The “Pride of Olney” continues to shine
Between a prestigious spot at the University Interscholastic League (U.I.L.) State Marching Contest in San Antonio, Texas in the fall, and taking two groups to the U.I.L. Concert and Sight-Reading Contest where they achieved the status as one of only two Texas bands that earned the title of “Sweepstakes,” – a standard of excellence in bands that is measured by marching, concert and sight-reading – the 2017-2018 school year was a phenomenal one for the “Pride of Olney” High School Band.
The band is heading into the 2018-2019 school year on a different foot, but one planted in the right direction. Many changes have marked the beginning of the marching season, including a school-wide renovation that has moved the band hall temporarily to the home of the Old Ag Building.
This fact was partially influential in the decision to remove 8th-grade students from the high school band, Band Director Rodney Bennett and Assistant Band Director Marilyn Bennett said.
“We did not know exactly how much room we were going to have in this temporary facility,” Rodney said. “We ended the previous school year with 102 students in the high school band, and we were basically wall-to-wall.”
The band directors and the school administration also decided this change would be beneficial to those younger students in terms of experience and learning.
“After talking with the administrators for over a year, there was some desire to truly separate junior high kids and high school kids,” Rodney said. “All in all, it’s going to be a good situation for the kids that remain in our program, because they will have another year to develop before they move to high school, which should make them better players and better prepared for when they do get to high school. We want to continue to elevate the standard of the program, so we want to make our kids better prepared.”
The change will also give both junior high and high school bands more opportunity, Rodney said, as U.I.L. holds its state marching contest for 2A, 4A and 6A division conferences on evennumbered years.
“It’s going to give us an opportunity with both the junior high and high school to potentially take two bands to the state marching contest,” he said.
8th-grade students who were a part of the high school band’s loading crew last school year will also get another year of experience in this field, with a select few to be given the opportunity to play on the marching field and in the stands during the football games.
“We decided that this would be an optimal year, with all the transition, to move the 8thgraders back to the junior high band,” Rodney said. “So, the band is going to be slightly smaller than what people have been used to seeing the last three years, but, quality-wise, it’s going to be an extraordinary group.”
Quality entertainment is what Rodney said defines the show for the 2018 marching season.
This year’s show is an all-classical number, titled “Wrath & Redemption”. Arranged by Texas composer and arranger Luke McMillian, the show opens with “Dies Irae” from Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s “Requiem in D Minor”, includes “Nessun Dorma” from “Turandot” by Giacomo Puccini, “Dies Irae” from Giuseppe Verdi’s “Requiem”, “Salvation is Created” by Pavel Chesnokov and closes with “Symphony No. 9” by Ludwig van Beethoven.
Rodney said the reception of an all-classical marching show was mixed when he presented the music to the band before the end of the 2017-2018 school year. But, after playing through the piece, Rodney said the students fell in love with the piece and now leave morning band practice singing opera or humming Beethoven’s music.
The show, which Rodney said was described by its arranger as the “musical depiction of events in the book of Revelation,” will be performed at all 10 football games, as well as at several marching festivals and contests.
The remainder of the school year will be packed with other performances and concert season in the spring semester, which includes solo and ensemble contests, the U.I.L. concert and sightreading contests and students participating in All-District and All-Region concert band.
While many milestones are hoping to be achieved one step at a time, Rodney said the main goal of his job is to leave a lasting impact on the students with music.
And no matter the outcome of the season, Marilyn said teaching music is always a rewarding practice.
“There are a lot of things about our job that are hard, tough and time-consuming,” she said. “So, I think you have to have a real passion for teaching and a real passion for wanting to share music with kids.”
The Bennetts said they are going into this school year with confidence in their bands to achieve great things.
“We want our kids to be the most extraordinary band they can possibly be,” Rodney said. “I’m a true believer in that if they take care of their business and do what they’re capable of, there is not much that can hold them back. We have extraordinarily talented kids here, and, if we get our mindset and they work together as an organization, they can achieve extraordinary things.”