Nevada County Picayune and Gurdon Times Newspaper Archive

Band Swings Through Season

Who says the big band era and swing music is dead?

Apparently no one who listened to the Prescott High School Marching Band during any of its performances or competitions this season.

Band Director Jonathan Kelly and his wife Darlene came up with the idea of doing a big band halftime show before practice began in August.

This, Kelly said, was a way to showcase some of the individual talent on the band, including the drum major and local sax phenom Kenny Wiley. Additionally, he said, the musical selection was a challenge for the entire band.

However, some interesting things occurred before school began as the big band sound made a nationwide comeback, and swing music is almost as popular as it was in the 1940s.

The students, Kelly continued, really took to the music as did the public, once the band began performing.

Last year, he said, the audience enjoyed the band's Riverdance show, but didn't take to it like it did this year's swing show. In fact, the PHS band received standing ovations everywhere it went during the grid season, even in hostile territory.

The band, though, got off to a slow start because of the complexity of the music and the challenge of the halftime routine. About halfway through the season, Kelly said, everything clicked and the band took off.

This was, in part, due to the return of Jessica Brooks, and the band coalesced with the music and routine.

The color guard was young and struggled early on. Jennifer Bryan Robbins, a PHS alumni, was hired to work with this group and the race was on. Kelly said her help made the difference. The group earned the title of outstanding color guard at the Ashdown band contest and received ones at each of the band's four competitions.

Kelly said there is a glut of band contests in the state, but, under state high school regulations, bands can only compete in four such events.

This rule, he said, will likely result in several contests going by the wayside.

Prescott's band, however, didn't shy away from competition at any contest. It opened its contest season at Texas High in Texarkana where the judging was tough at the Four States Band Contest.

From there it was a trip to Russellville, the band's longest journey, for possibly the most enjoyable contest. Kelly said it was laid back and when the equipment truck was late, the contest directors moved another band into Prescott's slot until the truck arrived with the equipment.

Next up was Ashdown, where the Prescott crew moved up in class from A to AA because of the increased numbers. Last year the band won this contest, but was unable to repeat at this year's event. Still, the color guard and percussion section were tabbed as the best there.

The final contest is the regional tilt.

Kelly tells the students the contests are crapshoots because those doing the judging are looking for the bands to do certain things. Some judges, he tells them, judge harder than others, so there is no real consistency.

When Kelly judged his first band contest earlier this year, he was hard on the bands on the field so they would play well.

But, when it comes to the PHS band, he tells the members not to base their self worth on what the judges say. Instead, when competing they need to do their best and be proud of themselves.

"The most important judges we have are in the stands every Friday night during football season," Kelly said. "It's nice to have the recognition of your peers but we want to please the people of Prescott and ourselves."

The band got new uniforms this year, going to a mostly black number. Kelly said the boosters went to businesses in Prescott and Hope and held fund raisers to get the money needed to buy the new outfits. The total cost was about $18,000.

New uniforms were needed, he said, because the band outgrew the old ones in number not size. There weren't enough of the old uniforms to give one to each member.

At this time, Kelly said, the band is considering going to a new uniform for the turn of the century in the year 2000.

He praised the community for coming through and helping the band. Nothing but good comments, Kelly said, have been made about the new uniforms.

In talking about the halftime shows, Kelly said they could be likened to theatrical performances as they are designed to entertain the fans.

But being in the band, he said, does more than give the students a chance to be seen on the football field at halftime. Playing an instrument is something that will last a lifetime.

Several of Kelly's students have earned music scholarships, with several majoring in music. "We've had a lot of success getting our students in universities," he said.

And Kelly isn't particular about which students participate in band. "We have what I call the Statue of Liberty program. We'll take anyone and find something for them to do in the band.

"I get a lot of personal satisfaction giving these students the same kind of experiences I had in high school."

Some of the students in the program, he said, can barely afford going to Hope. Being in the band allows them to travel more and broaden their horizons, while learning about other places. "It's a big deal for them," he said. "I'm glad I can do it."

Kelly lauded his wife's vision saying it contributes to the band's success. "It would be dishonest for me not to give her credit," he said. "She's good with color, picks the flags and has the vision to see how the colors will work together. We wouldn't be where we are without her."

Darlene also helps with the design of the band's show, while picking props to be used.

Halftime, Kelly said, is a visual art form and the students expect certain skill levels from themselves and the shows they do.

Returning to the Riverdance show, Kelly said he got a lot of personal satisfaction from is as several other band directors thought he was out of his mind for trying it. However, it went well and was well received.

This year's halftime, though, really got the audiences involved. The band opened with "Sing, Sing, Sing," followed this with "Moonlight Serenade", went to the "St. Louis Blues March" and then "It Don't Mean A Thing If It Ain't Got That Swing", before ending with "In The Mood".

At this time, the band is getting ready for its holiday concert season, while individual members are preparing for individual contests, such as All-Region tryouts and All-State tryouts.

For the first time, the PHS band had 10 members picked to be in the Four States Band Director Conference, which will be held the second week of January.

"This is unheard of from a school this size," Kelly said. "Normally, we could expect to have one or two named to this honor band."