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Durango High School band marching off to regionals

Band quadrupled under director’s leadership

With a mature and full sound, the Durango High School marching band has become a competitive force under the direction of Katharine Reed.

When she came to the school in 2011, about 20 students participated in band. On Thursday 80 students will take the field to perform the halftime show at regional competition in Grand Junction.

The show “A Pirate’s Adventure” tells the story of a band of pirates looking for a desert island and finding gold.

The dramatic music is accompanied with swirling flags bearing skulls and crossbones and a freestanding gray pirate ship that produces wispy cannon fire.

The students unveiled the complete show Saturday for the first time ahead of competition.

Since Reed’s arrival, the band has been working up the rankings each year in regional and state competition, and the students attribute the band’s success to her.

“She’s the heart of the band,” said Liam O’Neil a junior marimba player.

This season, the band has improved musically and in their overall presentation, according to some students.

Compared with past years, the band has a better balance of low instruments, like tubas to offset the high voices, such as trumpets and woodwinds, and it’s really improved the band’s sound, said Matthew McLaughlin a drum major.

The percussion section, which includes the electric piano and electric cello, has also matured, O’Neil said.

“Last year, we couldn’t really be heard,” he said.

To complement the music, a group of parents built the pirate ship and a palm tree so the band would have its first background in recent years at competition.

“I think it’s going to make us way more competitive,” said Caroline Parker a senior baritone saxophone player.

Parker was among the students who was drawn to band because of Reed. She hadn’t been challenged in middle school, and contemplated not playing in the high school band.

But after Reed visited her school, she changed her mind, and she’s learned both leadership and how to work as part of team with 80 players, who all have to be their best at the same time.

“There is no sport like marching band,” she said.

To help support the band, Durango Instrumental Music Booster Club is currently raising $40,000 for new uniforms so the band can look its best next year. Many of the current uniforms were purchased used in 2002 and 2005, said Darci Warren, co-president of the club.

mshinn@durangoherald.com

To donate

Durango Instrumental Music Booster Club: To contribute contact the club at dimbcinc@gmail.com



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