9
players, working toward the common goal of
making better music together, that's a major
positive, too," he says. "These skills carry over into
lots of other areas of their lives."
So, when the band outgrew the equipment,
the school knew it needed to act. While the
former director of bands had reached out to the
foundation for support, McCarley is thrilled to
implement the results. "We want everyone who
wants to be in band to be in band," he says. "But
there is a point where not everyone can go buy an
instrument if we don't have it." Plus, the program
incurs costs to maintain its instruments and, after
some time, replace them.
This year, the program is poised to be even bigger
than 2023, and McCarley is looking forward to
leading students through boisterous renditions
of crowd and band favorites like "Word Up" and
"Best Band in the Land." But the high note for
McCarley transcends music. "It's seeing that
'Aha!' moment in a kid when they realize, 'I've got
this, and I can do this.' I love that part of the job,"
he says.
