Dayton High School Band

In the aftermath of our first competition (wait, it wasn't bad at all), I look back and wonder how we forget things.  We drill and drill and drill music into our heads, so much so that we sing it walking through the school, yet sometimes in a performance we just forget.  We wrok so hard on drill, and then we forget where to go.  Now, don't get me wrong, there were many great things that happened this weekend that set this Greendevil Marching Band apart from all the others, but I just had to get that out there.

The great things that happened are countless:

1)  Scoring a 51.84 in prelims is the highest "First week out" score that this band has seen in many years.

2)  Comments from judges and competitors noticing how far along the band seems to be for so early in the season.

3)  A CHEERING SECTION!!!!!!!!!  And this time I don't mean just Tom, Terri, and the other parents that attended.  I mean honest to God fans waiting for these kids to do something spectacular.

4)  Growing respect from other bands and other directors.

5)  Percussion receiving a 62!!!! in finals.

6)  A flute solo that you could really hear from the top of the stands.

7)  Precision drill looking... well, PRECISE!

8)  PIZZA from the parents!!!
9)  A "Good Luck," from one of the most well respected and successful band directors in the state to everyone of my students before they went on.

10)  Good friends being there in your time of need.

Again, countless great things happen just being around the kids in this program.  Come on out to Campbell County Middle School this Saturday the 19th to see them perform again and work to make finals.  We perform at 12:45pm.

GO DEVILS!!!

Five days and one hour from now, the Dayton High School Marching Band will be wrapping up warmups for their first competition of the season and headed to the performance field.  You can look forward to a few things in this first performance:

1) The students will be nervous.  We know how all kids get in front of large crowds. 

2)  The performance will be one tune short of finished.  Instead of rushing to put all the drill on the field and then slop our way through it, we are taking our time to clean things as we go.  It should still be quite rough in patches, as some of our younger participants get used to the idea of doing this in front of a crowd, but I feel it is much improved. 

3) A small, redefined Marching Band.  We have gone through much adversity this summer, and what we have to show for it is 17 members in the marching band.  A change in philosophy, attitude, and sense of purpose has, for the lack of a better way to say it, weeded out those who weren't up to snuff.  Many of those not with us any more have decided that they needed to focus on their studies, and kudos to them.  We all know that getting your grades up and becoming a better student will do more for someone than struggling through rehearsals worrying about the math test coming up.  Some have moved away, while others chose not to continue with marching band all together. 

4) A few kids on the sideline injured.  We have had the worst case of ankle injuries known to man.  Including yours truly. 

All these obstacles have not stood in the way, however, of a renewed sense of dedication and pride in what this program is about.  "It's about quality, not quantity," one of the students said.  We will have a quality program again, with superior individuals looking to better themselves in every aspect of their lives.

See you at Beechwood.  We perform at 12:45pm.  Make a day of it and stay with us for finals that night as well.

Mr. Wagner

This afternoon I met up with our drill designer to pick up the drill for the upcoming season.  Needless to say, hiring Dave to do this has eased the tension on me, and freed me up to do what I really want to do... TEACH!  Along with alleviating some stress, what this opportunity has shown me is that others believe in this band, and in my ability to lead it.  Comforting words from a friend are always great to pump up the spirit.

Band camp starts on Monday, and I am totally stoked to get things going.  Pre-camp was a great start musically, and now we will all have the opportunity to put our program, our school, and our selves in the best possible place to begin a competitive season.  It's not about the trophies, it's not even about ratings.  However, it is about pushing ourselves beyond any limits others have placed upon us, and proving to them, ourselves, and each other that we are just as good as the other guys; and even better than we thought we could be.

Here's the DAYTON HIGH SCHOOL GREENDEVIL MARCHING BAND! 

Over the last 3 years, the Dayton High School Band program has not only gone through a director change and the graduation of 3 sets of seniors, but through an image overhaul as well.  As we progress into the new school year, you can look forward to a renewed sense of community spirit.  The band will be participating in various community service opportunities and will be looking to participate in many more. 

Also new to the program this year will be enhancements in the band room itself.  Due to building renovations, the band room will be equipped with brand new energy efficient lighting as well as Wenger instrument storage lockers.  These room enhancements will definitely boost the image of the room, but also allow us to keep a better grip on instrument maintenance and upkeep. 

More changes are in store for the band as the year progresses including a new Concert Dress requirement and hopefully new chairs and stands as well (we will see how the chairs and stands go).

Stay tuned for more inside information regarding the band and our happenings over the course of the year.

Mr. Wagner