Article by Sean Lane and Bonnie Jo Taylor
Featured Image by The Weekly Talon
It’s the end of another musically invigorating marching band season. Lasting from the beginning of August, the musical marchers are proud of their performances at the numerous football games, Christmas parades, and, on special occasion, their performance at the magical place known as Walt Disney World. Join me as I uncover the stories, mishaps, and interviews of a marching band season gone too soon.
For anyone unaware of the Davie County High School marching band, the regiment is made of music students of all levels and their goal is to add much-needed pep at our high school football games, home and away. Along with this, they have a whole lot of fun being a part of the musical family that so many people find comfort in.
We start at the beginning, in the late summer months which seem almost as if they were years ago. The enthusiastic high schoolers wake up early for the first time over the long summer break, tirelessly working to prepare this year’s halftime show, inspired by the songs of Earth, Wind, and Fire. With this, they are proud to say that they learned the show by the second home game, a feat accomplished earlier than in recent years. This rebirth of marching band productivity can be credited to the growth and expansion of the music program under the direction, pun intended, of Matthew Brusseau, the new band director. This of course wouldn’t be possible without the unwavering support of Micheal Pruitt, the principal here at Davie High School. After all, a replacement drumline, the newest endeavor to support the band program, isn’t cheap.
Back to the plot of a noteworthy marching band season, the regiment played at a total of 11 games, the last being against the 1st seed, Grimsley High school, in the playoffs where our football team put up a good fight, with some credit given to the marching band, of course. These games come with their fair share of funny, and not-so-funny stories in the stands under the Friday night lights.
Kicking off this list, we have Mr. Brusseau hilariously high-kicking with the dancing boots as they count up to the score. His kicks were decent, though one thing’s for sure: he shouldn’t quit his day job.
Secondly, we have a failed trombone suicide attempt. To anyone without the context of what a trombone suicide is, it can be described as a form of marching band choreography in which trombone players alternate their horn positions, dangerously. If one person messes up, they all do. Caleb Morris, a high school senior and trombone player in the marching band, can testify to the fiasco.
Lastly, we have our fair share of mid-game instrument breakdowns. Each week brings something new; one week it’s a broken reed, and, another, ineffective gloves. Of course, this didn’t stop the marching band from persisting and finding a solution, whether this is a spare reed or a handy dandy pair of scissors.
Back to a more positive note, the highlight of this year’s marching band season, in the opinion of most, was the trip to Orlando, Florida. Spanning 5 days, our Davie High School marching regiment visited Hollywood Studios, and the Magical kingdom where we marched down Main Street U.S.A., an icon of the park walked by roughly 57,000 parkgoers every day. The band, although not performing, visited Universal Studios and enjoyed a day in the Wizarding World and Jurassic Park. Although the band was there partly on business, members had plenty of time to ride the rides, eat the food the parks had to offer, and buy an arm and a leg’s worth of souvenirs. This opportunity to spend time with friends at a world-renowned amusement park is one that only comes once in a lifetime for most. Not only was this trip a fantastic experience, but it was also great preparation for the parades ahead.
Putting an end to the marching band season, a new slew of Christmas songs were learned to perform at this year’s local Christmas parades. Performances at the Mocksville and Advance parades don’t compare to that of Disney World, but the band continued to play their all at the humbling venue of our local hometown.
In conclusion, this year has been one to remember for members and followers of the Davie High Marching Band. The 4 months of dedication, work, and experiences of this tremendous group of students, leaders, and (most importantly) marchers are difficult to summarize. It is hoped that we have done them justice, however, for their wonderful accomplishments in their 2022-2023 season.