One beat. One band. One heart. When not on Warrior turf, they dominate the competition with their unmatched dedication and in-sync teamwork. They are the rhythm of the roar, the echo in the stands, the soundtrack to the Dubs’ victory, and the beat that brings the heat.
Jarius Thomas, Band Director, joined the Warrior family last year and is not just the leader of our marvelous marching band. Thomas is in charge of the concert band, the wind symphony, and more. He graduated from Coffee High School in Douglas, Georgia, and then majored in Music Education at Edward Waters College in Jacksonville, Florida. Throughout high school, he participated in the Gator Bowl Parade for a college football game during New Year’s, competed in a band competition, won first place, and created a strong camaraderie with 277 other band members. He not only relishes that nostalgic feeling, but you can also tell he drives camaraderie into his students, which contributes to uplifting the Dub Spirit. “Our job is to support the football team and entertain the crowd,” Thomas said.
“Forward… March!” A brutal way to spend the summer, band camp. The marching band is up before 7 a.m. on the Dub’s field practicing every day until finally ending at 7 p.m., going home and continuing the cycle … again. Most of the time, they have 10-minute breaks during the 12-hour practices. For lunch, it’s a one-hour break, and then there are “Gush and Gos”, where the band drops everything, gets water, then rushes back into their positions, continuing to play. Before Friday Night Lights spotlights our fierce and mighty Warriors, the band practices three days a week outside in the heat for one to two hours. They learn field positions and their individual spots on the field, which takes a lot of work because it is important for them to get it right. “A lot of hard work goes into the preparation for the performances, but it’s very rewarding, he said. “It’s the one time where the kids have fun.”
Christopher Shankwiler, senior and snare sensei, has been playing the snare drums in the marching band since his freshman band camp. Outside of rehearsal, he spends 15 minutes to one hour practicing. When it comes to football games, he feels that he isn’t missing out no matter where he is. Everyone is there to watch the game, and that is what matters. Some songs the band plays include: “Seven Nation Army”, “Let’s Go Warriors”, and the band’s beloved favorite “Talkin’ Out The Side Of Your Neck”. The band keeps the crowd energized throughout the game with their music becoming fan favorites as well.“My favorite part is probably all of the shows that we do, like halftime shows, but mainly percussion features,” he said. “Support the team and entertain the fans”.
North’s very own Marching Band builds the excitement with drumrolls that carry them from long practices into amazing halftime shows. As the final note soars through the crisp autumn air, the band didn’t just play music- they created a wave of passion and pride.
