A Dream," "Enter Sandman," "Fever," "Peggy Lee," and "Dream On."
Brighton: "In the Stone" (Earth, Wind and Fire), "Sweet Caroline" (Neil Diamond), "I Saw Her Standing There" (The Beatles), "Hey Baby" (Tom Wallace), "Take On Me," "We Built this City," "Shut Up and Dance," "Lips are Movin'," and "Uma Thurman."
Ferndale: Our intro is called dots to lines that our instructor wrote, the 2nd movement is timepiece by Cindy McTee, the 3rd movement is Noisy Wheels of Joy by Eric Whitacre, the 4th movement is Hymn of Axicom by Vienna Tenget, and the 5th movement is fly to paradise by Eric Whitacre.
Birmingham Seaholm: "Dancing in the Streets," and "Cupid Shuffle."
Rochester Adams: The music of John Williams, including the main theme from "Star Wars," exceprts from "E.T.," "Juraissic Park," "Raiders of the Lost Ark," and others.
Romulus: A Prince theme with songs including "Let's Go Crazy," "1999" and "When Doves Cry."
Richmond: Hits from Queen including "Crazy Little Thing Called Love," "Bohemian Rhapdsody," and "We Are the Champions."
Monroe: "My Songs Know What They Did in the Dark (Light Em' Up)" by Fall Out Boy, "Green Onions" by Booker T. & the M.G.'s, "Viva La Vida," Coldplay, and "Saturday Nights Alright (For Fighting)" by Elton John.
Fraser: A dance mix show including "We Found Love," "On the Floor," and "Americano."
Rochester: A "Royals" theme includes: Prince's "Let's Go Crazy," Queen and David Bowie's "Under Pressure," Aretha Franklin's "Respect," Michael Jackson's "Thriller," "Beat It" and "Billie Jean," and Elvis Presley's "Hound Dog," "Love Me Tender" and "Jailhouse Rock."