DHS Band brings home awards

The Daleville High School Band is known as the “Pride of the South.” This year they have made Daleville proud by bringing home awards for their performance on the field as well as their performance at competitions. Among the awards garnered for the DHS marching band are the WTVY Band of the Week and the WDHN (Pepsi-Cola) Band of the Week. DHS band also brought home all superior ratings at the Little Big Horn Marching Band Festival in Opp on Oct. 19 and the Pea River Marching Band Classic in Elba on Oct. 26.  In addition, the band won best in class percussion and majorettes at the Little Big Horn contest.

According to DHS Band Director Mark Nichols, DHS band isn’t just about practice and performance, it is about service as well. Band members served as hosts and workers and were also the exhibition performance band for the Daleville Marching Band Invitational.

Nichols said the students have grown over the year and he is looking forward to concert season.  

“The band has grown throughout this year to be a tightknit family of caring and intelligent musicians,” Nichols said. “I am very proud of our accomplishments and look forward to hearing them musically as we prepare for our concert season.”

Nichols encourages students to join band. He said band should be thought of as a time to make music with friends. “Future band musicians should think about band as making music with their friends and enjoying the comradery through music making. It is a wonderful school experience that only happens during a certain time of your life,” Nichols said. “For me, it is such a joy watching our students grow musically from their beginning band years until they graduate high school.”

Riane Doxtater, a DHS senior saxophone player, has been in high school band for five years. He credits band with bringing him out of his shell.

“When I first joined in eighth grade I was not that social and it kind of brought me out of my shell and helped me create stronger friendships,” Doxtater said.

Doxtater was excited about the progress the band has made this year. “This season we won best in class percussion because our percussion section has worked to improve not only the entire show but their specific part of the feature,” Doxtater said. “Going back and watching some of the recordings of the show you can definitely see the progression.”

Kaemon Skinner, a senior snare drum player and percussion section leader, has been in band for four years. He is proud of the accomplishments of the band as a whole and especially the percussion section.

“This year we made best in class for percussion and it is my senior year so I have been soaking it all up—trying to make the most of it,” Skinner said.

Donald Christian is a senior trumpet player. He has enjoyed participating in band this year.

“This year has been pretty fun. I have had a great experience,” Christian said. “I have really liked meeting new people. One thing about our band is that we are all a family.”

Eduardo Pliego is a senior tenor sax and percussion player. Pliego said that in spite of the ups and downs the band still comes together as a family for performances.

“We have had a lot of ups and downs with the whole band but at the end of the day we still get closer and excel together when it is time to perform,” Pliego said. “We have band camp the last two weeks in July and I think that we have improved a lot since then and over the last few years. In my opinion, I think that we surpassed last year’s band.”

Parting words from DHS band members are, “We are a band to watch. One band, one sound. The Pride of the South.”