Waukon High School graduate Aaron Sherman continues his musical career as a member of the Hawkeye Marching Band

Waukon High School has several former student-athletes who have taken their skills and careers into the college ranks again this year. However, this year there is also one former student-athlete who has extended his musical career to that "next level" as well.

Aaron Sherman is a freshmen at the University of Iowa in Iowa City and is spending his Saturdays playing trombone with the Hawkeye Marching Band. Sherman is a 2017 graduate of Waukon High School and the son of Mark and JoAnn Sherman of Waukon.

Unlike high school, one does not just enroll in marching band at the University of Iowa. In July, Sherman had to audition during orientation for the marching band. He was first told he would be an alternate for the marching band, but within hours of that notification, he received an email message stating that a position had opened up for him for this fall with the marching Hawkeyes.

Sherman had to report to campus August 13, and first-year marching band members had marching band orientation Monday, August 14. The next day, the full band - all 260 members - reported to marching band camp. For the rest of the week, marching band rehearsals were held for nine hours a day - three hours in the morning, three hours in the afternoon, and three hours in the evening. The members worked on marching techniques, music and drill design.

During the regular academic semester, the marching band rehearses Tuesday through Friday from 3:40-5:30 p.m. The band has music rehearsals Tuesday nights the week of home football games. Each Saturday of a home Hawkeye football game in Iowa City, the marching Hawkeyes report at least four hours before game time to the marching band facility. They perform a pre-game show in the Rec building across the street from Kinnick Stadium approximately 90 minutes before kick-off. Following the show, they march into the stadium. For each home game, a new set of music and drill design is learned for the halftime show.

In the first seven  weeks of the college football season, the Hawkeye Marching Band has performed five weeks of the season, including five home games and a trip to Iowa State University for that in-state match-up. Sherman started the season performing at halftime, but has since been added to the pre-game show as well. Anyone who gets a chance to witness the pre-game show will see him on the bottom of the "A" when the band spells out "IOWA".

When asked about his experience with the marching band, Sherman responded, "It has been a really fun time. I have made a lot of friends and I really enjoy it." When he was asked about the game day experience, he stated, "There's nothing like being on the field, especially at night.  Walking out of the tunnel and running on to the field is just an awesome experience."

The Hawkeye marching band will perform at the remaining home games in Iowa City through November 18.  They will then wait, just like all other Hawkeye fans, to hear if the football team will be going to a bowl game. If the football team travels to a bowl game, then the marching band will travel along with the team.

Sherman will also be playing in the University of Iowa pep band this fall and winter. He has already had his first pep band performance September 29.