It's opening week for more than just pigskin

Members of the Dyer County band’s percussion section rehearse earlier this week as they readied for their first Friday night performance of the season.

Photo/Jason Peevyhouse

By JASON PEEVYHOUSE

Sports Editor

Friday night didn't just see the opening night of the high school football season for teams from Dyer County and Dyersburg but for other student athletes as well.

Dyersburg’s sousaphones and drums rehearse their show routine.

Photo/Jason Peevyhouse

While Choctaw and Trojan head coaches go over the first half and make adjustments for the final 24 minutes of the game, more student athletes take the field as that's the time for the marching bands to shine.

As Dyer County Band Director Justin Brown explained, Friday night's first halftime performance of 2024 is the culmination of months of preparation.

“We start having meetings between March and May,” Brown said of the planning process for the band's halftime show. “We sit down during the summer with our designer who writes out our forms and our music.”

Dyersburg color guard’s Erin Peel keeps focused on her flag during her routine as part of the DHS band’s halftime show.

Photo/Jason Peevyhouse

This is where some of the bigger points are decided.

“We come up with a concept of what we want to do,” Brown explained. “Then we kind of play with different ideas from there.”

The Dyer County band director explained how the music and other materials are decided.

Dyer County’s Ke'manee Webb concentrates on the notes during the rehearsal for the orange and white’s halftime and competition show.

Photo/Jason Peevyhouse

“Sometimes it's based on the students because we'll have players who are really strong players,” Brown said. “Like, this year, we have some pretty solid trombone players and a pretty solid saxophone section. So, we're taking the time to feature those because they can play well.”

The process is similar at Dyersburg High School according to band director Justin Russell.

“This planning can take two or three months,” Russell explained. “I want to get with my staff and get with the companies because they will have their own staff they work with, too.

“A lot of times, you start storybooking. It can be as simple as a color or theme. In this case this year, the kids wanted something dark and scary. But, I didn't want something too dark because then you're stuck in that mold. I like stuff with energy. So, I found something with dark and energy.”

Then, once the on-the-field preparation begins, band can get a leg up even on the sports teams due to not being held to the same restrictions as TSSAA-sanctioned sports.

“We're back up here before dead period is over because we don't have to follow the TSSAA rules on that,” Brown explained.

Beginning with 12-hour days of band camp then the next week of eight-hour sessions, there countless hours spent in preparation for Friday night's halftime performance and the subsequent Fridays and competition season which follows.

Band camp consists of morning and evening sessions outside with an inside practice during the day as well as breaks for two meals.

“Yeah, three-a-days,” Brown said. “They're exhausted by the time we get done with that.”

And, that's not counting rookie camp to help the newcomers to the band as well as percussion and color guard.

Dyersburg's schedule is similar in most regards.

“We schedule from 12-8 at night,” Russell explained. “So that we can come in and work music when it is hot then go out on the field when it is cooler.

“We put in about 80, 90 hours before school even starts. Then four hours during the week and an extra hour or two on Friday. And then go to competitions.”

As a smaller band of about 40 student athletes, there are challenges Russell faces like having to share athletes with other sports who are in season.

“We have soccer, football, cross country, cheer, and golf,” the DHS director said. “We try to schedule it so those guys can miss on Tuesdays. Then you've got massive amount of holes so the images are really hard to set.

“Then, you get all that sound missing. You've got to spend Thursday and Friday catching back up on what we've over the day before. We have some amazing and talented students who can keep up with their athletic needs and their musical needs.”

Dyer County's show this year is entitled “Pink”.

“It's just all different kinds of pink,” Brown said. “Pink the artist, pink the color. We're doing a song by a k-pop band called 'Black Pink'. Pink by Aerosmith. Pink Panther. Pink Floyd. We're doing all kinds of stuff.”

Dyer County will compete in five competitions while hosting another.

Russell said Dyersburg's show this year is based off of Grimm's fairy tales.

“We didn't go with one specific character,” Russell explained. “We wanted to set the mood and the tone as far as what those stories are like.

“Each movement has different tones and moods. It's almost like the Brothers Grimm are writing the story as you watch.”

Dyersburg will take part in six competitions this season.