Music
education: a spotlight on The William Mason High School Marching Band
Allison
Miller
Priyasha
Bose, a senior in the William Mason High School Marching Band, practices her flute
solos for the thousandth time. Through the 90-degree heat and the snow, Bose
perfected her playing to impress the judges who will be critiquing her every
note.
Bose said that
marching band has had the biggest impact in her life. This is true for many of
Mason’s 300 band and guard members. Students have been rehearsing over 18 hours
a week during the school year and at least 50 hours a week during summer band camps to
make their show the best it can possibly be.
This weekend, The William Mason High School Marching band will be competing in the finals of the 2019 Bands of America Grand National Championships in Indianapolis, Indiana. Students are nervous and excited to see where the show will place compared to the 11 other bands that will be in finals.
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| Grand National Championships at Lucas Oil Stadium |
The band
has been to finals seven times since 2011, only missing one year in 2017 due to
a staffing change. After head director Bob Bass retired in 2015, his wife Susan
Bass temporarily became head director. In 2017, Johnnie Green was hired to take
over the program. When this happened, he replaced most of the other Mason staff
members with his own team. Students were frustrated with the changes and the
negative results they were starting to see, and the band lost about one third
of its members.
At nationals that year, the band received its lowest score since 2009, placing 20th overall and not making it to the final round. After this, Green was demoted and Jason Sleppy, a previous Mason staff member, became head director. Sleppy brought all of the original staff members back, and many students rejoined with hopes that this would be a better season. In 2018, Mason was able to bounce back, and received seventh overall at nationals.
At nationals that year, the band received its lowest score since 2009, placing 20th overall and not making it to the final round. After this, Green was demoted and Jason Sleppy, a previous Mason staff member, became head director. Sleppy brought all of the original staff members back, and many students rejoined with hopes that this would be a better season. In 2018, Mason was able to bounce back, and received seventh overall at nationals.
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| William Mason High School in semi-finals |
In order
to place so highly at nationals, Mason has a very rigorous music program that
challenges students during their seven years of playing an instrument. Students
start playing an instrument in sixth grade and can audition for different
concert bands once they reach high school. The high school program has six
different bands that students participate in. The Wind Symphony is the
highest-level ensemble at Mason and is nationally recognized and award-winning.
Other than
learning how to play their instruments well, Mason’s music programs benefit
students socially, academically, and provide useful life skills.
“I think that the really important thing that students learn through the marching activity, no matter what they’re doing, no matter what year we’re in, no matter what the show, is the collaborative effort that they all have to make in order to pull the whole show together,” said director Avious Jackson. “It gets even more amplified when there’s as many students on the field as we have.”
“I think that the really important thing that students learn through the marching activity, no matter what they’re doing, no matter what year we’re in, no matter what the show, is the collaborative effort that they all have to make in order to pull the whole show together,” said director Avious Jackson. “It gets even more amplified when there’s as many students on the field as we have.”
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| Students during rehearsal |
According
to the New England Board of Higher
Education, one of
the most important things music teaches is teamwork, and in band students learn
to work together to create a cohesive, technically correct performance.
“We will
have throughout the show almost all 300 people doing something at some point
and time,” said Jackson. “So, that’s a massive collaborative effort. For them
to figure out how to coordinate those things, how to coordinate their
individual responsibility, that is what makes it the most important.”
Another
benefit that students gain from music education is improved test scores.
According to Campbellsville University, studies show that regardless of
socioeconomic background, music-making students received higher marks on
standardized tests than those who were not involved in music. Students also
scored 63 points higher on the verbal and 44 points higher on the math sections
on the SAT than students who were not involved in music.
Along with
better test scores, marching band teaches students time management skills that
help students balance their schoolwork with their extracurriculars like band.
“I think marching band was a big part of my high school experience because it really taught me how to work hard,” said Lilly Wooden, a senior marching band student. “High school is really hard, and to be able to do well, especially in the school I go to, it’s super difficult. Marching band and how much time it took really taught me how to balance the schoolwork I am doing with marching band.”
“I think marching band was a big part of my high school experience because it really taught me how to work hard,” said Lilly Wooden, a senior marching band student. “High school is really hard, and to be able to do well, especially in the school I go to, it’s super difficult. Marching band and how much time it took really taught me how to balance the schoolwork I am doing with marching band.”
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| Band performing at Nationals |
Students are filled with excitement and anticipation as they are about to watch their hard work pay off in finals. However, this is also an emotional weekend for students, because not only is their hard work being judged, something they have spent so much time on is coming to an end. For seniors, this will be the last time they get to march with the William Mason High School Marching Band.
As the students finish their last practice before finals, they are surrounded by teachers, staff members, and parents who tell them that no matter what they place, they should be proud of all that they have accomplished.
“There is nobody that works harder than our marching band,” said Mason City Schools Superintendent Jonathan Cooper. “You are the best in the world.”
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| Lucas Oil Stadium |
The Bands
of America Grand National Finals will be held on Nov. 16 at Lucas Oil Stadium
in Indianapolis, Indiana.
