By CARLY WANNA, Gazebo Editor

After a football game of music and cheering, a halftime show of more than eight minutes, and hauling all of the equipment back up to the main building, the members of the Spirit of Stratford marching band can free their minds from football until next week’s game.

All except one.

Senior Victoria Brown was recently invited to join the Mercer marching band. Instead of maxing out with participation in one band, she doubles up on her playing time.

Brown is Stratford’s percussion section leader and snare drum player. At Mercer, she plays play mallet instruments (xylophone, marimba, etc.).

She contacted Doug Douden, Mercer’s marching band instructor, and told him she wanted to participate in marching band in college.

“He invited me to come visit just to see what it was like,” she said. “When I went and I saw everything, I really liked it.”

Douden then invited Brown to audition. After demonstrating her percussion skills, the Mercer band instructor officially invited her to participate.

Along with playing at Mercer’s home games, Brown has performed with the band at competition, but not as a part of the percussion section. She stepped away from her mallets to join the color guard for a night.

“Their show is very patriotic. It’s called ‘The Price.’ It’s about World War I. At the end, they run the Air Force flag, the Navy flag, etc. across the back of the field, and I run the Air Force flag. I end up on the 50,” said Brown.

Although she already has one drumstick in the college world, Brown still actively participates in the life of her high school. Along with marching in the Spirit of Stratford band, she plays the role of “Snowball” in the region-winning One Act play, “Animal Farm.”

Brown plans to attend Mercer in the fall and continue her work with the band program.