Music

The end of the road is near for the seniors in choir. Pretty close, actually. As the door of this journey closes, let’s look back on some good memories throughout their time in the choir program.

For an overall summary of senior year, Alex Macias, a senior alto, said hers was at first iffy, but got better as time went on. “It’s finishing off great as we got a superior at state, which we were all surprised at. It’s also great because I was approved for a senior solo for the spring concert, so hopefully I do well. I haven’t done a solo in like five years, so I’m slightly nervous.”

John Lawson, a senior tenor, said his was pretty good, and added, “I’m pretty happy with it and I wouldn’t change anything.”

Memories are usually cherished and brought up to relive the happiness that we had during it. Lawson shared his, stating, “My favorite memory in choir was probably getting a one at district and qualifying for state then getting a one at state. It was a fun experience to have and I’m glad I was able to do something like that, especially with a lot of last year's choir being affected by covid.”

Macias had a similar answer, but hers takes us back to 2018: her freshman year. “Mine is from freshman year in the women's chorus. We received a superior rating at state for the first time in seventeen years. It was nice to be able to say I was part of that.”

With memories come regrets. Some have many, some have none. Lawson is one of the ones who just lives life. He simply said, “No regrets.”

Macias, on the other hand, had only one regret. “I guess my regret would be not auditioning for more solos. I had always let the nervousness get in the way and never wanted to pick a song I knew I could do well and go for it.”

Well, this is it folks. All good things must come to an end. As the last full week for the seniors comes to an end, looking back on the good times is all they can do. Many think of the what if’s, but it’s all about becoming at peace with what never was that matters most.

Defiance High School Band of Class is coming to the end of the year which begins the planning for the 2022-2023 season. With the seniors leaving the Class of ‘23 they are beginning their senior year.

Junior Cydne Holmes explained her feelings on becoming a senior, “I'm really nervous but very excited about it almost being my last year of high school; it's very scary but refreshing to start new”

Junior Abbigail Vance explained her feelings, “I am so nervous, sad, and excited that it is almost my senior year. This is my last summer in high school and I want to make the most of it and I know that next year there will be more opportunities for me to try my best in school and just have fun before I have to graduate”

With starting anew this will be their last year in band which becomes bittersweet and there becomes things to look forward to, Holmes explained, “I am looking forward to my senior show when it comes, it will (hopefully) be a very sad but touching moment with the amazing people around me. The one piece of advice I can give that was given to me is that it gets really hard sometimes and that's okay because the obstacles help you become a better musician and a better person; it gets hard before it gets better but the result is well worth it.”

With being in band for almost half of a lifetime it begins to become part of a person. There have been challenges that have come with but there have been more memories, Vance stated her favorite memory in band, “My favorite memory in band will always be our last shows we do in marching band, we always try our hardest and we make great memories and take some great pictures.”

Holmes also explained her favorite memory, “ My favorite memory in band is meeting the new kids, knowing they were probably as scared as I was when I first started and hopefully helping them relax a bit more and become more comfortable is an amazing feeling. Along with that when we learn the band dance and the new/underclassman feel stupid about the dance and then they see us seniors not care how we look and have fun and they finally get into it; it's an amazing feeling.”

Good luck to the Class of ‘23 Band of Class!

Defiance High School Band of Class is having their upcoming Sousa Concert on May 8, 2022. With the concert coming up and the students doing their best preparing for it, In the Symphonic Band, the Flutes and Trumpets all have a specific priority than the rest of the band. In the song Stars and Stripes by Philip Sousa the two sections have to stand and play a specific part by memory.

Junior, Abbigail Vance, a trumpet, explained her feelings about memorizing her part, she said, it does make me nervous to stand up in front of everyone because we have never quite nailed the part and it's just a few weeks till the concert. I would definitely have to practice outside of school so that I can get that part down in time for the Sousa Concert.``

Junior Emma Pry, a Flute, explained her feelings about her part, “ I feel like I don't have enough time to prepare and therefore I feel more stress. I am a very anxious person and having to stand in front of a couple hundred people is just really nerve wracking to me.”

With only having 2 more weeks to prepare Vance explained what work she will have to put in to do her best, she explained, “I would definitely have to practice outside of school so that I can get that part down in time for the Sousa Concert because we have never quite nailed the part and it's just a few weeks till the concert.”

Pry also explained her feelings, “ the flutes do sectionals in our free time before band and we try to go over it a lot but I feel like I will have to practice a lot because I still miss the same part every time.”

Good luck to all the people who have a solo in the concert!

With this being the second to last article of the year, a blast from the past was highly needed. Music from the 90s and 2000s is usually what every student says is their favorite. But let’s see what these students' favorites are.

The debate between which time period of music is the best has been occurring even before DHS students were alive. Some like the 2000s. Others 90s. Lucian Brecht, a junior at DHS, says their favorite is 2000s pop.

Eliseo Hernandez, a sophomore, had a very similar answer. He also answered Pop, but wasn’t specific on the time period. It was probably the 2000s as well.

To go further down the rabbit hole, each was asked their favorite song that they thought none could ever compare to. Brecht said Jar of Hearts by Christina Perri. Great choice. Hernandez went the same route, thinking of songs that came out around that time. His picks were Roses by The Chainsmokers and Firework by Katy Perry.

With that being said, the final debate is whether today’s music is better than music from then. Both responded the same: Yes.

It’s clear what time period is better. The 2000s took the title. And rightfully so.

Music. What brings us together, and sometimes tears us apart. It’s been good to us, and it’s been bad. We’ve heard bangers, and we’ve heard songs that don’t sound that good. The amount of so-called “addiction” to music is all over the place. The question is, is it possible to become addicted to music? And if so, how much qualifies as safe until it isn’t?

Someone becoming addicted to music is easy. At least that’s what Senior Olivia Kissner said. “Loving music is so easy. I agree some are good while others are bad, but all music is good music to someone. So I’d assume that it’d be just as easy to become addicted as it is to love it.”

Mr. West, choral director here at DHS, agrees. “I fell in love with music at a young age, and it’s been a part of my life since the beginning. If a kid can become addicted to music without knowing really what it is, than anyone can.”

After being asked if she was addicted to music, she admitted she was. “To be truthful, yes. I’ve just always loved it, and knew it was going to be a part of what I would do for the rest of my life. If someone says that you can’t be addicted to music, or love it a lot, they’re lying. Music is incredible.”

West, gave an obvious answer as well. He IS a choral director himself. “Of course I am. It’s what I do. And it’s what I love.”

On a side note, according to Healthline.com, “Experts don’t formally recognize music addiction a mental health diagnosis.” For all avid listeners of music, it’ll be okay.

The results are in, and they aren’t shocking at all. Music IS addicting. And it’s been proven here first.

Running a program is hard enough. But running a music program is harder. Keeping track of every band and the music that each plays and all the little details in between, the job can get pretty overwhelming. Maybe it’s time to look in between the lines and figure out just what goes down in the band room.

