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August l5, 20l8
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MARY PERSONS 2018-I9 VARSITY MARCHING BAND AND AUXILIARY (
MP Band taking
By Richard Dumas
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Mary Persons’ fans are
going to have to remind
themselves they’re not in
Kansas anymore during
MP football halftimes this
season.
For its 2018 halftime
show, the Mary Persons
Bulldog Brigade marching
band will be presenting a
parody of “The Wizard of
Oz”, except for the caveat
that the show will feature
unconventional music.
Among the popular songs
to be performed are “Iron
Man” by Black Sabbath to
introduce the Tin Man,
“Roar” by Katy Perry to
introduce the Cowardly -
Lion, “Fix You” by Coldplay
to introduce the Scarecrow
and “Bad” by Michael lack—
son to present the Wicked
Witch of the West.
Sixth—year MP band direc-
tor Eric Thompson said
he thinks it’s a “cool show”
that will delight judges and
football fans alike.
“It lends itself really well
to being competitive yet
being very entertaining,”
Thompson said of this year’s
show. Every year we always
find it very challenging that
we want to make sure that
we’re not just a competi—
tive marching band but our
primary focus is to make
sure that we’re entertaining
people. So we have to juggle
between those two things,
and I think this year people
are going to really enjoy see—
ing how we do that. And the
kids are performing great.
I think it’s probably one of
our strongest groups yet.”
Thompson said the talent
in his MP band has contin-
ued to increase each year,
which he said is evidence of
the quality instruction being
done at the elementary and
middle school levels.
“Usually at this point by
the first game we have about
the first two songs ready,”
Thompson said. “This year
we’ll have four done. So
we’re literally moving twice
as fast as we have in the
past, and a lot of that has to
do with the average musi—
cal ability of the student has
increased significantly. The
students are showing their
abilities of reading music
and reading the drill. Their
attention to detail has just ,
been significantly better this
year than it has in thepast.”
Thompson said his 11 se-
niors, seven in the band and
four on the auxiliary team,
are emblematic of the skills
and character that members
of the 2018 Squad exhibit.
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Among these seniors are
two musicians, horn player
Zach Watts and flutist Rilyn
McKallip who were named
all-state performers as
juniors.
“Our seniors are just a
really special group of kids,
and they were big propo-
nents of our culture change
that our program had over
the last six years,” Thomp-
son said. “They’re just such
smart kids that they realize
that we were able to be a
great marching band while
still having a really positive
and family culture. And
I mean those seniors are
some of the smartest kids
in the school, potential
valedictorian, salutatorian,
S.T.A.R. students. Probably
some day they’re going to be
doctors and lawyers, even
professional musicians.
They’re just really inspiring.”
Thompson said MP’s
new block scheduling is
expected to give him more
time to work with the band,
particularly in teaching
more musical enrichment
than in previous years, a
factor that should aid MP’s
younger talents in becom-
ing top performers as well.
“It’s not just about learning
how to play your instru-
ment but diving a little bit
deeper into music and how
it’s evolved and how it’s a
part of our society,” Thomp-
son said. “I think through
that we’re going to see even
more growth from our
program. And it’s already
really taken off over the
years. This past year when
we were competing against
other schools, we domi-
nated our district in terms
of students who placed in
the top three chairs.”
Among the statistics
Thompson cited to show
MP’s growing band excel—
lence was that 2017—18 was
the first year that every
ensemble, including middle
school, high school, solo en—
semble and marching band,
received superior ratings at
statewide competition. MP
also had 16 students make
District Honor Band, the
most in program history,
12 students made Region
Honor Band, and then three
(McKallip, Potts and tuba
player Grant Pixley) quali-
fied for the All-State Band.
Thompson credited
Monroe County Schools
administrators for the
band’s success by their plac~
ing an importance on fine
arts as exemplified by the
2017 opening of the new
Fine Arts Center.
Thompson said of system
leaders: “They really under-
} ..
