MARCHING BAND/COLOR GUARD Q&A: ASHLEY RIDGE OF SOUTH CAROLINA

With the Student Section in off-season mode, we look to put our focus on the Marching Bands and Color Guards!

This website obviously put the focus on the Student Sections as it is the only reason we stay active, but many of these Student Sections have some solid bands that give them the energy or at the least share that insane energy. They play the right music to keep the hype up, the interact with the Student Section and the work they put week after week to prep for the game is impressive and that deserves some recognition.

We did do a Marching Band/Color Guard Q&A called “I’m with the Band Q&A” (not my greatest title, I know!) with some Bands in Southern California in 2019 when we only covered Student Sections in SoCal, but with a much much bigger followed, we figured we bring this idea back to life!

Plus it helps to get the assistance from South Carolina Bands (@southcarolina_bands on Instagram), Alabama Bands (@bama_bands on Instagram) and Bands of the US (@bands_of_the_us on Instagram) helping us out to find the best Bands that want you to get to know them!

We continue our series with the Ashley Ridge Swamp Foxes Marching Band and Color Guard from South Carolina. Some of these school names we are familiar with as we cover some of their Student Sections, but like Liberty, we haven’t been familiar with Ashley Ridge. Perhaps, like Liberty, this will help and perhaps they give the band credit if we do. Again, if you have a solid band, you most likely have a crazy Student Section. One must go with the other.

We spoke with Nick Hatmaker of Ashley Ridge on how the Ashley Ridge Marching Band and Color Guard prepare for Friday Nights and other events while also having some fun!

MARCHING BAND/COLOR GUARD Q&A: ASHLEY RIDGE OF SOUTH CAROLINA

What is the weekly routine to prepare for a football game and the halftime show? Are there adjustments made every week?

Ashley Ridge: In order to prepare for a football game and a halftime show, it usually takes a lot of planning. On the football side of it we will have a rehearsal usually about one hour before the kickoff. We will practice a few pep tunes and practice pregame which consist of the National Anthem and our fight song. At the end of the game the football team and cheer will stand with us while we play our Alma Mater. For the halftime show we work on our show 3-4 times a week. We hope that the show gets better every week.

Do you enjoy the game or follow it as it goes along or are you focused with your job?

Ashley Ridge: In our band, there is about a 25:75 ratio of people who like to watch the game and are just there for band. Personally, I like to enjoy the game as well as playing.

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Do you play any pop culture songs and if so, which is your favorite?

Ashley Ridge: Some of the pop songs we play are Jungle Boogie, Crazy in Love and You Can Call Me All. My favorite is Jungle Boogie

What kind of appreciation do you get from people at the games?

Ashley Ridge: I would love the people at the game to enjoy us being there. I know a few people on the football team who have said the games are lame when the band isn’t there.

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Do you guys interact with the Student Section?

Ashley Ridge: We actually don’t have a huge interaction with the student section because we are on two ends of the stands, but they are very respectful towards us.

Do you perform at other Ashley Ridge sports functions like basketball and how has the reception been?

Ashley Ridge: We have not preformed at any other sports events besides football. A few times if a sports team is going to state we will have a walking pep rally with them. The reception seems to be pretty good.

What is the funniest or most embarrassing moment as a member of the band/color guard?

Ashley Ridge: The funniest moment I remember from band is when my fellow section leader was getting fooled when a staff member kept saying look over there is says gullible and he was like where for a whole minute.

Any other band that you enjoy hearing from the other side of the stadium?

Ashley Ridge: A few other bands we like hearing are of course our rival high schools, Summerville and Fort Dorchester, but we also enjoy hearing Wando and Catawba Ridge as well.

Be ready for August for our 2025 Fall Student Section preview for all 50 states as well as Canada and Washington DC. Let us know who should be ranked high in our preseason preview!