When thinking of all the responsibilities that come with being a director, their days can be quite hectic. Mrs. Booth, the head of it all, agrees completely. “A typical day for me is seeing several different grades of kids and working with them on different instruments each day. I’m sort of switching between instruments throughout the day. I also have to try and get all of my emails answered and the communication with parents and administrators in order as well.”

Devin Sheller, one of the assistant directors, gave a precise rundown of all the adventures his day entails. He said “I come in about an hour or so before the students get here and make sure the room is set up, make sure my plans are ready, get my coffee, and I make sure I have the slide for my daily assignments ready. From there, some days I have my music appreciation class and sometimes go to the elementary school. I then do the rest of my music classes and when I have time, do some desk work. At the end, I stay for an extra hour making sure everything is put away and in order. Occasionally I give after school lessons for middle schoolers. Then I go home, and usually practice my trumpet.”

Being in charge of everything inside of a program gives you little time to take a break, much less to take a breath. Booth gave advice on how she finds the balance between her work and personal life. She stated, “You just have to make sure you schedule time for yourself because with all of the activities that go on inside and outside of school, there becomes little time for you. Music is a passion of mine so I enjoy spending a lot of time with it because it’s something I genuinely love. But I also have to take a break once in a while.”

Sheller gave a simpler answer, getting straight to the point. He commented, “I guess I always make sure I take time off to spend time with my family and fiance. I make sure I take the weekend off for myself so I can do what I like to do.”

In order to become what you have always wanted to be, you have to overcome immense obstacles and persevere through everything. But although you may think it’s easy, being under that much pressure can create doubt and uncertainty. It can make you question if the end goals are worth the hardships. Booth agreed. She said it was the right choice for her, despite the things she’s faced. “It’s right because I’ve been successful at it. If I had known that then, I might have made better choices, but I enjoy being a band director and the path I have chosen. I may have other hobbies that I’m fond of, but music is what I love.”

Along with a similar opinion, came a different story. Sheller had actually wanted to become something completely different from what he is now. But when asked if it was the right choice, he agreed, “Yes. Additionally, when I first went to college, I was going to be an astrophysicist and work for NASA. But then I realized that I liked playing the trumpet and liked helping others discover their love for music. So I took a shot in the dark and majored in it. I really love the trumpet and playing different instruments. Sometimes I see others going on trips and doing all of these grand music concerts and having other exciting adventures. But I love my job. And I wouldn’t trade it for the world.”

Who knew that band directors had lives? Just kidding. But in all seriousness, band directors truly are more than just “band directors”. They’re mentors. And guides. And allies. And they can be a friend when you need one most. So give the band directors(even those not mentioned) a high five sometime. It might make their day.

Defiance High School Band of Class is having their annual Sousa Concert this upcoming May! The Sousa Concert is based on the American composer John Phillip Sousa in the style that the music is.

Junior Drake Wenniger explained his feelings on the concert, “I like that it's such a huge concert that we look forward to all year. I love the variety of music that we play. Aside from honoring John Phillips Sousa, I think the most important part of this concert is the recognition of those that have served in our various military branches”

Junior Sunny Lloyd also explained her feelings, “Sousa is all about making awesome music and playing tribute to our troops in the same style that John Philip Sousa would have done in his day.”

With the concert being a big deal not only in the band but in the community many feel the pressure as to doing their best to perform. Lloyd explained, “I am nervous about a sax duet with really difficult rhythms that we have but I am very excited for the concert as a whole. I think it's going to go great and we will impress everyone in the audience!!”

Wenniger explained the difficulty on his instrument, “Since I play trumpet and there are so many songs, I worry that my lips will get tired by the end. I think that I will be able to pull through but I love this concert; it has a little something for everyone”

Good luck to the Band of Class!

Their senior year

By: Terri Briggs April 28, 2022

Defiance High School Band of Class’s season is coming close to an end which means it is almost the end of the Seniors run in the Band of Class. Many Seniors in the Band of class have been in the band for around 7 years so there have been many memories made.

Senior Luke Reynolds who has been in band for 7 years explained his thoughts on his senior year ending soon, “ Overall, I'd say my senior year went well. If I could go back and change anything I would probably try harder in my first two years of high school and I regret plenty of things, but I think it's probably better to move on then dwell on the past.”

Senior Kalen Miller has also explained her thoughts on her senior year, “ It went pretty good. I made a lot of cool new friends and I'm happy that the Covid regulations were finally taken down. I'm happy my senior year was more normal than last year.”

With being in the program for a good amount of their lifetime, with the memories made Reynolds explained his favorite memory throughout his senior year, “My favorite memory about senior year in band was probably the 8th grade show and getting a chance to show the 8th graders what high school band is like and get to know some of them. My favorite part of band overall would have to be marching season, specifically when we finally saw all of our hard work pay off during the shows.”

Miller also explained her favorite memory, “ Hands down the Spectacular. Getting to perform one last time for the bands we didn't see every year around the same time felt great. I'm thankful I got to have my last one. And it being the 50th was even better. My favorite part was the football games. No matter what the outcome was, we just loved being there and making memories with each other. I'll never forget those Friday night lights.”

With the school year ending and the seniors leave, the best wishes to the class of ‘22!

April means spring. And it also means state testing. It’s a hectic month here at DHS and the choir is taking hits left and right. The reason being 2 hour delays. For those who don’t need to take the tests, they have 2 hour delays every Tuesday and Thursday (Tuesday and Wednesday in the last week).

With those 2 hour delays come more challenges.There’s less time in class, and the people that are needed aren’t there because of work release and other things. Drake Wenninger, a junior, agrees, “I think the 2 hour delays are very rushed and not as many things can be accomplished in class during these days. However, I’m still arriving at school at the normal time and using it to get some extra work done, which is nice.”

Anna Tackett, another Junior, also thought the same thing, and added her own comment, “I mean, I like them, but 2 hour delays take away vital time that we need in class to actually get things done.”

The real question is whether or not the a cappella choir will be ready in time for state since they got a one at state. Wenninger stated that he thought that the choir will still be ready, despite the two hour delays, “The testing is definitely a challenge because of them; we don’t even have half an hour to rehearse on those days. We’re trying our best though, and I believe we’ll be golden for state.”

When asked the same question, Tacket had an interesting view, and stated, “I think it’ll be tough, don’t get me wrong. Having less time does come with disadvantages. But we’re doing as much as we can, and our progress is there, so I think we will.”

Two hour delays. You love em. You hate em. But it’s all about how you put that time to use that determines how far you’ll actually go.

The students of both Defiance High School bands are giving a helping hand this weekend as the middle schoolers have their Solo and Ensemble event this weekend. The event is this Saturday, April 2, from 8-3 here at DHS.