Photo/Richard Dumas)
BULLDOG BRIGADE DRUM MAJORS: Pictured from left
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to right: Bailey Nibletf and Katie Thomason.
stand that when music is
a focus, it helps the whole
school. Our school system
just proved recently that we
test better than a majority
of the schools in Georgia.
I think that’s because we
develop a well-rounded kid
here. It’s not just about aca—
demics. It’s not just about
athletics. It’s about the arts.
It’s about everything. We
want to make sure that each
child has a well-rounded
education. And that takes
great leadership.”
The chief student leaders
in the 2018 band are drum
majors Bailey Niblett and
Katie Thomason. Niblett
was also a drum major a
year ago while Thomason
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Miles Johnson.
Thompson said of his
drum majors: “They’re
just two exceptional kids.
They’re extremely great at
playing their instruments
(Thomason plays the flute
while Niblett plays the
trombone). They’re ex-
tremely smart, incredibly
ftuiny and extremely hard
working. And we’re excited
about them being essen—
tially the face of the band
program because we know
that they will do whatever
is necessary to help out the
other kids in the band and
try to make the band the
best that it can be.”
Thompson said MP’s con—
year Zada!
tinued band success hasn’t
happened by accident. He
said his band members
work hard, spending weeks
of their summer practicing
and often showing up on
Saturdays even during the
school year.
“Next time you see some-
one who is in the marching
band, give them a high five
and tell them they’re doing a
great job,” Thompson urged
MP fans. “Know that when
you see that halftime show
that’s only 10 minutes long,
we’re talking about hun-
dreds of hours that go into
that little lO—minute long
segment. From planning
to rehearsing the music to
rehearsing the drill, these
kids are out there sweating
in the 102 degree heat just
like the football team in a lot
of regards. They’re out there
practicing three days a week
doing three weeks of band
camp. There’s just so much
time that goes into it, so any
little bit of encouragement
only helps our kids and our
band programs.”
Thompson said one big
positive change this year
is the addition of Miles
Benson as Monroe County
Middle School band direc—
tor. Benson, a Monroe
County native, has a wide
background of musi-
cal experience, formerly
serving as Tattnall’s band
director while also being
active in several local bands
and leading the choir at Mt.
Zion Methodist Church.
Thompson said of Ben—
son: “He’s a great musician,
but I think the thing though
that’s going to serve him
really well here is that Mr.
Benson just has a really
great personality, a sense
of humor, and 1 think he’s
going to connect to the
kids on a really personal
fans to Land of Oz in ’18
level that will help inspire
them to continue to pursue
music.”
Also assisting Thompson
in 2018— 18 are longtime
auxiliary instructor Vicky
Sykes, returning assistants
Stephen Braswell and John
Brainard and staff newcom—
er Amy Edwards.
Thompson said the effec~
tiveness of his staff makes
his job a lot more enjoyable
now than it was when he
' first started at MP.
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Thompson said, “I would
say that last year was my
first year of truly having
fun being a band director.
. . You have to wear many
caps. You have to be a big
brother to some of the kids.
Sometimes you have to
give them fatherly advice.
Sometimes you might have
to help someone with their
car. Sometimes you might
need to become a therapist.
And actually the small-
est portion of the job is
teaching music. Now that
we’ve got things rocking at
the elementary school and
middle school, we have built
this culture of working hard
and getting satisfaction out
of the process, and it’s not
all about results, it’s about
enjoying the process, I have
found it more fun from my
end because I don’t have to
worry about students not
understanding what we do.
They already get to me at
the high school, and they
already understand what
my expectations are going
to be.”
MP will compete in
judged marching band
competitions on Saturday,
Sept. 22 and Saturday, Oct.
6, but Thompson said the
locations have yet to be
determined.
.
HAVE A GREAT .tItXIfllth’ SEASON.
w. in: so PROUD or YOU!
Love, Daddy, Mama 8. Ryan
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