Henry Sibley's Street Warriors March On

The Henry Sibley High School summer marching band “Street Warriors” completed a marathon run of near-daily community parades this week.

Band members marched in 10 parades over the course of 11 days, with additional performances at Sibley book-ending the run. To top it off? They played the national anthem before the Twins vs. Dodgers game on Wednesday.

The Street Warriors, led by Band Director Clayton Browne, are now on their way to march in Cody, Wyoming as part of the Buffalo Bill Cody Stampede.

Michael Post, drum major and incoming senior, said the chance to march in other communities is a point of pride.

“Most places around the country don’t have street shows like we do,” said Post, “So everybody goes nuts to see what we have, to see our style of show.”

Post is referring to the performance element that the Road Warriors incorporate into their marching. Rather than marching straight down the street, Sibley students work drills and formations into their routine, and are complemented by the work of a color guard and honor guard.

For incoming freshmen, the chance to play in front of the Twins on Wednesday was a big deal. “I think it’s really cool because I like the Twins a lot,” said incoming freshman Alex Shoop.

Incoming sophomore Emma Alley played in the band last year at a Twins game. She said that at first she was nervous, but once they started playing, it was easy to forget that there was a crowd in front of them. The sights and sounds weren't entirely lost on the performers, however. “Joe Mauer was right in front of us,” she added.