Volunteering for this event takes responsibility and cooperation, as well as being adaptable to whatever may come your way. Victoria Gerencser, a sophomore, says she’s ready to take it on. She said, “I love helping the band out, so it makes perfect sense why I would sign up. I love obstacles, and there will always be obstacles to overcome.”

Aiden Brenner, a junior, agreed completely, and added on his own comment. “I’d say I’m pretty adaptable, so I’m good with doing any job I have to do.”

Along with the difficult parts come the easy parts, such as having fun and making what would be a boring event something people will remember.

Gerencser said her favorite part will probably be working in the office. “Working in the office means I get to relax and not feel pressure every time the door closes to say things correctly. I think I’ll enjoy myself just fine.”

Brenner came for the food. “Yes, helping out is good. But what did I really come for? Free food. Can’t pass down free food man! Jk.”

Looks like the middle schoolers are in good hands this weekend. Good luck to those helping as well as those participating!

The Defiance High School Choir program is getting closer and closer to the end of the year. As the school year gets closer to an end the choir program still has a few things to get through first.

Senior, Makayla Moody Osborne explained what's coming up in the rest of the year, “There's a few things that we have coming up for the rest of the year in choir, such as our spring concert on Sunday, May 15th, at 3:00 pm at the Defiance Community Auditorium, which is in the old middle school.”

With the choirs getting ready for their concert, Junior, Mckaylin Shock also explained her feelings about the upcoming concert, “ We are super excited and sad about our upcoming concert. It is exciting because all of our songs are really good, there are a couple of songs that a lot of the audience may know. It is also sad because this will be the last concert for the seniors of their high school career.”

With the concert coming up and it being the one of the last performances for the seniors Moody Osborne explained how she feels about performing for the last time, “ It’s really sad. It’s sad to leave all the underclassmen that are my friends but I’m ready to move on and continue on with growing up.”

The choirs have decided to dedicate a specific song to Mrs. Blank who is an Elementary Music teacher here at DHS. Shock explained why, This song is going to be dedicated to Mrs. Blank from Elementary, we are dedicating this song to her because she is retiring this year and we wanted her last couple months of her career to be remembered well.”

Good luck to the Choirs for the rest of the year and for their upcoming concert!

Defiance High Schools Choir Program are soon going to be doing their annual contest. If they do well they will go on and perform at state but have come into a small bump in the road. Defiance’s prom date is April 30th and if the ensembles qualify for state they will have to go to state the same day as their prom.’

Senior Rhianna Roddy explained her feelings on having to perform on prom day, “I feel kind of stressed/bummed because I wanted to not have a stressful day, but now I have to worry about this as well. Something I will have to change is my schedule and how much time I actually have to get ready.”

Senior Makayla Moody Osborne also explained her feelings, “ it is kind of frustrating because this is my last prom, and I want it to be better than last year and just, in general, an all-around good day. It kind of makes me nervous that I won't have enough time to fully get ready, and I might have to rush.”

What the ensembles have to do to qualify for state is you go to contest and if you get a rating of I you will continue on to state. Moody Osborne stated, “At state, there are different times when men's, women's, and acapella choirs are scheduled to perform and are judged to receive a rating. It’ll really just depend on what time each ensemble is scheduled to know how the day will play out.”

Roddy explained her feelings on how she is feeling about the situation as a whole, “it is a little frustrating because we do not know what time it will be and what time we will arrive back home, It is our senior prom and I don’t want to have anything come in the way of that because it’s important for a lot of people.”

Good luck to each choir in being able to make it back in time for prom.

The band students here at Defiance High School are preparing for their annual OMEA band contest. The Contest is an event where students who are in music programs in North West Ohio. Band and choir, perform pieces to judges for a range of ratings. The ratings are 1-5, 1 being superior and 5 means the group probably should not be there.

Grey Sherry, a sophomore French Horn player, expressed their lack of excitement about it. “Since this is my first one, I should be excited about it. But I’m honestly dreading it.”

On the other side of opinions, Drake Wenninger, a junior Trumpet player, said that he was eager about it, and ready to perform, adding, “ I’m super happy to get to go again. It’s been some time since freshman year.”

Although they are not excited too about contest, Sherry is all about the food, commenting, “I love food, so it makes sense to only want to be there for the food.”

Wenninger thought the same. “The food there usually isn’t that good. But when you haven’t eaten since lunch, it tastes like a 5 star meal.”

Good luck to the band students at the contest this Friday!

This past week has been somewhat new and different for the members of the Defiance High School Choir.

Director Mr. West had the choir get to know each other by choosing partners through the pick a number from a box method. He then had them answer ten out of the twenty questions on a piece of paper he handed out and afterwards randomly picked different groups to present their partner to the class.

From this experience, almost all had a positive opinion on it. Senior John Lawson said he enjoyed it, further explaining, “I really liked that instead of complaining about having to participate, we came together and learned more about each other in order to become more unified.”

Junior Drake Wenninger had similar feelings. He agreed with what Lawson said, and responded with his own thoughts, stating, “This activity made the choir better in my eyes because getting to know each other allows us to work together more easily. It's comforting to know that we all have a common goal of making good music.”

Now that the choir got to know each other, the only thing left to discuss is the future. Lawson is optimistic, saying, “This year is going to be great. I think that no matter the numbers, we can do amazing things. Adapting is what we do best. And learning about each other was the next step in making the magic happen.”

Wenninger had positive thoughts about it, adding, “I think that this choir is in for a good year. We have significantly less people compared to last year, but I think that we are capable of sounding much larger because of how much talent we have in the group. Getting to know each other has made our sound even better, so I'm very confident that we'll have a good year.”

Making music is one of the many great things about choir. All fingers are crossed in hopes that getting to know and understand one another is what brings them together.

Defiance High School’s band program will soon be pulling their future seniors to begin planning for their upcoming senior season! The Seniors are able to choose many things that they are able to do throughout their marching band season.

Elisabeth Johnston explained her thoughts on soon being a senior, “It doesn't feel weird, but I'm not excited to graduate and grow up and take on more and more responsibilities as I get older and older. I think it'll be weird once I am a senior, but as of right now, I'm cherishing my junior year and the last few years of teenagerdom that I have. ”

With being a senior they get to plan things like the game night, shirt designs, theme nights, gift a freshman, and most importantly what songs they will be performing in their “main show”. Drake Wenniger explained his feelings on his senior season approaching, “ I have never taken notice of additional things that seniors actually partake in (I didn't think I would be a senior this fast), but I look forward to all of it. I can't express how weird it feels to be one of those big kids that used to tower over me when I was little; is that how kids feel when they look at us?”

Marching band season consists of around 4 months starting in late July and ending around the beginning of November with a small performance in May, Johnston explained her excitement about things she will be able to experience, “My favorite part of the season is always band camp because we have tons of time to practice, socialize... It's a really good transition period into the upcoming school year because it's the only thing that doesn't significantly change. After the school year starts, we still go out to the football field and practice. That's always nice.”

