Band debuts under first-year director
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“We want to leave the audience happy,” said first-year director Duane Farnham, noting putting a show together is a long, painstaking process which requires the coordination of nearly 80 members in seamless unison.
The beginnings of the show first took shape during band camp this summer and have continued to progress in earnest since school began, as band members, like football players, enter two-a-day practices once the season nears. Opening night saw the band showcase one of its tunes. The remainder of the show will be completed in the coming weeks to be unveiled for the first time Sept. 27.
“Just getting the show on the field has been the toughest part,” Farnham said. “The original drill was tough so it’s taking some time to get it right.”
This year’s show will have a space theme and is named an “Odyssey in Space.” Farnham said most audience members will recognize the music in the show which will include numbers such as “2001 – A Space Odessy,” “Duel of Fates” from Star Wars Episode I, “Excerpt of Jupiter” and a medley of music from “Star Trek” and “Star Wars.”
“We’ll be marching just the first song at first and playing the rest of our show from the standing position,” Farnham said. “As the season progresses we will be showing more and more until we do the entire show just before contest season.”
Farnham said the band plans to participate in three contests beginning in Hendersonville. The other two contests are likely to be in Knoxville and Lebanon.
While some bands aim their shows to impress only judges at band contests, Farnham believes the local group has a good mix which will impress judges and please football audiences.
Along with the regular show which will be performed at football games, both home and away, and at contests, Farnham hopes to come up with a special Halloween show for Senior Night, as well as a patriotic show to honor veterans.
In addition to their on-field presence, Farnham said the band will take a role in providing a supportive atmosphere for football games.
“We will be coordinating our efforts with the cheerleading squad, using walkie-talkies to get on the same page,” Farnham said, noting their participation will include playing a new fight song. The song will be similar to that used by Tennessee Tech, which is Farnham’s alma mater.
As for the band itself, the numbers are lower than in recent years as the squad will field around 80 members, placing it in the medium class during contests. The group includes a good mix of seniors, which have given invaluable leadership according to Farnham. The band, in addition to its other underclassmen, includes five eighth-grade students.
The smaller band is not a big concern for Farnham at this point given the rather large crop of upcoming students from Warren County Middle School, where he was director before taking the high school job this year.
“We’ve got three grades of about 150 students in the program over there, so the numbers will rise steadily in our high school program over the next couple of years,” Farnham said. “We’re looking at building a strong program here.”