Marching band suffers loss, adjusts to new director

By Frances Vanderploeg

Thursday, Oct. 9, 2008 | midnight

When Cimarron-Memorial High School was announced as the A class champions Oct. 4 at the 13th annual Henderson Bandfest, the students burst out chanting the last name of their new band director: "Melton, Melton, Melton."

The Cimarron win was an upset in many ways. For the past three years, Boulder City High School, under the direction of Curtis Melton, had been the A class champion, and the band members were hoping to do it one more time, even though Melton had gone to Cimmaron-Memorial.

Henderson Bandfest, hosted by Basic and Coronado high schools, is the first competition of marching season for local high schools.

After the competition, tears rolled down the cheeks of a few Boulder City students, who said they missed the band director they'd worked with their entire high school career.

Andi Klann, 15, a member of Boulder City's color guard, said one of the hardest parts of the day was walking off the field after their performance and seeing their old director walking on with his new team, which performed immediately after the Eagles. Though he keeps in touch with many of the students, it's hard knowing he's gone, she said.

This is the first year new band director James Gillette has directed a band, and his philosophy is focused less on competition and more on fun, he said, but he understood the emotion.

"Having a director here for three years … you kind of grow those attachments, those friendships," Gillette said. "It's hard to see your director go to another school and be successful there."

Gillette said the students are adjusting well to the change in leadership. His idea is that, if the students are having fun, they'll be more willing to adapt to his style of teaching.

So far, he said, the feedback from students has been positive.

"That was probably our best performance so far (this year)," Reese Barton, 14, said.

The time the Boulder City students have spent with their new band director has been a positive experience, students said. They've grown closer as a team this year and have high expectations for where they will finish.

Boulder City took third place at the Basic competition, behind Cimarron-Memorial and Centennial High School, which made an appearance at the show for the first time in at least four years, according to parents.

"Third is as good as first for us," Gillette said. "So much pressure has been put on them in the past years, so maybe it was a good thing to come in third … As long as you come out with a positive outlook and a positive experience, there's nowhere to go but up."

Boulder City students said they were pleased with what they had done. Bandfest gives them an opportunity to see where they're at, and see where their competition is, they said.

"It's kind of a reference for next time," Maureen Wheeler, a color guard member, said.

The students practiced for three hours each week before the competition, plus an hour in class each day. Hearing the audience response made the students realize why they put so much time in, Wheeler said.

"Once they applaud for you — it makes it all worth it," she said.

Frances Vanderploeg can be reached at 990-2660 or [email protected].