Wenniger also explained, “My favorite part of band has been the family aspect of it. Bandies are one big nerdy family. I'm especially excited to pick a freshman and get them a gift.”

Goodluck to the Class of ‘23 on their approaching marching band season!

Defiance High School has their band programs where children get to be able to spread their wings and learn all about what music is about. When you are in 5th grade, The High Schoolers will come and give you an assembly of all the different types of instruments you would be able to play until your senior year. Many that are in the program now have been in band for 6-7 years which is almost half of their lifetime.

Senior, Peyton Kessler, who has been in the Defiance Band Program for 7 years explained what kept her interested to be in band, “ all the close friends that I made and my favorite thing about band was playing on the sidelines during football games and getting hyped up”

Senior Regan Nelson, who has also been in band for 7 years explained what kept her, “I wait for the matching band season every year, it's my favorite. I'm also really thankful for the people around me.”

With band being in the students' life for a significant amount of time it has become something other than music in those years, Kessler explained, “Band is all about being a team and putting the same amount of effort into making shows and music sound phenomenal, it isn’t just about music.”

In 3 short months the seniors will be graduating which will be the last opportunity to be in the Defiance Band Program. The students explained what they would tell other 5th graders from their experiences, Nelson explained, “ you will get better, stick with it.”

Kessler explained, “Just keep doing it, I didn’t like it that much during 5-8 but once I went to high school it’s so much more fun, just stick around :)”

Congratulations to the Seniors with their opportunities ending soon and Good luck for the future!

Defiance High School is having their annual musical. The musical they are putting on is Beauty and The Beast which is an original Disney production.

Senior Olivia Kissner got the role as Belle who is the main character and princess in the production. Kissner explained her feelings about getting the main role, “ It’s really exciting but also a little nerve wracking because it's a lot of responsibility getting the lead.”

Sophomore Ethan Ingle who is playing the role of Lefou explained his feelings about his role, “I received the part of Lefou in the musical, I auditioned for Gaston but I wrote down I would take any role for the play. I'm just happy I got in it.”

Being in theater it takes many tasks other than singing and dancing, Kissner explained, “The hardest part about being in the musical is that I am just under a lot of pressure right now trying to memorize and learn everything that goes into the making of this while also balancing school, a job, and other activities.”

Ingle also explained, “ My memorization comes naturally as I'm always trying to create my version of the character.”

Good luck to all the Defiance High School students that are participating in the production!

Defiance High School Band of Class recently just had their annual Solo and Ensemble that is held at Bryan High School. Solo and Ensemble is an event that most bands participate in where groups or a singular player will play a piece of music and will get judged on different aspects of performing.

Sophomore Delaney Speidell explained how her experience went, “Solo and Ensemble went great this year! I did a solo and was in an ensemble with the three other trombones. For my solo I played Concert Piece by Naclav Nelhybel and for the ensemble we played In Dulci Jubilo by Claude T. Smith. I don't think I have ever had a normal highschool solo and ensemble experience”

With the recent pandemic, the last few years looked very different. Junior Sunny Lloyd explained how different this year was than years past, “this year was different because only parents were allowed to watch your performance which was really sad because I love supporting everyone and hearing such a wide variety of music throughout the day”

Speidell also explained how different it was, “Being a sophomore, this was my first year doing in person solo and ensemble. Last year was virtual and we were not able to do smaller ensembles, and this year we were able to do smaller ensembles but not our big ensembles (Which I thought was kind of weird). Also, I was really sad that no one else was allowed in the room other than our parents, there were friends and some other ensembles that I really wanted to listen to”

Both performers said how all their hard work paid off, Lloyd explained, “ got a 1 rating on my other solo and ensemble. A lot of practice goes into it but it's so worth it and my favorite band event.”

Speidell said, “ I got 1s on both my solo and ensemble, and was really happy with how both of the performances went! I thought our practices went really well, and we got better with every one. We had multiple teachers listen and give lots of helpful input that helped us improve! I liked playing with the piano too! Our ensemble did a great job and I did better than I expected on my solo!”

Congrats to every performer and good luck for the rest of the band season!

Last weekend was Solo and Ensemble, and because they did so well, they were rewarded with an easy week. This week there are only sectionals instead of full band.

But although there’s feelings of relief, there are also feelings of worry as some think they might forget what they’ve spent all this time learning. Junior Cameron Hall is one of them. He agreed, and added, “Yes, I do believe that after losing practice and the actual game that there will be some of us that will forget. I remember when I first started off in Concert Band that after some time of no practice I genuinely forgot.”

Sophomore Delaney Speidell, on the other hand, thinks the opposite, stating, “I don’t think just one week off would make us lose our focus. I mean, we have most of the stuff down. And we’ve been playing this whole week whether it be stand tunes or music to get ready for contest season. Plus we have plenty of time before our next performance to get any problems we need fixed.”

The band has far exceeded our expectations and deserves a break rightfully so. Speidell thinks so too. She expressed her opinion when asked, and said, “I think so. We’ve worked hard all year to get up to this point. A break is very much needed.”

Hall was a little iffy and gave voice to that, answering, “Yes and no. There are students that I have seen that put one hundred and twelve percent while I see others that seem to not care whatsoever. I think that those students that work towards making this bad great should get a day or two that they can relax and do what they want while those who haven’t should have more practice focused on them.”

With all that being said, the students of the band of class have some weekend plans during the mini vacation, and excitedly spoke about it. Speidell says she plans on going to see the Anthony Wayne Marching Generals perform at their game and Hall said he plans on going to the movies with his girlfriend to watch the new Venom movie.

The band is working hard to create some awesome music, and it’s working out just fine.

Traveling is one thing the Pep Band doesn’t get to do, but this Sunday is different. The Pep Band is getting ready to travel to Toledo and play during the hockey game. Many are pumped, while others are simply along for the ride.

A lot of the students are excited to go and experience the game for the first time. Senior John Lawson is too, commenting, “I’m going to the hockey game because I enjoyed the last couple of times I went and wanted to go one last time and have fun.”

Freshman Brock Hazelton agreed, adding, “I’ve never been to a Walleye hockey game, so I’m excited to go and play in front of a newan new audience that have never heard us.”

Some students go for the experience, some go for the game, and some even go for the food. Lawson is one in the food category, responding, “Usually I go for the food. I always get a hotdog with ketchup and mustard because I can feel the flavors melt on my tongue and I get a Mountain Dew to wash it down.”

Hazelton says he plans on going for the experience. “Since this is my first time, I think the experience will probably be my favorite part.”

While others are jusy getting to go for the first time, others are going to be going for the last time in their Pep Band career. When thinking about the level of importance, Lawson stated, “The hockey game was never majorly important to me, so going won’t feel special to me. It’ll just be another fun thing to do.”

To Hazelton, the game is important. “It’s my first, and I think it’s important that we perform well so the audience watching in the stands and on TV will enjoy us as much as we enjoy playing and being there.”

