“Oh the places you go,” Dr. Seuss tells us.  Many of us are involved here at CHS, but few of us are in band. Band takes you places.  It can help with hand and eye coordination as well as memory because you have to memorize the music and the fingerings for the instrument. This coordination sticks with musicians because they do it over and over again. 

Being in band is also like a mini family that students can share their ups and downs with. They have fun, they laugh, they play, and just support each other. Senior drum major Lauren Howell said, “Try band even if it’s just one year. It’s the most exciting thing I have done, and most of my friends are from the band, even after they have graduated. It’s worth giving a chance.” Additionally. 8th-grade students are included every year so they can get an experience with the high school band.

Howell shared that the band usually competes in a marching festival, but they are going to colleges’ to perform with the college bands this year; those colleges are Central Michigan University and Eastern Michigan University. During a normal marching season, they have 2-4 songs in their performance.  This year they’re playing “Seven Nation Army” by the White Stripes, and ” Happy” by Pharrell Williams. When concert season comes around, they normally have 3-4 songs that they perfect. They play in the stands at football games to cheer on the football players and entertain the crowd. They also play at basketball games and in parades. As a service project, the band plays at retirement homes for the residents. This gives the musicians a chance to share their talents and bring joy to the elderly.  

Concord’s band has been small for a few years, but what if we inspired new life by inviting more people into the band? It would be awesome, right?  Director Kevin Specht adds,  “If you are interested in joining band, you can chat with any of the band students or myself. Experience on band instruments is helpful, but there are other ways to get involved- you can register for the drumming class second semester or meet with me after school to get started on an instrument. It is never too late to get started. The world needs more amateur musicians.”  

The band has so much fun when they are all together. They light up at both their struggles to learn new pieces and success. Senior Abby McConnell said it best:  “It’s a fantastic experience. It’s full of great people. It’s difficult sometimes, but it’s definitely worth it.”