It’s football season here at Birmingham, but the football team isn’t the only group practicing for games. The BCCHS Marching Band has been at work since before school started to put on a show and entertain everyone, not only at football games but at other school events as well.

In order to find out more about our school’s band, I talked to the band director, Mr. Barrett. This is his third year as band director.

“We have a growing band, so it’s small in size, but the halftime show we’re doing is Tribal Echoes. It has a tribal or ethnic kind of theme. Hopefully, it’s enjoyable to watch,” Mr. Barrett explained when he was asked about how the band is doing and what their show is. He described more about Tribal Echoes and how this song was chosen and added, “I was looking at music that sounded good within our music grade level. (I was) thinking about things that would sound good with our ensemble, and things that would be fun to play.”

He also discussed the challenges the band has faced since coming back from quarantine due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

“There have been lots of challenges. A lot of the students didn’t play a lot during quarantine, and therefore they lost a year of improving their abilities,” he said. Mr. Barrett also explained how due to the pandemic they’re working towards building back the fundamentals. A lot of the marching band members graduated during the pandemic, so the group has been working with a lot of newer members with little to no experience.

This hasn’t stopped the band from working tirelessly to put on a show. The group has been having Monday and Tuesday practices after school as well as zero periods in the mornings.

“I’m excited to put as much of the field show onto the field as possible and hopefully perform that at a football game,” Mr. Barrett explained after being asked what he’s excited about this year.

I also spoke with Bryan Lopez, the drum major for the Marching Band. Lopez has been in the Marching Band for four years, mainly playing the trumpet, but he has also played the baritone. When I asked him if he was enjoying band this year, he spoke about the close bonds that the band makes with one another.

“Of course, meeting new people, getting to know more people, making new friends; I think that’s what band is about,” Lopez said. When I asked about his favorite part of being in the marching band, his response was similar.

“My favorite part about marching band is the people. That’s what makes the band fun,” he explained. BCCHS’s Marching Band has faced many challenges coming back to school this year, but it sounds like they’ve been working hard to put on a show, and they’ve made some good friends while doing it.