Good luck the Pep Band as they make their way to the game and show the tricks they have up their sleeves.

Defiance Band of Class is beginning the practices and pep band season. Pep Band is a group of students who choose to play at basketball games just like the football games. With that it’s different from a normal football season because this is all voluntary.

Sophomore Victoria Gerencser, explained her feelings on the start of pep band, “My favorite part of pep band is honestly all of it. I enjoy our rehearsals and the actual performances. It is a ton of fun to just be with everybody and play fun music.”

Freshman, Brock Hazelton also explained his feelings, “My favorite part is the people. After marching band a lot of the upperclassmen who I enjoyed left, and now a lot of them are back for pep band which makes me glad.”

With the pep band season in the band's concert season it gives the students more marching band type performances, which is generally their favorite, Hazelton explained the music, “It is different in terms of music and the types of instruments in the band. There's a drum set and a few people who play bari sax in the band, and we play much different music than we did when we were in marching band.”

After the pandemic and things becoming normal again, last year there was no student section at basketball games nor many pep band students, Gerencser explained how that is, “-I am not a freshman but last year's pep band was a little out of the ordinary because with Covid restrictions we had to sit in certain spots and we started performing in January instead of December, so I am looking forward to a more "normal" pep band season.”

Good luck to the Band of Class on their upcoming performances!

Traveling is one thing the Pep Band doesn’t get to do, but this Sunday is different. The Pep Band is getting ready to travel to Toledo and play during the hockey game. Many are pumped, while others are simply along for the ride.

A lot of the students are excited to go and experience the game for the first time. Senior John Lawson is too, commenting, “I’m going to the hockey game because I enjoyed the last couple of time I went and wanted to go one last time and have fun.”

Freshman Brock Hazelton agreed, adding, “I’ve never been to a Walleye hockey game, so I’m excited to go and play in front of an new audience that have never heard us.”

Some students go for the experience, some go for the game, and some even go for the food. Lawson is one in the food category, responding, “Usually I go for the food. I always get a hotdog with ketchup and mustard because I can feel the flavors melt on my tongue and I get a mountain dew to warsh it down.”

Hazelton says he plans on going for the experience. “Since this is my first time, I think the experience will probably be my favorite part.”

While others a just getting to go for the first time, others are going to be going for the last time in their Pep Band career. When thinking about the level of importance, Lawson stated, “The hockey game was never majorly important to me, so going won’t feel special to me. It’ll just be another fun thing to do.”

To Hazelton, the game is important. “It’s my first, and I think it’s important that we perform well so the audience watching in the stands and on TV will enjoy us as much as we enjoy playing and being there.”

Good luck the Pep Band as they make their way to the game and show the tricks they have up their sleeves.

During the last two months, the Voice has been airing their 21st season and history has been made. There were many soloists, duos, and trios, and “Girl Named Tom” was one of them. “Girl Named Tom” is a trio of siblings from Pettisville, Ohio, and in fact, did win the season.

Most students agree that they did deserve to win, as being from a small town does make the possibility of doing things like that very rare.

Junior Zack Hanson agrees, and actually loved the fact that they won, adding, “Wendy didn’t give good vibes. No offense to her respectively though.”

The trio sang a variety of songs, including, but not limited to, “Dust in the Wind” By Kansas and “Seven Bridges Road” by The Eagles.

And while most grew to love them throughout the show, some were fans from the beginning. Hanson is one of them. He liked the fact that they were able to overcome every obstacle that came in their way, such as the battles and fighting (or in this case singing) for their life. “I liked them from the beginning because why not. And they like lived close to us.”

Congratulations to Girl Named Tom! They definitely deserved the win and proved it throughout the season and each episode aired.

Recently, Defiance High School Band of Class has had a break between their performances. This past semester, the Band of Class had split into their 2 bands for the concert season. With splitting, they do still have the same performances, they just play different songs based on the skill level.

Sophomore Breanna Armstrong explained how she feels about the break, “ Having nothing going on right now for me, is a combo of being glad that I can breathe and practice, but I'm also kinda anxious because there's nothing happening. It feels weird to not be practicing for something.”

Junior Elisabeth Johnston also explained her feelings, “It's kind of normal to not have to prepare for an imminent concert. Some people find the band boring when we're just practicing, but I guess it just depends on who you sit by and what you're playing. This year, I think the Symphonic Band is a really great group, and I think the songs we're playing are the most fun "concert" pieces I've ever played.”

The upcoming performances are different competitions that the bands participate in and a few concerts. Armstrong explained what the Convert band is doing to prepare, “Right now in concert band, we're working on chair auditions, along with a few pieces right now; perfecting 3 of them, and people are working on solo & ensemble pieces.”

Johnston explained what the Symphonic band is doing to prepare, “We are doing a lot of reading to gauge where we're at as a band. We have a couple of pieces that we're probably going to play for the Contest, so we practice those everyday or every other day. At least once a week, we break into our ensembles (I'm in a trumpet trio), which I look forward to every week.”

Good luck to all in the Band of Class that are participating in the different contests and on their upcoming concerts!

Band is one of the many great things offered here at DHS. And while most only see the outside achievements of it, today’s inside scoop will tell us all about the stuff that goes on backstage.

Have you ever wondered how much practice time band student’s really get? Delaney Speidell, a sophomore at DHS, says that she doesn’t really know. “I do know that I practice whenever I can, like before Jazz Band or Community Band. There is a lot of music I could be working on right now! I should probably practice more than I do right now though, but there is a lot of stuff going on right now and that is okay.”

Aidan Brenner, a junior here, said that it depends on what season they’re in, and went on to say,“Occasionally, I will go down and practice, maybe once or twice a week, and either before band or while Mrs. Booth is busy. Even though I have plenty of time, I just choose not to practice because I can only practice for so long or else I get worse and forget what it sounds like.”

Playing the same music can get boring, and band members can attest to that. It might make the event that they’re playing in feel dull and not as exciting as it could be. Brenner agrees, adding,”I feel as though the extra events depend on the music we are playing. I only find it boring when my part is boring in the music.”

Speidell thought the opposite, and expressed her positive point of view: “It’s all very exciting, and there is never a dull moment! I love that I have so many opportunities to meet new people and learn new music and skills. I always have something to look forward to and I am very grateful for that!

Sometimes things can just be “too much”, but these bandies are sticking together and getting through it all. Brenner feels like band is only as stressful as you make it. “During symphonic band, I had to switch saxes, and switching from Bari to Alto has been a bit difficult. Right now I’m playing Alto and I’m first chair. I took a hard class B solo for Solo and Ensemble and I think having to deal with my ensemble is more stressful than my solo. Doing a small group has always been stressful because you have to rely upon the group to get everything together and I don’t like working with others. Overall, I don’t really think band becomes too much.”

