Beyond the Halftime Lights

By David E. Harrison

High School Bands

The following feature article was written by David E. Harrison and submitted to Family Life magazines in January 2020 to be published in October. Sadly, David died unexpectedly on May 2, 2020. In his bio, which would normally appear at the end of the article, he noted, “David E. Harrison (semi-retired, full-time musician) has been a band, orchestra, and percussion teacher for 32 years; 20 years at Sequoyah High School. He was minister of music at Heritage Baptist Fellowship in Canton (20 years) and is in his 11th year at Reinhardt University. Mr. Harrison’s most important job is as husband, father, grandfather, and great grandfather, and he writes an occasional blog: ‘Life-According to Harry’ (HarryD-LifeAccordingToHarry.Blogspot.com).” David’s bio has been left in its unedited full form, so his family and the music community he loved can be reminded of how much they meant to him. From the staff at Family Life, we extend our deepest condolences to all who were lucky enough to know this beloved “Leader of the Band,” and we hope this feature article symbolically stands as a nonmusical portion of “Mr. Harrison’s Opus.”

Parents of students who are new to marching band are initially overwhelmed by the language, costs, and complexities of this musical world. They hear from the College Board and universities that learning to play instrumental music increases IQ, academic performance, and the ability to build relationships, teamwork, and leadership skills, but is it right for their child?

In Cherokee and Fulton schools, thousands of students participate in band programs each year. Many directors adhere to the philosophy, “Don’t use kids to make music ­— use music to make kids.” This yearlong commitment often becomes a lifelong dedication for students who go on to teach and/or maintain music in their lives.

A Year in the Life...

While those who are not familiar with high school band programs know them mostly for their football season halftime shows, the program is actually a year-round commitment.

With August comes Saturday and after-school marching band rehearsals. The band director acts as the CEO/manager and is responsible for trying to maximize staff, student effort, parent expectations, and program goals within a manageable budget, which includes instrument replacement and new music.

In September, the director and students continue their efforts to improve the halftime show in preparation for competition. Planning and implementing the first step in recruitment for the next school year, which is eighth grade visitation night at a high school football game, also takes place.

The month of October contains multiple performances at band competitions, football games, and parades, all while rehearsing for the indoor fall concert.

Unless your team makes the playoffs, November wraps up football season, and December brings the winter concert and all-state auditions.

January begins the new semester, and band directors settle into concert season. Directors also start talking to eighth grade students about registration and all the positive attributes of high school band while concurrently beginning a dialogue with their parents on curriculum night. It is important to emphasize that students can take band all four years and meet all requirements for graduation.

In February, directors prepare for the LGPE (large group performance evaluation) and begin tutoring students for district and all-state honor bands. In addition to a regular daily class load, individual student preparation is done after school.
Honor band members must add weekends to an already overloaded schedule.

March finds directors busy polishing the final details for the LGPE. This evaluation is conducted by outside, trained evaluators and is considered the benchmark for band programs, as students are pushed to attain yearly goals while being challenged to achieve their highest skill levels. Music is graded based on its level of difficulty. While LGPE is going on, directors are also meeting with the marching band staff to select music and develop show concepts for the following fall.

April brings spring break, and many programs go on trips to both reward current students and generate interest among incoming students. These trips often provide opportunities to perform at renowned places like Carnegie Hall, Orlando theme parks, or the U.S. Capitol. Directors may also schedule 1-2 weeks of fundamental marching band instruction for incoming students.

May wraps up the school year with activities such as concerts and banquets. June brings voluntary summer band rehearsals, and July starts with two weeks of band camp (12-14 hours per day), which leads into a new school year and another band season.

While the band program is a never-ending, busy cycle, the truth is that it is a labor of love for most directors, especially at the end of a long and exhausting year when a student delivers a note that says how much he/she loved band and how it influenced not only high school, but also future job choices. Over the course of my career, I have heard from hundreds of students about the many lessons they learned from band (“On time is late” is #1). THAT is why we do it and why this program is so important.