GETTING DIGITAL
BHS band prepping for season
By LEAH S. BETHEA
Though band camp
was cancelled this summer
due to the COVID-19
pandemic, Baldwin High
School band leaders have
utilized technology to help students
prepare for the upcom
ing marching season in a safe
way.
James McMillan, head band
director of the Baldwin County
High School Band of the Braves, said
meetings have been held via Zoom throughout the summer
with student leaders.
“We’ve met a few times throughout the summer, mainly
with our student leaders, just to give them some tasks,
things they can be working on to try to get as far ahead as
possible before the season starts off,” McMillan said. “With
us having to shut down band camp, we’ve lost literally probably
a month or two of normal instruction so we’ve got to try
to make up that time and just figure out what’s going to be
the new normal this year.”
He said older students have been encouraged to reach out
to potential new members to make sure their instrument
is in working order. Students have also been encouraged to
begin working on musical scales. McMillan said music has
also been sent out digitally to students including some of the
marching band’s go-to stand tunes.
Typically each summer, a student leadership clinic is held
for section leaders, drum majors and other key students in
the marching band program. Because of the pandemic, the
clinic was moved online this year. Jeffery Rowser, director of
bands at Morgan County High School, spoke to the students
about the role of the leader in marching band.
“Obviously, with there only being one or two adults that
are in charge of the marching band, the more that we can
train our student leaders to lead by example and help out
with certain tasks, the easier job it becomes for both of the
directors that we have,” McMillan said. “He just talked to
them a little about what it is to be a student leader and what
it’s going to mean to be a student leader in particular with
the pandemic with a question mark on marching band,
whether or not we’re going to be in-person or things or going
to be online, and just trying to get them in the right track of
mind to start off the marching season.”
McMillan said with so many question marks concerning
the start of school, the marching band season is also playing
a waiting game of sorts.
“We’re actually in a holding pattern right now waiting to
see how school is going to start,” he said. “That way we can
determine how we are going to move forward with marching
band.”
McMillan says the school is awaiting guidelines from numerous
organizations such as the Georgia High School Association
(GHSA) and the Georgia Music Educators Association
(GMEA), as well as guidelines from local school officials.
“Right now the general mood is let’s wait until school
actually starts and then once school starts, whether that be
in-person or online, we’ll go from there.”
Have A
Great
Season!
Terry’s Auto Clinic
(478) 452-9733
1019 S. Elbert St
Milledgeville, GA
416371-1
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