The Gulf Breeze High School Soundwave Band is back with a new halftime show after their year-long hiatus due to the Coronavirus. 

   This year, their show is called “Defiant Heart”, a 5-minute-long piece that is modeled after the band’s own struggles in the face of COVID-19. 

   “It’s been kind of difficult because we had to teach the freshman and the sophomores to march this year,” senior Joey Setser says. “So, it’s been kind of repetitive, but not really less fun.” 

   According to Setser, it’s very different from two years ago, when he was a sophomore. They were doing a 12-minute-long halftime show regularly (called Land Among the Stars), while this new year has made it difficult to even finalize the five minutes of “Defiant Heart.” 

   They are building their routine slowly, making it longer and longer for each halftime show they perform.

   The name of the show comes from doing a new show in the face of their past struggles, and their defiance as a band as they “stick with it,” says Setser.

   The band still enjoys fun traditions, like having the seniors give the freshman a gift after their first home game. Fun gifts included Beyblades, toddler drum kits, Reese’s pieces, and even a box of frozen fish sticks.

   “It’s been a really fun experience, especially as a freshman,” says Clayton Sumrall. “I really like being in Front Ensemble; it’s the best.”

   “Basically what didn’t happen last year, we’re making up for this year. Like the freshman I didn’t know last year, I know as sophomores,” says Setser.

   The Gulf Breeze Color Guard joins them in sparkly yellow outfits, waving their flags high. Th performance looks better and better each time, and by the end of the season we’ll all be watching the Gulf Breeze Soundwave Band and the Gulf Breeze Color Guard move around the field in awe.