Hebron Band begins BOA Grand Nationals season

Kate Haas, Managing Editor|August 16, 2019

photo by Hailey Dirks

Senior Rhett Reasonover plays warm-ups with the rest of the mellophone section. He hopes to have a great last year with the band. “I’m looking forward to getting this last year with all my senior friends before we all go to different colleges,” Reasonover said. “And getting the most out of my last year in this band.”

The band will perform in the auditorium on August 17 at 7:00 p.m. to debut its show music and showcase the skills the students have been working on this season. 

“I’m definitely excited for the parent concert on Saturday because my parents don’t really know what goes on in band,” senior French horn player Rhett Reasonover said. “They just see me come home late at night and leave again early in the morning. At the concert, they’ll be able to see what we’ve been spending all these hours working toward. It also gets really, really loud in the auditorium so it ends up being fun for everyone.”

Summer band camp started July 26, and since then, marching season has been in full swing. Reasonover said he hopes the weather gets cooler from here.

“Though we faced it last year, it still feels new this year because it is just extremely hot,” Reasonover said. “Especially with the humidity and the heat index. While we’ve been able to pull through so far, we just have to keep focusing on nutrition, hydration and not letting the heat get to us.” 

This is a special year for the band, which is going to Indianapolis in November to compete in the Bands of America Grand Nationals Championships for the second time. The first time band went in 2015 with their show titled “360,” they set a new record for highest score in BOA history in the preliminary round of the competition and placed third in the finals.

“The upperclassmen are definitely excited because they’ve been waiting their whole high school careers for this moment,” Reasonover said. “Growing up watching “360,” we know almost exactly what it’s about except actually doing it. Hopefully, everyone will be able to channel that excitement into learning the show and we’ll be able to have a great run.” 

Head director Andy Sealy said going to Grand Nationals is an exciting, high-profile opportunity.

“The stakes in many ways are higher,” Sealy said. “But what we do and the excellence we try to achieve on a day-to-day basis should not change. Our real competition is ourselves to build a better program, a better band and better young people every year. This event is just a venue to do that.”