(WCMH)– Its a battle of the big bands. With nearly 200 members each, you know when the Marysville Monarchs and the Dublin Jerome Celts take the field.

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“Our sound is so big,” explained DJHS band president Riley Hoover. “We’re able to do so much with it. I think we’re successful in that sense because of our dynamics. We’re able to get so loud, but also because just watching [us play] is fun.”

“We have a series of traditions that we like to do. We take pride in the quality of music in which we make, and also we like to have a lot of fun as a group,” MHS head field commander Matthew Curie added.

Their shows are fun, but it takes a lot of discipline and countless hours of hard work leading up to the season to get there, and year after year these award-winning bands reap the benefits.

“A lot of us like to go on to college marching bands. We have people in OU’s marching band. Some people go to OSU,” Curie stated. “I like to think some of that excellence starts here [at Marysville].”

“Something special [about the DJHS band] is that we don’t have any alternates. Every member has their own special job, which means that everybody is included and everyone is important,” said Hoover.