As the Pep Band begins to play, students who have come to support Lexington High School in a sporting event come alive, uniting the bleachers in excitement.
The LHS Pep Band is a program built on energy, teamwork, and responsibility. Its main purpose is to bring excitement to football games and events by performing music that engages the crowd and supports the LHS football team. Members learn how to play confidently in a loud and fast-paced environment while also building important skills like rhythm, coordination, and communication. Beyond performing, the Pep Band helps create a sense of community at LHS by uniting students, athletes, and fans through music.
“There’s a lot of students, many more than we expected, who were very interested in being at LHS sporting events. Sports is a big deal at LHS, and it shouldn’t have come as such a surprise to me that our music students were excited to get involved in that culture,” Justin Armati, a co-instructor of the Pep Band, said.
The Pep Band is open to any student who plays an instrument and is part of the LHS band program.
“As a completely voluntary group, students can participate in one, a few, or all of the home games we perform at,” Garrett Wallace, another co-instructor of the Pep Band, said.
This openness makes the program accessible to busy students who still want to support the school and enjoy performing. The Pep Band creates a relaxed environment where students can focus on having fun, improving their musical skills, and contributing to school music programs at their own pace. This structure helps the program grow while creating a positive experience for those involved.
The Pep Band program adopted these policies a few years ago when, after the pandemic, teachers were unsure whether students would decide to participate again. The program became a popular activity for band students to partake in, and the Pep Band has been supporting LHS by playing at football games ever since.
Students in this program do not have set practice times. However, in the first weeks of the school year, band classes devote a day to sightreading the music and getting a taste for what the material will be like.
“I’m proud to be able to say, our students are very talented and skilled, and so they’re able to pick up the music very quickly and play it well,” Aramati said.
An exciting milestone for the band was its performance at Fenway Park this November. Playing at Fenway was not just exciting; it allowed students to experience what it feels like to represent their school in a major venue. It also strengthened the bond between members as they worked as a team, traveled together, and shared the pride of performing on such a big stage.
“I’m so grateful to athletics for giving us the opportunity. It’s been wonderful,” Aramati said.
With its flexible setup and special experiences like performing at Fenway Park, the program lets students make great memories while doing something they enjoy.
“[The events] provide good opportunities for a lot of people to come together,” Jayden Huang, a junior and member of the Pep Band, said.
