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Bands Build Community in Catholic Schools by Bonny Van

Nothing heralds the change of seasons from summer to fall like the rat-a-tat-tat of snare drums in a school band.

“The first football game always feels electric,” said Carl Soucek, the band’s director for 23 years at Carroll High School (CHS) in Dayton. “The sense of anticipation and excitement is paramount.”

All summer, Catholic high school bands across the Archdiocese of Cincinnati were honking their horns, blasting their cymbals, and beating their drums as they prepared to enter the football field and stand this fall. Some rehearsals started in the first week of June to learn music and spiritual movements in the field. Introductory workshops, night camps and band rehearsals filled other weeks, and by mid-July many young musicians had picked up their instruments and taken to the field.

“As a marcher, getting into the groove of memorizing songs and moves can be difficult, but the payoff is definitely worth it in the end,” said CHS veteran drummer CeCe Sharp.

In addition to notes and sheet music, students in the band must march to the beat of the same drum, working together to make music.

“Learning how you fit into the whole as a musician is a challenge,” said sophomore Claire McEachen, who plays alto saxophone in the band CHS. “There is a lot of personal responsibility when it comes to learning music. There is a layer of trust between everyone on the field and it can feel daunting to have such a large amount of people trusting you. However, this layer of trust allows us to adapt when mistakes happen and motivates everyone to support each other.”

And that’s why the band’s programs are so special, according to Paul Kindt, director of the combined band Mount Notre Dame (MND)/Archbishop Moeller.

“Band is more about making great people than making great music,” he said. “From parents to staff and members, we keep the family spirit strong by working together and being social. There is an eight-person student leadership team (the core team) whose sole focus is team building and family raising.”

“Carroll High School’s music department is a family,” Soucek said. “Everyone cares for each other and families are drawn to help the program in many ways. Students also find that sense of family among their peers. They feel safe, welcomed and appreciated not just by the team, but by each other.”

And the students agree. Carter Sokolis, a junior trumpeter at Elder High School in Cincinnati, said his favorite part of being in the band is “the little community aspect of it.”

“I am able to have an impact and each person plays an important role,” he said. “But most importantly, it’s a time to hang out with some of my best friends in and out of school, further strengthening our bond through shared experiences.”

“There’s such a special bond in the band,” said Sharp, who plays French horn. “By the time freshmen get to the first day of high school, they already have 60 or so people to talk to, a place to have lunch, and a place to go before and after school.”

The connections made between students extend beyond the band room and school hallways.

Susan Cassidy, sophomore band director at Elder High School in Cincinnati, tells her students that “music performs three main functions: art, entertainment, and service.”

“We serve the community in many ways,” Cassidy said. “We march in community parades; some of the students performed Taps in patriotic ceremonies; and some of my former students come to Mass in their parishes. At our core, we are a service organization.”

According to Cassidy, the Elder band’s program dates back to 1930 – she is only the sixth band director in the school’s history. The pandemic has hampered attendance, so she started her term with just 27 students, but there are 45 students enrolled for the next school year and she hopes to grow to 100 by 2024. Kindt, a former student of the band Moeller, has been rebuilding the band MND/ Moeller since 2016, going from 19 students to the current 82. Meanwhile, the band CHS, formed in 1968, has remained stable with 75-80 members.

Every band director fulfills the dual duty of working in Catholic high schools to develop new talents and interests. Cassidy said that even after getting the job at Elder, she kept her old position at Our Lady of the Visitation “since we need good food programs in Catholic schools if we want strong high school band programs.”

And that’s music to everyone’s ears!

This article appeared in the August 2022 issue of The Catholic Telegraph Magazine. For your free subscription, click here.

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