Speidell is one who feels like band can become a lot, and commented, “I have a very busy schedule for sure, and I’m involved in a lot of the bands. I don’t think the actual band part of band, like the music and practicing part, gets too overwhelming. I actually enjoy it. But it’s a lot when you add it all on top of school, work, family, other extracurricular or community activities, and social life too.”

Bandies go through a lot, and the amount of pressure to be perfect is high. Shoutout to the band geeks that prove day in and day out that no matter the obstacle, they persevere!

The hottest topic circulating in the band room is the beginning of Solo and Ensemble. It’s an event that happens every year for the music department where the students get to showcase their music abilities whether it be singing or playing an instrument. It becomes a time-consuming schedule for both sides as both usually create a schedule for when they practice.

For some, this is just another year. But for the class of 2022, it’s the last time they get to show the judges just how good they really are. It’s the time where they leave everything they have on the table.

Senior Regan Nelson is one of those seniors. Although she thinks it’s the opposite of special, she thought that there were still some things that she wished were different: “It doesn’t feel any different, but it is weird not to have the woodwind or brass choirs due to covid. I’m excited for this year. I hope I get to be a part of many ensembles because they’re my favorite part.”

Senior John Lawson, on the other hand, thinks that the realization will come, just later on, saying, “I feel like right now, even though I know it’s my last, it feels normal. But I think after, it’ll set in that it was my last time.”

Being a musician can shape your life in more ways than one, and for good or bad. Nelson thinks she’s been shaped positively, sharing, “Solos have always been important and they’ve taught me a lot about dynamics, making music your own, and adding style.”

Lawson felt the same as Nelson, and went on to say, “I think doing solos makes you a much better musician because it lets you take a step back and really hear what you sound like and what you can work on personally to get better.”

The Class of 2022 has seen some hardships and while they might be near the end of their journey here, they still have some advice for those just beginning theirs.

Lawson focused more on the practice aspect, asserting, “Practice as much as possible because the hardest thing (at least for me) was nerves and not being as confident, but the more you do solos, the more confident you’ll become.”

As much as she agreed with Lawson's statement, Nelson wanted to expand on the advice for those who are new to the scene. She declared, “If I could say something to the first year soloists, I’d tell them to practice in front of people. I’ve struggled with being embarrassed and afraid to play, which makes it worse when I have a room to perform for.”

With this being their last, emotions are bound to be present at all times, and in many different forms. Good luck to the seniors as they get their one last chance to showcase their talents and prove that being a “band geek” isn’t all that bad.

Defiance High School Band of Class traveled all the way to Chicago, Illinois to perform in the annual Chicago Magnificent Mile Lights Festival Parade! The Band of class was only in Chicago from Friday, November 19th to Saturday the 20th late at night. The things the band got to experience were the parade, Shedd Aquarium, eating famous Chicago deep dish pizza, and sight seeing around the city.

Abbigail Vance, Junior, who has never been on a band trip explained her feelings, “My favorite part of the trip was relaxing at the hotel, it was nice to socialize and look around and get some sleep.”

Brock Hazelton, Freshman, who has also never been on a band trip explained his feelings, “Favorite part of the trip was definitely the fact that it felt like a vacation with my friends. It wasn't just another family vacation or anything but a trip with all my friends and a trip that I could just enjoy with them without having my family nagging at me. It also was nice to be in a city that big, and at moments it didn't feel like I was actually there. Especially since the biggest city I've ever been to is only Denver.”

The main purpose was performing in the parade which was a lot more lengthy than the students were used to, Vance explained her feelings on the parade, “I was not as badly affected with the long marching as some people may have been but it was very stressful to march and I was worried about some people towards the end as we were going at a faster pace then the beginning of the parade.” Hazelton on the other hand, explained his experience, “Going in I knew it was gonna be rough to keep up and stuff, but I thought I would end up being fine. However at the end I was very much not fine, and I was limping to the bus and was sweating like crazy. It ended up being very difficult and very mentally and physically taxing, especially since I am not the most in shape person. I think we did good though, however there were a few areas that I could've done better at.”

With the trip having to be so short the students were always on the go which caused some conflict, Hazelton explained, My least favorite experience was the ride back home from the trip. I was very tired and I just wanted to go home and lay down, and I wanted to catch some Z's. Unfortunately, a lot of kids still somehow had energy and could not shut up so I didn't end up getting much sleep at all which was very annoying. Even then though, it wasn't really that bad and I knew they were just trying to have fun.”

With not traveling in over 3 years and after a global pandemic the band is finally getting back into the groove of things.

Students in the choir are getting ready for their most popular season of music: Christmas! The students love to celebrate Christmas with music and the audience loves to hear it. But this year, the choir is going head-first into the season by practicing non-stop and decorating the choir room.

Putting the Christmas spirit into music and seeing the happiness and excitement on the audience’s faces when they perform means the world to these choir students. Senior soprano Isabella Myers added on to that statement saying, “I’m very excited to have the opportunity to bring the holiday music to life. I think holiday music brings good vibes and joy as well as give people that excitement about the upcoming celebration.”

Junior Drake Wenninger agreed, stating, “I’m super excited to sing holiday music because this will be my first Christmas concert for the choir, plus I love Christmas music.”

Every member has a different event and moment that’s their personal favorite, whether it be decorating the auditorium or performing at the Christmas concert.

Myers had only one thing that she’s looking forward to: decorating the auditorium. She expanded on her statement, adding, “I’m looking forward to decorating the auditorium for the Christmas concert. It’s always fun to bring out the decorations and blare Christmas music.”

Wenninger had a different moment in mind when it came to his favorite. He declared the Christmas concert as his, adding, “I love the atmosphere of it all. I enjoy being with family and showing them the final product of all our hard work. It really feels great seeing their eyes light up when they hear and see us perform.”

The Christmas season seems to be a favorite among the students, and it’s pretty clear why. Good luck to choir this holiday season as they continue to bring music alive in the choir room each and every day!

Defiance High School had a Veteran’s Day assembly to recognize the veterans and teach what the day is all about.

At the assembly, the Defiance Symphonic Band and the Acapella Choir performed patriotic songs for the veterans and their families, middle school, and the rest of the high school.

In the Choir some are prepared and ready to go, while others are a little weary on how it will go. Senior Olivia Kissner shared her thoughts: “I think that we’re as prepared as we can be. There’s always room for improvement, but with how long we’ve had to learn and prepare for it, we should be good.”

Drake Wenniger, who is in Symphonic band and Acapella Choir, explained how he felt like the performances were going to go, “Rehearsals have been good so it’s always weird to adjust after seniors leave and new freshmen come in, but we've done great at adjusting.”

Kissner explained her worries about the performance, “But with positive excitement, also comes worries. Kissner said, “There’s always worry. What if something goes wrong? What if we forget the song? Those types of questions run through our minds constantly, but if we could get through a fall concert, we can get through anything.”

The band plays patriotic music around four times a year for the community. Wenniger explained how he feels about the music, “The best part about playing patriotic music is recognizing the people who have served or are serving for our country, they will never get enough credit for what they do.”

