Basic band doesn’t let small size get it down

By Frances Vanderploeg

Thursday, Sept. 4, 2008 | midnight

Basic High School's band may be a little bit smaller this year, but it's nothing to worry about, band director Mark McArthur said.

"It's not that big of a deal," McArthur said. "We have a very hard-working band that has great student leadership. … Numbers aren't such an important part this year."

The group is down about 15 people, he said, which isn't huge despite the fact that some students expressed concern.

Some of the students, including drum major Alina Twitchell, 17, said she worried only because it makes the marching band more susceptible to scrutiny. In a larger band, she said, there's more room for error, because there are more students. At their size, it's possible the judges will take off points for more mistakes just because they're more obvious, she said.

More important than numbers, McArthur and the drum majors agreed, is the attitude the band conveys. Twitchell and fellow drum major Matt Stiles said the members are more positive and seem more willing to work hard than they have in years past.

"Our attitude is continuously on a positive track, and I'm excited to see that," McArthur said.

Members of the school's marching band start their school year early. They attend 10 days of band camp from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. before the first day of school to learn the marching moves and the music.

The start of school doesn't end their band-filled days. It just rearranges them, requiring the students to show up for band class as well as practice two nights a week for three hours each and play at football games.

"It takes a lot of dedication and concentration," Twitchell said. But the camaraderie makes it worth it.

"If you mess with someone in band, you mess with the whole band," she said.

Igor Glisic, a freshman at Basic, said that feeling of camaraderie and friendship is part of the reason he joined band.

"We're pretty awesome," Glisic said.

Learning responsibility and punctuality is one of many benefits beyond friendships, many members said.

Twitchell recalled a story about a Basic graduate whose family members were all high school dropouts. He ended up graduating and continuing on to college, because, through band, he had something to work for, she said.

Because of state-mandated budget cuts, Basic's band, like other high school bands, has taken a large financial hit. It's nothing the group can't handle, McArthur said.

"Some of the extra things that are provided that are nice, such as traveling to away games, we're having to save for next year," he said.

To balance the cuts, McArthur is working to change the band program to ease the financial demands placed on the families. For some, the band fee — $275 for new students, $250 for returning ones — is too much. He said he is working on ways to counteract that so membership will start going back up. Part of the efforts are based on students doing fundraisers, he said.

Because of the student leadership he's seen so far, he said, he's confident the year will be good, despite anything negative that may come the band's way.