Lennox Oriole Pride Marching Band set to take audiences on a ‘Time Machine’ journey

The Lennox High School Oriole Pride Marching Band has spent much of the summer preparing to take audiences on a journey through time.

The 2026 competition show, titled “Time Machine,” has kept band members busy with an extensive two-week band camp, daily rehearsals and plenty of work learning music, choreography and field movements.

The public will get its first look at the show during the band’s Parent Preview Show on Monday, Aug. 24, at 7:30 p.m. at the Lennox football field.

“This band has been working hard!” said Marching Band Director Ellie Brockmueller. “We finished up band camp in early August and have had daily band practice since then.”

Students have learned all of their movements on the field, memorized their music and choreography, and have begun the detailed process of cleaning and perfecting the show. Guest clinicians from local schools and colleges will also work with the band throughout the season to help “deep clean” the production and further develop its theme.

“Time Machine” tells the story of traveling through time. 

“We’re going to start the show by building a time machine, travel backwards in time to 1936, and then travel to the unknown future,” Brockmueller said. “Al Osborn has once again taken my crazy prop idea and made it a reality, so you’re going to see a giant time machine!”

The production incorporates a variety of musical and visual elements, including swing dancing, aerial silks and the band’s interpretation of what the future might look like.

The musical selections begin with the “Back to the Future Theme” by Alan Silvestri, followed by the timeless swing classic “Sing, Sing, Sing” by Louis Prima.

The show’s ballad features “Time After Time” by Cyndi Lauper and Rob Hyman, portraying the uncertainty of being lost in time. The production then concludes with “Deus Ex Machina” by Randall Standridge, providing what Brockmueller describes as an exciting finale.

The show presents challenges for the performers in every movement.

“The opener is a fast tempo to march and has some difficult drill that we are working on deep cleaning. For our second tune, students have had to learn how to play with a jazz style as well as learn how to swing dance,” said Brockmueller. “Our closer has some difficult rhythms, some tricky percussion parts, and some fast running sections.” 

The Oriole Pride Marching Band will rely on a strong group of student leaders throughout the season.

Senior Duncan Johnson and junior Grant Buhta serve as drum majors, helping keep tempos together while also helping rehearsals run smoothly.

Section leaders that have taken full responsibility of making sure their section has their music and choreography memorized include Olivia Johnson (flute), Reba Schroeder (clarinet), Noah Sitter (saxophone), Emma Snyder (high brass), Wyatt Crichton (low brass), Lukias Johnson (battery), Jacob Carlson (frontline) and Olivia Homan (guard).

The show also features several standout performers.

Ella Ellwein, Buhta and Snyder have solo features, with Snyder performing jazz solos. Crichton and Snyder perform a duet during the ballad, while Sitter has a solo during the closer.

The visual portion of the production will feature a special aerial silk solo by seventh-grader Brooklyn Fodness during the ballad. Natalie Aesoph serves as the Time Traveler dance soloist.

Following the Aug. 24 Parent Preview, the band will perform at halftime of the Orioles’ first football game of the season on Friday, Aug. 28.

The band will also perform at halftime of the Sept. 11 football game, the Sept. 18 Homecoming game, and the Oct. 2 and Oct. 9 football games.

The first competition of the season is scheduled for Saturday, Sept. 12, in Harrisburg, at the first-ever Harrisburg Tiger Marching Invitational.

The competition schedule continues Sept. 19 at the Pursuit of Excellence in Marshall, Minnesota; Sept. 26 at the Big Sioux Review in Brandon; Oct. 3 at the Festival of Bands in Sioux Falls; and Oct. 10 at the Dutchman Field Championships in Orange City, Iowa.

The band will wrap up its performance season with its Indoor Marching Band Concert on Tuesday, Oct. 27, which will feature a dinner and concert.

As they do each year, the students established their own goals for the 2026 season.

This year’s goals are:

1) Everyone has fun and is joyous.

2) Play loud and with a good sound.

3) Stay focused, work hard and try new things.

4) Be good communicators.

5) Earn a standing ovation at a football game and win all of the competitions.

While competition success is one goal, Brockmueller said the students’ experience and enjoyment remain important.

The Lennox Band Boosters will also play an important role in supporting the band throughout the season. Parents and volunteers help with concessions, competition meals, props, trailers and many other behind-the-scenes responsibilities.

“The biggest way to support the band is to enjoy watching our show!” Brockmueller said. “Our Lennox Band Boosters are fundamental to the success of our band program, and the band parents are constantly volunteering with concessions, making competition meals, putting together props, driving trailers, etc.”

Those interested in volunteering or sponsoring the band can find more information through the Lennox band website at lennoxband.weebly.com. The band can also be found on Facebook as The Lennox Bands.

With a giant time machine, swing dancing, aerial silks, jazz, powerful music and a trip from 1936 into the unknown future, the Oriole Pride Marching Band is ready to bring its 2026 production to the field.

Members of the 2026 Oriole Pride Marching Band include the following students:

12th Grade: Allison Schulz (flute), Ariana Poppens (guard), Duncan Johnson (drum major), Jacob Carlson (percussion frontline drumset), Liz Hanisch (flute), Loralei Larry (guard), Maddigan Van Sickle (tenor sax), Noah Sitter (alto sax), Reba Schroeder (clarinet) and Rylee Lottman (guard).

11th Grade: Alaina Klenner, (guard) Alissa Johanson (percussion frontline piano), Blair Bostwick (flute), Brooklyn Seelan (guard), Chase Gervais (percussion snare), Ella Ellwein (guard), Emma Snyder (trumpet), Grant Buhta (drum major), Isaak Booker (alto sax), Keegan Vander Plaats (trumpet), Leo Aesoph (percussion snare), Lily Kezar (clarinet), Lukias Johnson (percussion snare), Olivia Homan (guard), Sierra Wesseling (clarinet), Tayla Washam (guard), Willow Booker (guard) and Wyatt Crichton (baritone).

10th Grade: Chase Hazuka (percussion bass 2), Darek Krohn (mello), Eli Holtz (tuba), Harper Lee (percussion bass 3), Harper Walsh (percussion frontline bass guitar), Jaxson Johnson (percussion frontline aux), Jonathan Weisenbach (trumpet), Karissa Iken (guard), Kodi Scott (tenor sax), Lauren Anacker (baritone), Morgan DeHaan (guard), Natalie Aesoph (guard), Olivia Johnson (flute), Quinten Lunt (clarinet), Ryken Stenzel (bari sax), Sophia Onnen (alto sax) and Zada Storm (alto sax).

9th Grade: Adaleigh Wesselink (mellow), Adalynn Nielson (trumpet), Ashley Dummer (percussion bass 1), Brynlee Green (trumpet), Carly Adney (percussion tenors), Ella Oltmanns (trumpet), Emily Reiser (percussion frontline marimba), Finley Rops (percussion frontline marimba), Hannah Bachmann (baritone), Jake Tysdal (trumpet), Layla Weisenbach (clarinet), Liam Sitter (percussion frontline vibes), Liam Wilson (baritone), Makenna Kitrell (percussion bass 4), Ryan Cech (baritone), Sophia Johnson (alto sax) and Whitney Schmidt (clarinet).

8th Grade: Charlotte Schulz (percussion frontline vibes), Cooper Hewitt (percussion frontline aux), James Kezar (percussion frontline aux) and Sawyer Johnson (alto sax).

7th Grade: Brooklyn Fodness (guard-aerial silks).