Thank you to all the Veterans serving for our country and congrats on the Symphonic Band and Acapella Choirs.

Defiance High School Band of Class is going to be traveling to Chicago, Illinois to perform in the Magnificent Mile Lights Festival November 19-21. The last time the Band of Class traveled was 2018 for their Philadelphia/ New York trip.

Since they have not traveled since 2018, the only class that has gone on a band trip was the Senior class of ‘22. Elizabeth Johnston who is a Junior explained her feelings on going on her first trip, “It being our first trip, on top of the general exuberance of some of the members, I'm expecting a lot of uncontrolled excitement. Whether that will turn out to be a good thing, we shall see.”

Sunny LLoyd who is also a Junior, explained her feelings about the trip, “I think the trip will go really great because when Mrs. Booth is in charge, things typically run very smoothly. I am looking forward to eating at the restaurants, the aquarium, and shopping!”

The longest most of the band has traveled together is around an hour and a half and with the ages ranging from 14-18 years old sometimes creates conflict. Johnston explained her thoughts on all being together, “Since the drive is only about four hours, which is double the distance of our farthest away game, I'm not expecting the travel to be all that bad.”

The Magnificent Mile Lights Festival parade is around 3 miles all together, which is the longest anyone would be marching, Lloyd explained her feelings about the long march, “ I think, personally, I'll be fine because I run cross country and I stay pretty active but I am concerned about some of the other band members, especially those with heavy equipment. I think everyone will be super, over the top, excited and really really hyped.”

Good luck to the Band of Class for the long march and a great performance in Chicago.

This week, the students of the DHS marching band will part ways for now as they begin the rest of their year in concert band. In the band room, there are two bands: Symphonic and Concert. Most underclassmen, and some upperclassmen are placed in concert while most upperclassmen and the selected few of underclassmen are placed in Symphonic.

But one question that lingers in the back of everyone’s mind is whether or not this year will be any different from last. Junior clarinet player Lucian Brecht is hopeful, stating, “I want to believe this year will be like it was before Covid. Even if there are some restrictions, I’m just glad things will be in person.”

Mrs. Booth, director of the Symphonic Band, is very optimistic about things, and replied, “I'm excited to get Symphonic Band started. I think it's about the same amount as most years.”

Both have said that they are excited about this upcoming year, and expressed their thoughts on the matter.

Booth shared, “I am looking forward to being able to do solo & ensemble in person this year as well as being able to do Large Group contest again this year. Those are the two areas that we receive great feedback as to how well all the students are learning their skills on their instruments. It will also be great allowing all of the general public to see our concerts and to be able to perform in the auditorium again.”

Brecht, on the other hand, said that they were only excited for one thing: “Cathy.”

It appears like the Symphonic Band is ready for concert season. Congratulations on a football season well done and good luck in the upcoming performances and events ahead.

Friday October 22, 2021 marked an important and monumental day for the seniors of the DHS marching band: the day they entered the field at halftime for the last time. Although most were okay with it because of their future projects, some were feeling blue as this was their last time to make “halftime their time."

While there may be more performances in the uniform, there are no more on the field, and most felt it went the way they wanted it to. This being their last, it still hasn’t quite hit some seniors yet. Following up with two seniors that were interviewed last time, they shared some interesting things.

Senior Regan Nelson, followed up and thought that exact thing. She had this to say about it: “I was kinda nervous for all the seniors to go up and do their show just because our class is so small, but I think we pulled it off pretty well. I still don’t think it has hit me that I’m done with football games yet, but I’m sure it’ll come strong after I turn in my uniform for the last time.”

Senior Nathan Blunt felt similarly, but also separately, thinking that despite the fact it went well, he felt as though it hit him while he was on the field. He expanded on that thought, adding, “I think that the senior show went how I wanted. Nothing too flashy but walking down the field was when it hit me that it was really happening.”

Regret is something all people have, whether they like it or not. But for these seniors, leaving it out on the field comes with having no regrets. When asked if she has any regrets, she said, “I left everything on the field. It’s not worth worrying about anymore because I’m satisfied with our performance.”

Blunt had some, but none that were too detrimental. His only regret was “not enjoying the other games as much as I should have.”

Band leaves marks on people. Some good. Some bad. And some have their course of life changed in the process of growing. Blunt felt somewhat that way, and expanded his thoughts, saying, “I think that band hasn’t necessarily changed my course in life, but I’ve made so many new friends and relationships to last a lifetime. So all in all, the band has been great in my life.”

Nelson felt that band did change her life, replying, “Band has given me relationships with people I never could have dreamed of and it’s given me so many great experiences. It was amazing and I could have asked for better.”

Like stated previously, moving on is hard. It can feel like the toughest thing in the world. But remembering all that it gave you can create contentment and realization that even if the good things end, you’ve got the memories and friendships that last forever.

The seniors in the DHS marching band are getting ready to perform for the last time this week. Friday is their last football game and while others are glad football season is over, the seniors in this band are viewing things in a more nostalgic way.

When asked how he feels about this Friday being their last game, Senior percussionist Nathan Blunt shared, replying, “It’s an eccentric feeling. Even if it doesn’t feel that significant in the moment, I feel like as the years go on, I will look back on it fondly.”

Senior piccolo player Regan Nelson had a more low-spirited answer, saying, “When I first started out, I wasn’t a fan of the uniforms. But they have really grown on me though, and I’m sad that this is the last time I’ll wear it on the field.”

Seniors tend to look toward memory lane more often than not and in more ways than one. An example of this is looking back on their careers as a whole. As Nelson looked back on hers, she felt that she had no regrets, stating affirmingly, “I’m really happy with how this last season turned out and the friendships that I made with the underclassmen.”

Blunt had similar, but also different opinions, and added his own choice of words, commenting, “I wouldn’t really change much about my band career. If anything, it would be to spend less time trying to make everyone better and just enjoying the moment.”

Nostalgia is defined as “a sentimental longing or wistful affection for the past, typically for a period or place with happy personal associations”. For these seniors, band is and will always be that happy place. Band is a place where memories are constantly made and looked back on fondly throughout years, even while still being a part of it.

When asked to share his thoughts on the feeling, Blunt had this to say: “Nothing feels too nostalgic right now but that's because I'm around the same people I've been with my whole band career. I can see myself becoming the seniors from my freshman year though. I hated them then but I thank them for it now. I don't know if any of the freshmen dislike me in my section but I sure hope that if they do, they look back at me the same way as I look back at the seniors now. So instead of a nostalgic feeling, it's more of Deja Vu.”

Nelson gave a more calming approach to her side of things, stating, “I keep reflecting on the past senior shows and about the former band students I’ve known throughout the years and I really do miss them a lot. I just hope I’ve made a positive influence on the rest of the piccolos while I was here.”

