BRADY FLANIGANStaff Writer

Tullahoma High School is empty for summer. The only sound flowing from the parking lot is the patter of rain rolling off the roof. Stepping into the hallways there’s a faint sound of brass, wind, percussion, playing from nowhere in particular. It’s leaking through the ceiling and the walls like rain. It’s reminiscent of French Quarter New Orleans during COVID. The streets are deserted, but from some far-off direction there’s still a trumpet out there howling at the moonlight.

THS band camp has begun practice for this year’s show “Get Up and Go”. The project was conceived by long-time THS band director Justin Scott and color guard director Matthew Bitting. Done in partnership with local radio stations 93.9 The Duck and 101.5 The Rooster, the show is designed to transport everyone to their morning commute as they shuffle through radio stations. You’re greeted with the voice of a DJ saying, “good morning, Tullahoma! Your morning traffic is looking good with the exception of some minor backups due to road construction on I-24. Weather conditions show only a 30% chance of rain, so grab that morning cup of coffee, and get up and go!”. The band will perform music from Fleetwood Mac to Rascal Flatts, all of it spliced together with interruptions from local DJs, based on a script written specifically for the show.

When practice began at 5 p.m. the 155-person band was spread across the school. By 6 p.m. the rain had turned to mist, and it was time to practice outdoors. Assistant director Lisa Burden and new assistant director Johnathan Johnson stepped into the nearest practice room and began mustering the troops. The practice field was a short walk from the school – hidden behind a wall of trees on the far side of a creek. A small wooden bridge spanned the creek, and the limestone water was flowing with days of rain. In the center of the field there was a tall black tower like the kind that watches for wildfires miles away. From up here band director Justin Scott would lead the company. Down on the ground Ms. Burden, Mr. Johnson, and the rest of the instructors would be working with students.

With the band in position the squeaking tempo of a metronome came over a loudspeaker, and everyone held still waiting for the cue. Anyone who has ever lived near a railroad knows there’s a specific harmony to them that’s unlike much else. On certain occasions, long before the boxcars are shuffling by, there’s an audible hum from the tracks. It’s a rising sound that gets higher and higher until the conductor finally rolls by, then the sound falls away, like an ambulance. That’s what it was like down there in the swampy air behind Tullahoma High School. A backing track rose up through the speaker, and the percussion began like a war drum. The brass section tilted their instruments into the air. The color guard stood at attention, and suddenly the music was rising through the ground. The show was in full motion. Mr. Johnson stood at the front of the crowd adjusting where students were positioned. Ms. Burden combed through the crowd giving one-on-one instructions. Matthew Bitting stood off to the side teaching the guard how to toss a rifle with the kind of precision only known to Paris’ Moulin Rouge. All the while Mr. Scott watched from the tower calling out drills through a speaker. 

When you see that team of educators out there working in the grass, the success of the THS band becomes clear. The rhythm between Justin Scott, Lisa Burden, Johnathan Johnson, and everyone else out there is as audible as the band. The rapport with their students is visible in every interaction. One student, Zamahria Simmons, a senior color guard member, said she enjoys band because she, “loves being around people who want to do better and learn about themselves in the process.” Junior trumpet section leader Will Childers said he enjoys playing for the THS band because “it’s a great community of people who work together to make something great.”

As day became evening and the shadows in the weeds became longer, the band continued to rehearse, practicing every note and movement. The dedication of every student and teacher was unmistakable. The THS band stands as a testament to the bonds that music can make. Every banging drum and bellowing brass brought everyone together for a common goal. These sessions were a dance between discipline and passion, and every person on that field played a role. “Get Up and Go” is shaping up to be a beautiful bout of vibration through the airwaves. With the show just around the corner, anticipation is electric. As the final notes of a trumpet floated off into the wind, excitement was everywhere. The sun was beginning to set, and it was time for everyone to get up and go home.