The Marching Virginians set to take the field under a new director

There's a lot of preparation that goes into game day when you're part of The Marching Virginians.

Being in the band means hours spent on the field, making sure everyone is in step, and all the right notes are hit.

The expectations are high and Polly Middleton is ready to get the job done. She's the new director of The Marching Virginians.

“When I found out I got the job it was pretty indescribable,” Middleton said.

Middleton is no stranger to these parts. She worked at Virginia Tech for several years, but left to get head band director experience. When the position opened for an opportunity to lead The Marching Virginians, she just couldn't pass it up.

“This is a dream job and so, you know, I just feel very fortunate that I've ended up in a position where I get to do exactly what I want to do, exactly where I want to do it, with exactly the people that I want to be with,” Middleton said.

And there are a lot of Hokies who are happy to see her back!

“She was so awesome as an assistant director for the two first years that I was a member of this organization. When I found out that she was going to be back here it was probably the most excited I've been about anything in a very long time,” said Jessica Fillis, senior staff assistant.

Middleton is only the fifth person to hold the director's title and the first woman in the band's 44-year history. You'd think that might pack on the pressure but it's not phasing her one bit.

“I think about it as I want to do the best job that I can. I think this band is so important to so many people. So for me I'm not focused so much on myself, I'm focused on everybody else and how I can make this continue to be a fantastic band,” said Middleton.

“She is very caring and she is very serious about what she does. And she's serious about how we appear to the university and how we represent ourselves, how we represent The Marching Virginians, how we represent Virginia Tech, and she's very dedicated to everything she does. She takes pride in what we do,” Fillis said.

A pride that will be heard every time the Spirit of Tech takes the field.

Because really, what's a football game without the band?

“It's not a real football game,” Middleton said.