For the Love of the Band

Each year as school begins, football begins, too. Parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, teachers, neighbors, and excited fans of all ages pack the stands to cheer on and support our student athletes. We jump up, scream, clap, and laugh with our players. We clap, stamp our feet, and cheer with the cheerleaders. We clap, dance, and stamp our feet even louder when the band plays, too. Fall activities introduce a fun time with celebration for all, and music drives it.

With so many students showcasing their skills and talents during football games, it can be easy to accidentally miss a few. For instance, what about the pep club or student cheering section? Do they still make ban-

courtesy photo ners for the game? Is that still a thing these days? How about those cheerleaders? Do we consider how many hours of practice those young people endure? What about the band—those students who surrender weeks of their summers and weekends throughout the year marching,learning multiple musical pieces,memorizing them,and then combining all of it for halftime performances and parades? Who can resist the beating heart of the band? Culturally, we love music, and we love marching bands.

Fortunately, many in the community support all of the students. Take the Band Boosters, for instance. The band boosters, made up of a 9-member board and a handful of volunteers, raise money in support of the band.They run the concession stand during junior varsity and varsity football games and sell halftime sponsorships for that purpose. Additionally, they hold both silent and live auctions,a dinner,and the jazz band each April to fundraise in support of the band. They feed band students meals and snacks at competitions.

Booster President Jeramiah Welch said that all of the money they raise goes directly to the band in the forms of purchasing sheet music,buying and repairing musical instruments, and furnishing meals, snacks, and water to band students during rehearsals,games,and competitions throughout the year.

In regard to purchasing and repairing those musical instruments, the Boosters provide them for the use of students, who cannot purchase their own, throughout the school year. The provision of those instruments means that any student may join the band regardless of financial means. Moreover, Assistant Band Director Sheila Davis noted that because marching has been proven in studies to be as—and in some cases more—taxing than other forms of athletic training or exercise, band students require water and snacks for hydration and stamina during summer and fall rehearsals and performances. Mrs. Davis expressed heartfelt gratitude for those provisions, saying “We’re incredibly blessed to be in a community so willing to support the band, who ask what we need and follow through in providing those things. It allows our students to enjoy and share music with others.The community, school administration, Boosters, and parents really come through for our students. Thank you all for being so outstanding in your support.” She further wished to thank a group of loud and proud moms for donating cases of water to the band and supporting students in all activities throughout the school system. Of the community’s support, she added “Our kids are incredibly grateful for everything. They feel loved.We love them, and they love us. It’s such an honor to serve them and be part of a community that loves the band.”

For her part, Mrs. Davis’ commitment to Bristow’s band is evident as she has been with the band for 16 years.Bristow Band Director Ryan McCreary has been with the band even longer for 19 years. While Mrs. Davis noted the physically taxing aspects of marching, Mr. McCreary cited studies showing the cognitive benefits of playing and being exposed to music. According to Mr. McCreary, those studies have shown that music improves problem solving skills and testing ability, engaging the whole brain and improving cognition, generally.

He expressed his gratitude to all involved in making music and band participation possible for the students: “The community and school administration have always been so good in supporting the band. We always love volunteers to help with the concession stand.We’ve enjoyed support from the community whether through cases of water and snacks or through fundraisers. We love that the community comes out to football games and supports all of the kids performing.I feel blessed every year for our parents and the Band Boosters,the community,and school administrators who are willing to give us their time. Bristow is really great to our students.”

He added that one thing could make it even better, saying “At games, the football players and cheerleaders are out there, but we’d also love for people to come and stay through halftime to cheer on our band students. Whatever the activity, our students invest a lot of their time and effort. I’d like to see the community come out and support all of our students doing what they love at halftime and our competitions.”

Speaking of those halftime shows and competitions, there are 3 more home games in which the community can support student athletes and the band on October 6, 20, and 27. Furthermore, the band has two upcoming competitions: The Blue and the Grey Classic Marching Competition this Saturday, October 7, in Glenpool and the OBA Classes 1A through 3A marching competition in Claremore the following Saturday, October 14. Concert season begins immediately following Bristow’s final football home game. Mrs. Davis also said that the band participates in 6 to 8 competitions per year, excluding parades, halftime shows, honor bands performances, and solo and ensemble contests.

The Boosters and band directors want the community to know that supporting the band can be as simple as showing up to watch their performances and cheer or more involved by volunteering or making donations. The Boosters and band accept donations of water, snacks, and money to help fund the band’s musical endeavors. Mr. Welch said about a dozen volunteers are needed to run the concession stand at games. For the record, Mr. Mc-Creary noted that 37 students are in the high school band with around 90 total band students from sixth through twelfth grades.

To learn more about the band, contact Mr. McCreary or Mrs. Davis through Bristow High School.To learn more about Band Boosters, making a donation, or volunteering, contact Mr. Welch at 918-408-2862. Most importantly, support the students by enjoying their music… simply for the love of the band.