Look and listen for new music and new moves from the Campbell High Marching Band

By Charlotte Underwood

JACKSBORO, TN (WLAF)- The Campbell County High School Marching Band will debut its new music and moves on Friday during the half-time show of the first home-town football game. This year’s marching band has been working hard all summer to learn a “completely new marching style that will focus more on theatrics”, according to Assistant Band Director Tiffany Braden.

TOP PHOTO: This year’s marching band has been working hard all summer.

The theme for this year will be “Jekyll and Hyde”, as in Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde of literary fame.  For those in the audience, they’re in for a treat, as this year’s show will feature some “fun special sound effects”, along with theatrical characters on the field to “embody both his sides.”

Braden landed her “dream job” as Campbell County High School’s new assistant band director back in January and said it’s been a “busy season so far” with lots happening at CCHS.

“It’s been an amazing first year; all I thought it would be and more,” Braden said, adding that working with the kids has been great and that the students had been “very welcoming to her ideas.”

“We’re going with more of a production style of marching show. There is more theatrics going on and we’re turning a little bit more away from the military marching style that they are used to … so, we’re modernizing more, I would say,” Braden said.

This has not been easy, since even the veteran marching band students had never been taught this style before.

“Everyone in the marching band has learned a different marching style for this season and they are doing great with it,” Braden said. There are 58 students in marching band this year.

Veteran/Rookie Band Camp started in mid-July, with kids sometimes putting in 12-hour days to learn new skills and styles. Even though band camp is now over, kids practice every day during fifth block at the high school and practice after school on Tuesdays and Thursdays until 5 pm. The students are “excited about the new style and this year’s theme.”

“They did amazing; they didn’t complain, they appreciated the extra time it gave them to perfect their craft and they’re doing awesome with it,” Braden said.

“Rather than us having to always lift up all the kids, the kids are lifting each other up, they are buying into the process so much that they are sometimes doing the work for us, with encouraging each other and putting their 100-percent into it. I couldn’t be prouder honestly,” Braden said.

She also said she’s “over the moon” with how its all going and that she “keeps coming up with new ideas.”

“I think the audience will really love it, especially people who know the story, they will really be into it,” Braden said.

She also said she wanted to say a special thank you to CCHS Band Director Adam Wright, as well as Ed Morton and Don Hendricks.

“They have really kind of let me go with this. They didn’t know a lot about that particular style going into it and they have let me run with it and I am really grateful that they have trusted me to do that because I am sure that is not the easiest thing to do. And I am also so thankful for the kids and how much they have trusted me. Overall, I have had so much co-worker support at LaFollette and at the high school and I am just so happy to be home and happy to bring this home and put my energy here,” Braden said.

Come out to your home-town football field on Friday night and catch the CCHS Marching Band in action! (WLAF NEWS PUBLISHED – 08/23/2024-6AM)

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