Two Nashport brothers are living their dreams marching for one of the best college bands in the nation.

Cody Harris, a 2014 Tri-Valley grad, is in his third year marching for Ohio State University, but it wasn’t until this season that his younger brother, Ryan, made the cut.

Ryan, who graduated from Tri-Valley in 2017, didn’t let the disappointment of not making the band as a freshman stop him from coming back as a sophomore ready to take his place alongside his older brother.

He said it was “the desire to be in this band and to keep getting better” that brought him back. “I wanted to march in it with Cody,” said Ryan.

Trying out for Ohio State’s elite marching band is no easy task.

Members have to be strong, have endurance and know the music and routines just as well as the current members.

For tryouts, “you should be able to run two miles comfortably for your best shot at making it,” said Cody.

The brothers had to attend two rehearsals per week throughout the summer, as well as practice individually every single day.

Between group and personal rehearsals, Cody and Ryan also found time to help teach the students at Tri-Valley High School as they prepared for their upcoming marching band season.

Yet, the pair made it through the hot summer days while marching at 180 beats per minute up and down the football field and into tryout weekend.

Trying out for the band was “one of the hardest things I’ve personally ever done,” said Cody.

Candidates are given a Friday and Saturday’s worth of training before official tryouts on a Sunday in mid-August.

Then on the following Monday, the names of those who made the cut were announced.

First, it was the flugelhorn player, Cody, who heard his name called for the third year in a row.

“I think I was more nervous this time listening for his (Ryan’s) name, especially after I heard mine,” said Cody.

And later, it was Ryan’s turn for the first time.

“I actually teared up a little bit,” Cody said of hearing his younger brother’s name and realizing they’ll get to share a once in a lifetime experience together.

“It’s a big relief knowing all the hard work you put in over the summer finally paid off,” said Ryan.

But the work didn’t end there.

Daily rehearsals last two hours each day, with an additional 15-20 hours spent practicing on their own to keep themselves prepared for challenges by any of the alternates going after their positions.

Of course, there’s school and work to account for, too.

Cody majors in mechanical engineering and holds a part-time job, while Ryan studies computer science engineering.

All the hard work Cody and Ryan put in throughout the week pays off each Saturday when they step onto the field.

There are no nerves playing in front of thousands because Cody and Ryan are confident in their ability from all the rehearsing they do each day.

Instead, there’s only a feeling of excitement.

“It’s really an experience like no other just seeing all the people and bringing all the joy to them,” said Cody. “It’s almost just unreal.”

Ryan had the opportunity to steal the spotlight during the band’s first half-time performance of the season.

A drummer for the band, Ryan took center stage (or field) for the Queen tribute performance in front of the home opener crowd, swapping his single drum for a whole set as part of a mini rock band.

The unique performance made national headlines, featured in Rolling Stone and Billboard.

Again in November, the Ohio State Marching Band will be broadcast across the country when they march in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade.

With all these large, national performances, Cody and Ryan still found the routine Skull Session during the first week to be very meaningful to them when the band they mentored all summer long made their way to Columbus to be the featured high school band.

Sharing that moment with the Tri-Valley High School band, as well as their family members who made the trip, made for one special memory in a season full of them for the Harris brothers.