"The Sport of the Arts"

"The Sport of the Arts"

On Friday Nights They Come Out Ready to Play, not Football, but Trumpets and Clarinets

BY LIAM EIFERT

Director of Bands Ms. Kathy McCullough takes particular pride in a statistic she’s gathered from all her years of directing. For each band student, she said, “If they start their freshmen year, 92 percent of those, so 9.2 out of ten will stay all four years.” McCullough sees that sort of long term continuity as essential for the success of her program.

Starting from the very beginning, McCullough stressed the importance of band camp when students gear up for marching band in a week of all-day sessions in late July. McCullough said, “Most kids are there at camp because that’s where we learn most of our stuff.” McCullough mentioned some kids had to clear busy schedules to make time for the camp. She said, “The kids that double dip or triple dip (in extracurriculars) are the impressive ones to me. They make it work for them and it’s great. When they go out and say they have these experiences, employers like that. They like football players that were in band and acted on stage. They like cross country runners who were drum majors and were in National Honor Society.”

The band schedule doesn’t stop with marching band though, and continues throughout the entire school year. Later this year, the band will play pep band at basketball games, a Christmas concert in December, solo and ensemble pieces in the winter, and a spring concert in May. McCullough stressed the importance of learning how to play different types of music. She said, “Concert music is wonderful, pep band music is fun, marching band music you play over and over but you’re learning a physical skill with it, and then solo and ensemble is to your level.”

Seniors Antonio Arroyo and Olivia Griffith are this year’s drum majors, selected after auditions held at the end of last school year. Arroyo described the role, “The drum major sets the tempo for the band, we conduct the band and we lead the band in the parades, so we’re kind of like assistants to Ms. McCullough.”

Arroyo said he was inspired to be drum major after being section leader for the tenor saxophones last year. Even though he had this prior leadership experience, he said, “It was a big jump, that’s for sure because for tenors (I) knew everyone, was comfortable with them, but with the whole band it’s just different because it’s ninety people, (I) don’t know everyone. To try and just get people to listen and follow what (I’m) doing, it takes time to establish that connection.”

McCullough also emphasized the importance of student leadership in the band. She said, “I’m not usually the one telling them what to do, it’s usually their section leader.” This sort of student leadership allows relationships which bridge the gap between grades. McCullough said, “The kids know each other. Freshmen are friends with juniors, they are not just freshmen. They are friends with other freshmen too, but they have friends in their section. So if I’m a trumpet freshman I have trumpet friends from freshman through senior, and I have freshman friends in all the sections.”

McCullough said, “I can’t do it by myself. I cannot do everything to make a band work. It’s impossible.” She said, “It’s incum-

Seniors Joseph Jideonwo (left), and Micah Wasmuth (right) pictured with their designated instruments. Photo Submitted

Above you can see the full band, everyone holding their instruments and accessories. Photo Submitted

bent on the seniors, or the juniors, to make it work.” After missing a football game last year to COVID and relying on the students to lead each other, McCullough asked a few teachers how the band fared without her. She said, “Nobody knew I wasn’t there. That is the best compliment I’ve ever had for this band.”

Referencing the responsibility and community marching band provides, McCullough said, “Marching band is, they call it ‘The sport of the arts.’ The difference is there is no varsity and JV, everybody’s out there. So we all have to do it.”

Griffith’s path towards becoming drum major exemplifies many of the social aspects of band. She said, “I was homeschooled through all my (grade school) years, so I came to band (freshman year) and went to that first meeting before band camp and I knew absolutely nobody. I was introduced to Alexis Mattingly ‘22, one of the loudest, but friendliest people I ever met. I hung out with her, I hid behind her, I stayed next to her the whole time. I met a lot of friends through her and I built those relationships through band I have so many more friends than if I hadn’t done band. I think it’s such a great program to do because it really gets you into the school before school even starts.” At the end of her sophomore year, Griffith tried out for drum major for the first time, and after initially not being selected, succeeded the following year. her as a homeschooled kid freshman year. Griffith said, “There’s a lot you don’t expect to happen and a lot of problems you have to solve that you never even thought of before.” She added, “Leadership goes past actually telling people what to do, which is a lot of being drum major. Just being that presence up on the podium or out on the field, you have this shining presence to the freshmen, to the underclassmen, and you also represent your class as a leader.”

McCullough looks to the future with this group of students. In March the band will go to Ireland to perform for the St. Patrick’s Day parade. McCullough said, “I’m proud to take this bunch to Ireland. You don’t take every band overseas for a week but this band I trust to do well.”

Dia De Los Muertos

November marks the date of the important holiday remembering those who have passed.

BY AVERY STUCKEY

The beginning of November marks a very important holiday for people from Spanish speaking countries. The Holiday, Dia De Los Muertos which is commonly known as ‘Day of the dead’ in the United States, is for family members and other loved ones who have passed on to come back and be present with those who are still living. “It is traditionally celebrated on November first and second,” said Spanish teacher Mrs. Karla Diuro.

Although it is widely known in the United States, its background is much deeper in other parts of the world. “It largely originated in Mexico where it is mostly observed but also in other places especially with people with Mexican heritage,” Diuro said.

As with any holiday, there are traditional ways to celebrate. “The way we celebrate is, we put altars in our homes to remember the dead and traditionally make dishes that those descendants liked when they were living,” Diuro said.

“The altars would include pictures of our loved ones, and food that they really liked,” Diuro said. “The thought behind it is that on that day they come back and visit us so we want to attract them to come into our homes or wherever the altar is, by giving them a piece of what they liked when they were living.”

Beyond the altar, dishes, and photos that are laid out, provides something that can be deeper. “We also like to pray in remembrance of our friends and family members,” Diuro said.

It can be celebrated differently everywhere you go. “If you ever go to Mexico or a Spanish speaking country we also clean the tombstones and make it look really nice and have events at the tomb and we bring their food to kind of have a celebration there so that we can say ‘hey come see us,’” Diuro said.

There are many details that come together to make it possible to celebrate. “There are so many facets to it but the altar is the one that we have in our home that could extend to the burial ground,” she said.

Many things can stand out from holidays and for the day of the dead it id the details in the celebration make the holiday memorable. Diuro said, “It is a beautiful sight to see the cemetery with all the colors and flowers and when you walk into the cemetery it is a celebration of life.”

The table set up near the religion hallway in honour of Dia De Los Muertos, that features information on the holiday, candles, altars, and much more. Photo Submitted