Rebecca Bouch graduated from Purchase Line Jr./Sr. High School in Commodore, Pennsylvania, population 331. While studying music education at Indiana University of Pennsylvania, she ran into a student from a neighboring high school and recalls him saying, “I can’t believe there’s a music major here from Purchase Line. We always thought you guys, like, milked cows and stuff.”
He’s not that far off, she remembers thinking. Everyone in Indiana County milks cows.
Today Bouch is director of bands at Purchase Line, which is about 80 miles east of Pittsburgh. The school serves a large geographic area but has only 400 students in the 7th through 12th grades.
While rural bands usually have fewer students and fewer resources, they are just as committed and work just as hard as those in more populous areas.
“We may not have as many students or quite as much money for the newest uniforms or equipment, but I refuse to believe that because we are small, we are not capable,” says Ashley Blount, director of bands at Ropes Independent School District, serving less than 500 students in pre-K through 12th grades in Ropesville,
Texas, a town with a population of 428. “Our students are brilliant, kind, hardworking, salt-of-the-earth kids. …Why can’t we expect our students to perform at the same level?”
JACKS AND JILLS OF ALL TRADES
Directing a band program in a rural school district presents challenges that those in populated areas might not face. For example, music educators might need to teach outside their comfort zones.
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Vandegrift High School
When Mozart composed “The Magic Flute,” he likely didn’t envision a 386-member marching band and dance company performing the famous opera.
Captain Of Her Own Destiny
During my first season of high school marching band as a freshman trumpet player at Clear Creek High School in League City, Texas, I hardly noticed the four girls twirling flags at the back of the field.
VARSITY SPIRIT
A major new player has entered into the marching arts activity. See how Varsity Spirit, known for cheerleading apparel, competitions, and camps, has already made an impact to elevate the student experience.
THE AMBULANCE ARENA
Know how and why to activate the Emergency Medical Service for your event.
KEEP IN TOUCH
Group management tools help band directors communicate information, share photos, videos, and files, and even manage finances at their fingertips.
TARPS ON THE FIELD
Used in various shapes, sizes, and colors, tarps help marching groups transform the football field into their own stage.
THE DRUM MAJOR LIFECYCLE
From aspiring hopeful to drum major, from student to teacher, and from motivated to motivator, a drum major grows by leaps and bounds during her time on the podium with the University of Delaware and with the George N. Parks Drum Major Academy.
SPIRIT & SYNERGY
With formations of giant stick figures doing the “floss,”
THE UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
The University of Southern California ( U S C )Trojan Marching Band (TMB) has many nicknames:
REVIEWING GAME DAY SECURITY
Safety first! Both host and visiting bands must join forces with administrators and security personnel to create a positive event experience.
