Alex Band

Few people outside the marching band world realize the amount of time and effort that goes into assembling the perfect halftime show; months of preparation take place, and, then, rehearsals begin up until competition. Everyone involved, including band directors and band members, must contribute to the overall success of the marching band. Months before marching season begins, all materials must be prepared. This includes drill, coordinate sheets, and music. Usually, a drill writer is hired to…

Working on the HHS Band leadership team has been one of the most difficult but rewarding jobs of my high school career. My junior year I was selected as the clarinet co-section leader with another one of my good friends Laura. Both of us are very strong and confident leaders, so throughout the marching band season, there was a bit of a power struggle. We didn't know how to properly balance our authority in the group to command equal respect, and we didn't know how to work as a team. Through my…

start out the same way and go in a similar order every time, but there are always surprises that come along the way during these days. As the day starts on a competition Saturday, the Worthington Kilbourne Marching Band arrives normally in the late morning or early afternoon. The band room opens an hour before report time so that all the instruments can be shined and polished to look impressive on the field. The color guard, my section, is normally found in the dressing room getting makeup and…

Chick-fil-A, my time is almost entirely devoted to band. I am also always looking for ways to create a more sustainable and environmentally-friendly space. Environmental awareness and music make me the happiest in my life. I’ve spent roughly 1,300 hours taking part in my high school marching band program. I’ve also spent many hours participating in concert band. The William Blount High School Band has not only helped me grow as a tuba player, but the band has also helped me grow as a person.…

For my concert report I attended the Mile High Jazz Festival presented by Flesher Hinton Co. on February 16, 2017. The event took place in Macky Auditorium at the University of Colorado Boulder at 7:30 pm. The concert consisted of a student ensemble and then after a short intermission a faculty ensemble. I decided for this report to select the most impactful song from each ensemble and write about their musical components. The student ensemble consisted of: a piano, a bass, drums, a guitar, 4…

On April 21st, 2017, I went to the concert hold by Nocturne- a two years old club in Denver, and the Keith Oxman Quartet did a remarkable concert that night. The Keith Oxman Quartet is a Jazz band lead by Keith Oxman on tenor saxophone, and has Derek Banach on trumpet, Todd Reid on drums, and Jeff Jenkins on organ. Additionally, Jenkins was playing keyboard on April 21st. The Keith Oxman Quartet plays at Nocturne every Friday night between March 10th and April 28th. On last Friday evening, the…

about it. While yes that is true I was excited and hyping up Camp i also kind of hyped up the Chicago trip in a way because of a comment i said on Friday after school and that was “we got to play some really cool Sousa (John Philips Sousa) marches in band…

was as enjoyable as marching band. The image I have chosen is my marching band’s practice field. We like to call it our “dirt mound” due to the lack of flat ground, dying grass, and dirt ditches from the years of band camp. The field may not boast the greatest conditions for marching band, but it is still beautiful because it proudly displays what I stand for. Over the past five years in marching band I have come very far. The year before I started, I attended Band Day, a special event where…

If I could pinpoint the one day that has made the greatest impact on my life, it would be a day in the fall of sixth grade: the day I decided to join my school’s band. Not just the band; I wanted to play the drums in the band, which required a screening audition, a daunting task for a sixth grader whose only experience with percussion had been banging on an out-of-tune toy drum kit in his basement. During the screening audition, the teacher said to me, “When we are done, are you willing to…

why I like the saxophone is not primarily because I love to play the instrument, but rather because I get to be in band because of it. Since moving to Michigan, most of my close friendships have been made because of the people in band. I remember meeting my section in the 7th grade, and that’s actually how I met my best friend, as he’s in the saxophone section. Since I’ve been doing band for 4 years, I’ve got quite…