Director Andrew Hicks raises his baton; the Davie Wind Ensemble waits in silent anticipation, an air of suspense permeating the stage as blinding light shines upon them. With a single stroke of the hand, the auditorium is brought to life with a beautiful harmony: mellow melodies of the clarinet, rich overtones of the trumpet, and countless others. Woven throughout the resonating sounds is the noble French horn, providing a lyrical color to the harmony. Floating above the melody are the characteristic vibrations of the oboe. 

Over the course of two performances on October 13 and 14, the band season began with great fanfare.

This was no ordinary year for the Davie High ensembles. The Symphonic Band, bigger than ever with roughly 70 members, undertook some of the most challenging pieces they’ve ever encountered. Meanwhile, the Concert Band entered a whole new realm of development as they transitioned into a high school band setting. The Wind Ensemble performed selections from an upcoming performance at the statewide conference for music educators.

Night One

Concert Band

Darkness veils the auditorium as a suspenseful silence overtakes the audience; they direct their unwavering gaze at the glittering stage above. Freshman Miriam Spann takes a deep breath, preparing herself for her first high school performance; the Concert Band had been vigorously rehearsing for a little over a month for this momentous occasion. Now, it’s time for their labor to bear fruit. 

Spann’s eyes hastily scan the room—her mind a clutter of anxiety and restlessness—before settling on Director Matthew Brusseau. He steps onto the podium, raising his hands—gesturing for the ensemble to focus. Suddenly, the ambience of the stage shifts, and the young musicians, though wrecked with anxiety, observe him with a steadfast gaze. Then, in a swift and graceful motion, the baton is released from its idle position; the concert has begun.

While the fall concert signifies the beginning of another year of performances and rehearsals for many, for the Concert Band, this ushers in a novel era of musical development. To welcome their new chapter, they performed three pieces: “Acclaimed”, “Cumberland Cross”, and “Spider-Man: No Way Home”. Spann was particularly concerned for “Cumberland Cross”.

“Some of the rhythms I have never seen before, and the notes were higher in range than what I was used to,” Spann shared. 

Despite these hurdles, Spann remained unflinching in her resolve, striving to exceed just ‘good’ at both class rehearsals and individual practices. After months of hard work by individual musicians and the ensemble as a whole, Spann and her fellow musicians were ready to astound the audience one note at a time.

Symphonic Band

Roaring applause fills the auditorium as the Concert band’s performance comes to an end. The students rise, basking in the ocean of cheers to celebrate a successful night. Spann beams at the sight before her, but this time, she feels no apprehension whatsoever. Instead, her face radiates with a brilliant smile—eyes and heart filled with a sense of accomplishment.

While the Concert Band gleams with newfound relief, dread permeates throughout the Symphonic Band as they ascend upon the stage. 

Sophomore Ellie Wallace makes her way to her seat, heels clicking against the wooden floor of the stage, heart pounding with nervousness. Listening to the Concert Band, she could feel her chest filling with a sense of foreboding; now, only a few minutes before either disaster or success, there was no point in pondering on her unease.

The program performed by the Symphonic Band carried listeners through a unique sea of melodies from the American Revolution to fictional pirate Jack Sparrow’s adventures in the Caribbean. Their repertoire consisted of three tunes: “Concord”, “Mock Morris”, and last, but certainly not least, “Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End”. 

Prior to the performance, Wallace expressed the most concern about “Concord.” She comments, “It contained parts that involved playing within the clarinet’s high range, included quick tempos, and held some pretty difficult rhythms.”

Not only that, this year’s medley of tunes presented unfamiliar elements; for Wallace, this was especially prevalent in “Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End” with its odd triplet rhythms. 

In the midst of these obstacles, Wallace’s resolve never faltered; her tenacity fueled her to endure hours of meticulous practice, perfecting her craft. Wallace’s musical development can be best summed up with one word: confidence.

“With this concert, I was pushed to play more secluded parts, which I wasn’t really comfortable with beforehand, but it really helped me develop my confidence as a musician,” Wallace remarks.

As the stage lights dim, the musicians disperse backstage. Davie County residents, from parents to students alike, embrace the performers with jubilant applause and praise. The once tense atmosphere has all but faded, replaced with solace, and most importantly, hope—a hopefulness that will propel them towards greatness. 

Night Two

Wind Ensemble

Faint echoes of applause reverberate throughout the auditorium as the Wind Ensemble readies itself to ascend the stage. Sophomore Lena Parsley’s gaze lingers for a moment at the sight before her; she sees a group of minions, a cow, a clown, and other unique characters. Tonight, preceding the Wind Ensemble, is the Ellis Middle School 8th-grade band, decked in spooky costumes in honor of the Halloween season.

Parsley, clarinet in hand, gracefully ascends onto the stage and finds her seat. As the stars of today’s concert, the pressure was on for Wind Ensemble to deliver a showstopping performance, and now, more than ever, she could feel the mounting expectations. 

The Wind Ensemble, led by Director Matthew Brusseau, performed 4 pieces: “Bayou Breakdown”, “Rippling Watercolors”, “Wicklow”, and “Ghost Stories”. But this year’s concert differs from past years. This masterful performance, crafted through the joint effort of music educators across the county, is all in preparation for the NCMEA conference. Of the dozens of bands that applied, only 2 were invited by the North Carolina Music Education Association.

Remnants of the band’s performance echo through the theatre before fading into the audience’s bellowing cheers. Parsley, along with the rest of the ensemble, stands up; her countenance exudes an air of bliss as she recounts the events of the last 40 minutes. She did it; despite her concerns, she had performed one of her best renditions of “Bayou Breakdown,” a piece she was particularly concerned about. 

“I had to work a lot with faster tempos, which has always been a struggle for me. In particular, I was concerned that I would overthink and mess up on ‘Bayou Breakdown’; that piece had been quite the struggle for the entire ensemble as a whole.” Parsley remarks. 

For the Wind Ensemble, this concert is just the beginning of the end. With barely 3 weeks left until the NCMEA performance, the fall concert has instilled many with a newfound determination. Tonight’s performance was a landmark in their musical development; they had just delivered a masterful performance for what seemed like the unfeasible only a month prior. 

New Year, New Band

The stellar performances of the Davie High Fall Concert were forged through weeks of vigorous rehearsals and individual practice. Just like Spann, Wallace, and Parsley, the fall concert pushed the students of each ensemble to achieve beyond their comfort levels of musical ability. Was their journey to success easy? No, but that never hindered those 3 talented musicians; they persevered, showing unwavering tenacity in the face of difficulty. 

Director Matthew Brusseau summed up the growth undergone by all three ensembles over the first quarter of the school year. “There’s a better attention to detail between the three, and especially for Concert Band. With Wind Ensemble, I think the fall concert gave them a gauge of where they’re at in their process, and it allows them to know what they need to work on.”

As the Wind Ensemble, Symphonic Band, and Concert Band continue to refine their musicianship, a new horizon of challenges dawns upon the Davie High bands. With the brilliant leadership of Mr. Brusseau, the path for these rising stars will glimmer with success.