Nation Ford, Fort Mill Bands Finish the Year on a High Note
Published by the Rock Hill Herald on November 4, 2009 by Shawn Cetrone
Click this link - picture from article - to see the drum majors together with the state trophies!!!
High schools win state championships in their divisions
When Nation Ford High School opened in 2007, pulling most of its students from nearby Fort Mill High, both schools had to launch new marching band programs. Some wondered whether either could carry on Fort Mill High's legacy of championships. That's no longer a question.
On Saturday, both schools took on bands from across the state and were crowned state champions in their divisions — Fort Mill High in Class AAAA; Nation Ford in Class AAA.
“It's a huge deal,” said Taylor Rouse, 16, a Nation Ford High junior and drum major.
The wins cap stellar years for both bands and continue a string of successes for York County's high school marching bands, which consistently rank among the state's best. This year marks the third straight that a York County band took the Class AAAA championship. Northwestern High in Rock Hill won last year, and Clover High the year before. This year, York County bands placed in the top four Class AAA and Class AAAA winners. Rock Hill High School's band will compete in the Class AAAAA state competition on Saturday.
South Carolina is known as a “band-friendly” state. As with football, the state encourages competition between marching bands and it crowns state champions every year. The competition is high level, and the training rigorous. Students give up evenings, weekends and part of their summer to practice. During the school year, they travel to competitions and performances. The key, students said, is to learn to manage time.
“School and band. That's it,” said Ahmez Nash, 17, a Fort Mill High senior drum major. “It's your grades and your art.”
“It's just awesome to be part of something so big,” said Fort Mill High senior Alexis Melaine, 17. “Nowhere else in school … no other club, no team, you're not going to make these friends that you're going to keep.”
On Monday, Fort Mill High's band enjoyed a rare day of down time. Students, wearing their championship medals, gathered in the band room to watch video of their Saturday performance.
“They win state; we give them their lives back,” band director John Pruitt joked.
A shelf running along all four walls in the school's band room is crammed with hundreds of trophies and awards won over the years. Plaques and banners hang below. Students sat in the center of the room watching footage of their show, titled “Beyond the Great Wall: Celebrating 5,000 years of Chinese culture.” The band played and marched to a collection of classical Chinese music plus portions of the film scores for “The Last Emperor” and “The Mummy 3.” Members of the color guard, dressed as terracotta warriors, acted out the music. The performance was elaborate and wowed judges, who gave the band a score of 93.8, more than three percentage points ahead of second-place Northwestern.
“We try to put together very sophisticated shows,” said Philip Rainer, the school's color guard director since 1996. “This year feels like one of the best years since I've been here. The kids were on it all year long and there was growth.”
Nation Ford High's band doesn't have time to celebrate. All week, the band is hitting the field to practice for a run at the national championship title Nov. 12 in Indianapolis. The band will take on 89 others from across the country. Band director Martin Dickey said the band is shooting for the top 30.
On Monday the band was tweaking its show, titled “Fast Track,” which won the state title. It's a piece of original music written for the band in which members, working in synch and disguised with props and costumes, form a human train.
During practice, several students still were beaming from Saturday.
“It's incredible that both bands won,” said Nation Ford High senior and drum major Jaclyn Turner, 18.
Performing makes it all worth it, Rouse said. “Whenever you're done performing in a stadium and all the people stand up, you can't explain it,” Rouse said.
Lots of support
Both bands' directors said their success is due in large part to unrelenting support from students' families.
“Our parents have been unbelievably supportive,” said Dickey, who led Fort Mill High's band for 13 years before moving to Nation Ford when the school opened. “They said, ‘We will not let this band not be successful.'”
The Fort Mill District Band Booster Club, a registered nonprofit organization, is made up of parent volunteers who manage fundraising and fees for marching bands at the district's two high schools and three middle schools. Although it works closely with high school band directors, the club is its own entity and raises considerable amounts of money. This year, the club's budget is $566,000. Band officials said that pays for expenses, including travel, expert instructors and music for elaborate performances.
This might be the last time that both Fort Mill bands can land state championships in the same year. Starting next year, Fort Mill High will be in Class AAA. The bands will be rivals. Turner was one of the students who went from Fort Mill High to Nation Ford High when it opened. She remembers the uncertainty of the first year and starting a band from scratch.
“None of us had any idea what to expect,” she said. “We were pretty worried. I still have no idea how it worked out the way it did.”
See for yourself
Fort Mill High will perform for the public at 7:30 p.m. Thursday at the school, 225 Munn Road. Nation Ford High will perform at 7 p.m. Monday at the school, 1400 A.O. Jones Blvd.
Band notes
York County bands took top spots Saturday in two state championship competitions.
Class AAAA
First: Fort Mill High, 93.8
Second: Northwestern High, 90.65
Fourth: Clover High, 88.675
Class AAA
First: Nation Ford High, 91.65
Third: York Comprehensive High, 88.6
Fourth: South Pointe High, 84.9
Other competitions
Lewisville High's band placed second in the Class A championship.
Rock Hill High will compete Saturday for the Class AAAAA title.
Nation Ford High will compete for a national championship Nov. 12 in Indianapolis.
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