GMC Bulldog Brigade to present
‘2020: A Musical Vision of the Past Century’
Georgia Military College Prep’s Bulldog Brigade Marching Band
has spent the summer months rehearsing for the upcoming
marching season, and leaders say a team approach has been
used to help them achieve their main priority of keeping the students
healthy and safe.
Clint Raburn, high school band director, said percussion and flag
corps students began practicing on July 9, and then full band camp
began on July 13. Students were able to work together during the
three weeks that followed up until the start of school in early August.
“Our original plan was to start back at that time and things
worked out that we were able to stick to our original plan and do the
camp,” Raburn said. “Of course, it didn’t look like it normally does
because we hardly played indoors at all. We did everything outside.”
Raburn said great weather and evening practices allowed practices
to be held outside away from the heat of the day in a socially-distanced
environment. He said upon arrival, students were screened
with a series of questions and their temperatures were taken.
“Our most important thing is the kids’ health and safety, so we
wanted to make sure that we provided a safe place.”
Raburn said multiple departments with the school have helped to
make events like band camp continue to be possible.
“Our engineering department at GMC is just phenomenal as well
as our nursing department,” he says. “They’ve just provided us with
so many resources in making sure that we’re staying healthy.”
Raburn said the air purification in the band room with ionization
units has also increased safety, as well as custodians who sanitize
prior to practice. He said it is great to have such a large group of
people who are all working together for the safety of the students.
“That’s what helps us in being able to have a practice indoors and
still socially distance,” he says.
Raburn has done a great deal of research himself as well to
determine safest measures. He says students wear masks when they
are not playing their instruments, and they even have masks for the
instruments. The masks fit over the bell of the instrument while still
allowing sound to flow through the instrument. In addition, flutes
have a plexiglass shield on their instruments.
“It’s just kind of a shield to make sure that no aerosol is spread
from the instrument,” he said.
Raburn said the kids have really enjoyed being back together.
The Bulldog Brigade Marching Band has 48 students in grades 8
through 12. He said the theme for this year will be “2020: A Musical
Vision of the Past Century.”
“We start off in 1920 and work up to 2020,” he says. “We highlight
songs from each decade.”
Despite things looking a bit different this year, Raburn says band
camp was still a success.
“It was a great outcome,” he says. “We actually picked up a few
students who were not on the roster.”
As far as the rest of the season goes, Raburn says they are playing
it by ear.
“We are tracking GHSA’s guidance and decisions, but hopefully
By LEAH S. BETHEA
we will be able to have a band season and a football season as normal,”
he says.
Raburn says contest season typically begins in late September
and runs through October. He says many of the schools that host the
events are waiting to get a read on how things are going with school
starting to declare whether or not they will host a festival.
“We are just kind of playing it by ear and watching to see what’s
going to happen there, but all the time just keeping the health and
safety of the students as our top priority and seeing what’s going to
be best for them.”
On a personal note, Raburn has two sons in the marching band
this year, which makes the season even more special. He says he is
very excited about the way the year is going so far.
“I love the marching band getting together and being able to support
the football team. It’s like its own family. Seeing the students
succeed and come together and learn from each other and being
able to perform together as one group is just always amazing to me.”
Best Wishes
for a Great Season
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