NEGAUNEE, Mich. (WJMN) – Iron runs through the veins of every miner fan in Negaunee, but when the Friday night lights come on at Miners Stadium, it’s pumping hard through the Negaunee High School Marching Band.

“It’s high energy,” said Simon Jakin, freshman trumpet player. “It’s fast and it’s loud.”

“When we play our school fight song, I know I see like everyone standing up, start singing the fight song,” said Haylee Lenten, senior tenor saxophone player. “It’s really amazing to see. It adds a lot to everything and I think it gets everyone pumped up, everyone in the community pumped up.”

Divided by different instruments and colorguard, but united with the same goal.

“I’m in the marching band because it’s just a great time honestly,” said senior percussionist, Jorja Mikkola. “We’re kind of like a family. We do everything together. We try to. I have a lot of great experiences here. Most of my friends are here so yeah it’s just a great thing to come back to.”

“I feel a really great deep connection with every person at the Negaunee Marching Band,” said Elijah Collins, senior trombone player. “With the people coming in and the people that are already in it, I can feel that continuing to grow as the more I stay here and I really like it, it’s awesome.”

If you’re a seasoned veteran, or new to the game, it’s a challenge, and these miners are ready to play.

“You’re playing faster and the notes are a lot harder,” said Jaklin. “You gotta keep up with the pace. You gotta play constantly. There’s no slacking. You got to practice at home a lot more than you used to.”

Whether rehearsing inside on a rainy day, marching to Miners Stadium, or giving the Negaunee community a field show to remember, this band takes their work seriously.

“We have to be exactly where our points are and we make shapes with the whole band so we all honestly have to be correct,” said Lenten. “It’s a team really. If one person is off, we’re all off.”

“Especially for our halftime shows,” said Collin Gallion, junior percussionist. “We put weeks and hours into what we do and what some people might think is simple, when it’s not simple at all. You gotta move right, you gotta step right. If you don’t the whole thing is going to look like a mess. So we take a lot of time and put a lot of effort and pride into what we do.”