The bands play on

The Summerville High School marching band took five minutes out of an early October practice to figure out how to stand still.

Specifically, the musicians were learning how to migrate from one formation to the next, but making sure they all came to a pause so that their feet were in position to make their next move.

Band directors across Dorchester County put this attention to detail into their programs. Summerville High Band Director Leslie Gilreath said every season is a work in progress and one of the biggest challenges is getting off on the right foot.

"The tough part is having to match the kids to the show. On the years we get it perfectly matched, we win state," he said. "One year when it wasn't right, we placed ninth in the state. The next year, we were first."

The accumulation of getting the little things right adds up to big performances at competitions, respect of classmates, community pride and the sense of creating an extended family.

Time commitment

"The hours you put into it don't just happen here," said Fort Dorchester High School Band Director Lori Rowsey. "From August to November, band is everything. It's hard, but it's probably going to be one of the greatest experiences of your life. This band becomes like family."

Band season begins in August for most schools with a week of band camp followed by a week of music camp. That adds up to two weeks of eight- to 10-hour days to learn the music and formations for the upcoming season.

Once classes begin, the band settles into a schedule of two or three hours' practice each day after school in preparation for halftime shows, a competition schedule and performance at public events.

"Anyone who calls us, we go," Rowsey said. "It's giving back to the community and teaches the kids philanthropy."

Rowsey has been at Fort Dorchester since 2003 and has seen her band steadily grow from 80 students to 124. Her goal has been to build an identity for the school's band and its place within the community.

"We're continuing to improve upon the success of the past and growing the program. We're getting more mature in our sound and musicianship," she said.

She wants to make sure her students don't lose sight of their real audience and the benefit of putting on a good show at football games and public events.

"At competitions, we might get a trophy, but halftime -- that's community respect," Rowsey said.

Fort Dorchester band captain Emily Campbell is in her fourth year of playing trumpet for the band. She said she hopes to be a music educator and sees marching band as good preparation for that career. She likes putting on a good performance regardless of the venue.

"I love the sense of achievement when I walk off the field and know I've put my best out there, because it's hard and I like challenges," she said.

Expenses

Financing a marching band is no small task. Dorchester School District 2 has three high schools that it subsidizes to varying degrees.

Summerville High gets $71,000 per year; Fort Dorchester $65,000; and Ashley Ridge $47,000. District finance officer Allyson Duke said the amounts for Summerville and Fort Dorchester were agreed upon some years ago by the band directors and aren't based on any specific formula. The number for Ashley Ridge, only in its second year of existence, is smaller for now.

Woodland High School in Dorchester District 4 receives $3,600, and recently received $15,000 over the past two years to bolster its stock of instruments.

In each case, the bands still need another $10,000-$15,000 to supplement their budgets. That's where the booster club comes in. It's common for the clubs to run a concession stand at football games to earn revenues for the band.

The clubs also sell anything and everything during other fundraisers -- cookie dough, fruit, pizzas, coupon books, stadium blankets, etc. The money is used to buy uniforms, props, music and marching programs, gas for trips and possibly an end-of-the-year banquet.

Each student also pays fees, though the structure varies at each school. At Ashley Ridge, the cost starts at $235, which includes band camp, summer uniform and shoes. Other fees are collected as expenses are incurred. At Woodland, Band Director Chris Jennings has students pay $50 for one of the uniforms and finds a way to finance the rest.

The bands and boosters usually run two types of fundraisers -- some that go directly to the band's funds and others that allow for the students to raise their own shares. For all of the band directors, it's imperative that money doesn't become an obstacle to participation.

"Our policy is we will never leave a kid home because of money," Summerville director Gilreath said.

Starting from scratch

Ashley Ridge High School opened its doors for the first time last year with a freshman and sophomore class and a plan to add a grade each year. It had no history, no tradition and practically no money.

