Herriott reflects on friendships made through Mahomet-Seymour Marching Band

BY DANI TIETZ
dani@mahometnews.com

Most of the Mahomet community knows that marching band season is right around the corner when they hear the Mahomet-Seymour High School drumline begin practicing.

It’s a serious role that the drumline members hold in high regard. 

Senior Evan Herriott, who crossed the finish line of the Fiesta Bowl parade on Saturday with pride on his face, was happy to also share the drumline and the Mahomet-Seymour Marching Band’s hard work with the Phoenix community.

“It was really amazing,” Herriott said. “Every time we started the song, they started cheering for us.”

Herriott boarded the bus back to the hotel with blisters on his fingers after playing for nearly an hour-and-a-half, not including warm-up time, on Saturday morning.

“The drumline together was really clean,” he said. “Honestly, for the amount that we march in shows, this was probably one of our best performances and I am very proud of all of them.”

Leading the drumline for the 2019 season meant a lot to Herriott.

“We have a lot of great, great people in the line,” he said. “To be able to lead them and help them get better has been a fantastic journey.”

Herriott grew close to his crew through the countless hours the drumline spends together. Their sectional practices begin weeks before the full band begins its practice, and the group oftentimes arrives before or stays after practice to tighten things up.

“We also hang out and we’re all really good friends,” he said.

“If we weren’t so close it wouldn’t be so fun. I love all the friendships and memories that come with it.”

Seeing pockets of Mahomet-Seymour community members throughout the streets of Phoenix, in the stands at band competitions in Illinois and at home during the football games at Mahomet-Seymour, has meant a lot to Herriott.

“It’s really, really good to see everyone support us,” he said. 

Herriott, who will graduate with the Mahomet-Seymour class of 2020, isn’t ready to lay down his drum sticks, though. He plans to go to Illinois State University and try out for the drumline.

“They have a pretty good line, so it’ll be really fun,” he said.

Starting out as a freshman at M-S on the drumline and ending with the Fiesta Bowl, Herriott learned about the value of being a participant.

“You can’t get this kind of experience anywhere else other than just being involved, he said.”