By Lily Lovette--Eagle Staff Writer
You see them at pep rallies, football games, and more often than not, the bus lot of FCHS for after-school practice. The Franklin County High School Band is a very active presence in our school, but wherever they go, the same two people lead the way: drum majors Connor Dunford and Amanda Harden.
Senior Connor Dunford started band in his fifth grade year with the saxophone as his choice of instrument. He explained, “I picked the saxophone and that was interesting for me because my mom played the saxophone in high school. I’ve been playing saxophone for 6 years.”
Junior Amanda Harden has made her way to drum major alongside Dunford after being in band for six years. “This is my fourth season with the marching band,” she said. Harden says her band roots stretch back to childhood: “I grew up watching a lot of old Hollywood movies and musicals which planted a seed for creativity. Hearing the orchestra and music within films sparked my interest in wanting to perform.”
Six years later both students are still very committed to music and band. “It's really hard to condense down why I continue to do band into a sentence or paragraph because there really are a lot of reasons, "Dunford mused. "On one side of things it is personal, where you feel gratified by seeing that over time you’ve made progress. I can look back and think 'oh my gosh I could not do that on my instrument a year or two years ago.'"
It's also about the connection that band brings, Dunford says. “Music and the people I’ve been able to interact with is one of the single most important things in my life. Ultimately, music and band has taught me more than maybe just about anything else in my entire life. I feel honored to have that experience with other people.”
All leaders have goals and drum majors are no exception. Harden says her goal for band members is to be their best selves first. “My goal in band is to encourage and inspire band students to become confident, hard working, and kind young people, regardless of whether or not they continue music.”
That vision has meant a more maternal role for Harden. “Being a drum major and part of the band program, I have definitely taken on a motherly role. It gives me a chance to serve others and smile while doing so, which I am very grateful for.”
For Dunford, band has been both an expansive and creative experience, a chance to explore familiar subjects in new ways. He says his experience with piano helped him to find a different view of music. “When you learn a lot of piano you get a good idea of what chords look like and you start to see things in a different way. Then when I started getting into band in high school I thought that that was something I could play around with. It’s especially important to me because composition isn’t really talked about a lot like performance is,” he reflected.
The band has been part of FCHS for many years, and while many recognize the impact they have on the FCHS community, others often overlook it. Dunford and Harden however have no doubts about the impact of band on them. "At the end of the day it is not about the music, what you're learning in band, you're not just learning whatever it may be. It is the single greatest teacher of life experience I've ever had. Music in general is a challenge that makes you learn about yourself and more importantly other people. I could not imagine the person I would be without that,” Dunford concluded.
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