Band Director Sue Alexander is in her 33rd year as a band director, most of them at Travelers Rest High School. She thought she was going to ease into retirement as an assistant at Summerville High School when she got the call from the district that they wanted her to establish the program at Ashley Ridge. She's busier than ever.

"It's an experience," she said. "It's been fun. You pick out the uniforms, the fight songs, the traditions. You write out an alma mater.

"It's different from going to an existing program. I'm so used to what should happen that I forget what these kids don't know. It's also cool because they're excited about everything. They don't know they're supposed to be hot and tired."

Getting a booster club in place was akin to establishing a startup business. The booster club needed to borrow $10,000 from the school budget to buy appliances and stock for its concession stand.

"All of our profits had to pay for the loan," Ashley Ridge band booster club President Melissa Stowasser said. "Once the concession stand was paid off, we're back at having no money. We're a new business with just a lot of volunteers who push up their sleeves and work."

Stowasser said the club is planning ways to acquire big-ticket items in the future, such as a covered truck for transporting instruments. The 72-member band is expected to expand with the addition of a senior class next year, so more uniforms will be needed.

"In an economy that we have right now, that's a very daunting task," she said.

The Swamp Foxes played their first competition Oct. 3 at the Lowcountry Invitational at Wando High School and saw their hard work pay off with a first-place award in the Class AA division.

Drum major Devaun Austin-Walker said the band has been nothing but confident from the very start.

"Pretty much the whole season, we talked about how we're going to get first place," he said. "When we run, we chant 'first place and nothing less.' It's stressful at times, but in the end, (the work) does pay off, just like Ms. A says."

Restarting

Sophomore Matthew Seabrook has played with the Woodland band since he was in sixth grade. For the first time this year, the tuba player and band captain has had the same band director two years in a row.

"(Chris Jennings) brought in a lot of energy. We're really lucky to have a band director who's passionate about his job," he said.

For musicians like Matthew, it's important to have a director who's ready to foster music as a vocation.

"It means a lot to be in band because all of my sisters have been in band and it's something that was in my blood," he said.

Jennings is working to elevate Woodland's band from an afterthought to an integral part of the school's culture.

Membership is up from 23 last year to 41 this year. He said he'd like to give the Class AA school an 80-member ensemble.

"It's not if. It's when," he said. "Band is like a sport. You've got to recruit."

Jennings also teaches at St. George Middle School, where he identifies potential band students early. It's a strategy that's also in place this year in Dorchester District 2, where the three band directors have each partnered with two middle schools.

"At the middle school level, I'm seeing who's interested now. Next year, I'll know who my core kids are and who's coming up," Jennings said, noting he needs to boost the numbers to install more complicated marching programs.

Jennings said he also aims to boost the number of instruments at his disposal. The school district gave the band $15,000 over the past two school years to add to current instruments.

He has stretched that money to buy several used instruments from a cache of old instruments left over from the former St. George and Harleyville-Ridgeville high schools, which merged to form Woodland in 1999. He has refurbished instruments that are 30 to 40 years old and likes to think of them as vintage equipment that hold the history of surrounding communities.

"There's one student playing the same instrument his cousin played from at least 20 years ago," he said.

Jennings said his group will march in about eight parades over a two-month period. He believes a high school band should be a strong part of the local community. In Woodland's case, students come from St. George, Dorchester, Harleyville, Ridgeville and a few other smaller towns.

"Part of our job is for community services. It helps the kids on their college applications," he said.

Keeping at it

At Summerville, Gilreath is on his raised platform, making constant improvements to his corps.

At the Lowcountry Invitational, Summerville took first place in its division and the overall title, but Gilreath said he isn't interested in resting on a midseason trophy. He's trying to add another state title to Summerville's collection.

"It's different for every school, but we're typically very different by the end of the year than when we leave band camp. Some schools will learn their routine and that's what they stick to. If something doesn't work, we just fix it. I'll rewrite that part of the program," he said.

It's a pursuit of perfection by staying on top of the little things.

Contact Bill Henley at 937-5433 or bhenley@postandcourier.com.