Photo by Erin Nelson.
The Homewood High marching band runs through portions of the 2023 halftime show on the band practice field at Homewood High School.
The Homewood High School Patriot Band is gearing up for another busy year.
After practicing and preparing during several weeks of summer band camp, the band is ready to take the field.
Director Christopher Cooper is in his 30th year of teaching, and his 25th at Homewood High.
Alongside Copper are assistant directors Terrance Cobb (in his 18th year at Homewood) and Ryan Murrell (in his fifth year at Homewood and also a Homewood alum). Percussion instructor Darren Holbrooks is beginning his 37th year teaching percussion.
Jennifer Ayers, a Homewood alum, is in her 27th year as the Star Spangled Girl instructor, and Courtney Windham, assistant Star Spangled Girl instructor, is in her fifth year. Abigail Aho Powers is in her fourth year as color guard instructor. Retired band director Ron Pence also serves as a part-time instructor.
The band has 400 members and is led by five drum majors: Harper Sheils, Jill Ferderber, Maren Smith, Lauren Brown and Carter Cavin.
Their performance this season is titled “Out of this World” and includes: “Fanfare” from “2001: A Space Odyssey,” “A Sky Full of Stars” by Coldplay, Venus’ “Bananarama” and “Don’t Let the Sun Go Down on Me” by Elton John.
Cooper said there are a wonderful group of kids in band, and he is looking forward to their many events this season, including the field show, the Veterans Day concert, Christmas spectacular show, Christmas parade, winter guard competitions, Black history month performance, parent sit-in concert, trip to Ireland, We Love Homewood Day parade, spring band show, end-of-the-year dance, and jazz and percussion concerts.
“The journey is what is so much fun to take with these students,” Cooper said.
A decision was made years ago to no longer attend band competitions, but instead to focus all their attention on having a band for the community, he said.
“It has paid off as our program has grown to the largest band program in the state for the last 20 years and running,” he said. “We do band differently than most, and with so many kids wanting to be in our program, we feel this is what best fits our program.”
The Patriot Band has been invited to march in the 2024 St. Patrick’s Day Parade in Dublin, Ireland.
“It’s been 27 years since Homewood last marched in this parade, and we have parents now that went on that trip in 1997 and will have their own kids get to do the same,” Cooper said. “To march on a worldwide stage with bands from all over the world is going to be something these kids will remember for a lifetime.”
There will be 305 students, 30 staff and another 70 family and friends making the trip, and the band will march in two parades while in Dublin, he said. One is the St. Patrick’s Parade, which is televised in Ireland, and the other is a small-town parade in the city of Cellbridge.
“I have the best job in Homewood getting to lead these wonderful students, and I’m so thankful to our administration who are so supportive of the arts in Homewood,” Cooper said. “There’s no place like Homewood. When it comes to academics, fine arts and sports, we are the total package.”