Moving on from a certain part of your life can be scary, but it’s the times of recollection about all the good memories that make leaving it behind finally feel okay.

Feelings of relief and comfort exploded throughout the band room this week as the students learned that they would get a week off to relax. Each year, the band chooses one away game that they will not go to and this year that game is Celina.

But although there’s feelings of relief, there are also feelings of worry as some think they might forget what they’ve spent all this time learning. Junior Cameron Hall is one of them. He agreed, and added, “Yes, I do believe that after losing practice and the actual game that there will be some of us that will forget. I remember when I first started off in Marching Band that after some time of no practice I genuinely forgot.”

Sophomore Delaney Speidell, on the other hand, thinks the opposite, stating, “I don’t think just one week off would make us lose our focus. I mean, we have most of the stuff down. And we’ve been playing this whole week whether it be stand tunes or music to get ready for concert season. Plus we have most of next week before our next performance to get any problems we need fixed.”

The band has far exceeded our expectations and deserves a break rightfully so. Speidell thinks so too. She expressed her opinion when asked, and said, “I think so. We’ve worked hard all season. We even had to learn some new shows in under a week, and get ready for our band spectacular at the same time!”

Hall was a little iffy and gave voice to that, answering, “Yes and no. There are students that I have seen that put one hundred and twelve percent while I see others that seem to not care whatsoever. I think that those students that work towards making this band great should get a day or two that they can relax and do what they want while those who haven’t should have more practice focused on them.”

With all that being said, the students of the band of class have some weekend plans during the mini vacation, and excitedly spoke about it. Speidell says she plans on going to see the Anthony Wayne Marching Generals perform at their game and Hall said he plans on going to the movies with his girlfriend to watch the new Venom movie.

While they won’t be able to go and play, they’ll be cheering from home or wherever they are and just might tune in to the game.

The Elida show

This past week the Defiance went to the Elida vs. Defiance football game to do their normal halftime show. The show consisted of their “Show 1” which consisted of Schools Out, Cantina a la Sing Sing sing, and Play that Funky Music.

Senior Tierra Harrison explained how it was to perform at the game, “ It is always nice to have a little break from all the hard work that we do. The show went okay, it wasn’t our best show but we powered through it.

Junior, Elizabeth Johnston explained her thoughts on the performance, “ I think we did a much better job with the drill last Friday night. From what I could see, our formations were pretty decent.”

Elida High School has a grass football field which is different because Defiance has a turf field. Johnston said her feelings on performing on a grass field, “People struggle with back marching or lateral marching on a flat field, so the footing is considerably more difficult when your heels and toes aren't landing on level ground. Although Elida's field wasn't nearly as bad as Kenton's.”

Harrison explained her feelings about the field, “The difference in the fields makes marching a challenge because of how grass fields feel under our feet. We are not used to it but we didn’t do the worst.

Good luck to the band for the rest of the season and the 8th graders on their upcoming performance Friday!

A contrasting perspective of the bonfire

The Homecoming Bonfire is an annual event here at DHS that’s always a hit with the students and staff. It’s an event that brings the fire and energy needed to be pumped for the upcoming game the next night.

Senior Emma Sierra is in good spirits about it, and even shared one of her favorite parts, stating, “I am looking forward to the fire at the end of the event. It is always a good time taking pictures with my friends with the bonfire behind us.”

While Sierra is positive, Junior Elisabeth Johnston was on the other side of the spectrum, and said, “I'm not looking forward to the bonfire. My favorite moment is when I get to leave.”

Being in band isn’t the greatest thing in the world at certain times, but when asked about how band affects her during it, Sierra answered, “For me, I don’t think it affects me as much as an actual band person. Since I don't play an instrument, I have more free time but it still has restrictions. I would like to be a student that just enjoys what is happening, especially during the parade, so that kind of ruins it for me.”

Johnston’s comments went a more dismissive route, adding, “If I wasn't in band, I wouldn't go.” Despite her negative remarks, she still went, but didn’t have as much of a great night as Sierra did.

Seems like band members have different approaches to the bonfire. But although the sides may be different, they still find a way to come together and make some music.

This past week has been somewhat new and different for the members of the Defiance High School Choir.

Director Mr. West had the choir get to know each other by choosing partners through the pick a number from a box method. He then had them answer ten out of the twenty questions on a piece of paper he handed out and afterwards randomly picked different groups to present their partner to the class.

From this experience, almost all had a positive opinion on it. Senior John Lawson said he enjoyed it, further explaining, “I really liked that instead of complaining about having to participate, we came together and learned more about each other in order to become more unified.”

Junior Drake Wenninger had similar feelings. He agreed with what Lawson said, and responded with his own thoughts, stating, “This activity made the choir better in my eyes because getting to know each other allows us to work together more easily. It's comforting to know that we all have a common goal of making good music.”

Now that the choir got to know each other, the only thing left to discuss is the future. Lawson is optimistic, saying, “This year is going to be great. I think that no matter the numbers, we can do amazing things. Adapting is what we do best. And learning about each other was the next step in making the magic happen.”

Wenninger had positive thoughts about it, adding, “I think that this choir is in for a good year. We have significantly less people compared to last year, but I think that we are capable of sounding much larger because of how much talent we have in the group. Getting to know each other has made our sound even better, so I'm very confident that we'll have a good year.”

Making music is one of the many great things about choir. All fingers are crossed in hopes that getting to know and understand one another is what brings them together.

This past year Defiance High School Band of Class had auditions for becoming a field conductor. Olivia Kissner, Zack Hanson, and Carter Campbell all made it and got to become a field conductor for the 21-22 school year.

Kissner explained her feelings when she found out she made it, “When I got the position I was very happy and it felt that all my hard work paid off but I was also very nervous because I knew it came with a lot of responsibility and a lot to learn before the upcoming season.”

Hanson explained his feelings about his story of becoming a conductor, “ When I first decided to audition, it all happened pretty quickly and I decided to do it pretty fast. I felt very nervous to take on such a big role. I actually ended up deciding to not audition, both Sunny and I went up to Mr. Henry and told him we weren’t doing it anymore. Mr. Henry then said that he really believed that we could do it and thought that we should. So I ended up trying out anyway. I just wanted to audition to prove to myself that I could do it, and I did it.

Being a conductor means that they are responsible for how the tempo and music sounds when there is a performance. Although it comes with vast responsibilities, both explained how much they enjoy their role. Hanson said, “ I personally like conducting a lot more than playing an instrument because it really boosted my confidence and is cool to oversee the behind the scenes of the band.”

Kissner explained, “Though there are some physical and mental downfalls to being a field conductor I thoroughly enjoy it better than marching. Clarinet is so temperamental outside and I just love to be able to hear everything and see all the drills. It really is amazing to see and hear everything come together.”

Super proud of all three that made it and well wishes for the rest of their season!

50th band spectacular

Defiance High school Band of Class recently had their 50th anniversary of the annual Band Spectacular. