Preparing to Make a Mighty Sound

At the University of Maryland, the football team isn't the only squad preparing for the upcoming season. The school's marching band, known as the Mighty Sound of Maryland, wrapped up its annual camp Saturday night with the last of its three daily rehearsals on the College Park campus.

As the sun began to set, the three drum majors pulled out green glow sticks to guide the 250 band members through the practice on Chapel Field. The grassy area sits between the school's Memorial Chapel and Route 1, where the only light comes from lampposts along nearby pathways.

The band performs at every home game and travels to at least one away game each season. The home opener against James Madison University is Sept. 12.

The band has been planning this season's music since February, director Rick Sparks said.

"I give them ownership, since they will be the ones performing on the field," he said.

Sparks, who is in his 26th year at the university, said that music majors aren't the only ones in the band. About a third of the members are engineering majors, and the rest are from a variety of academic backgrounds.

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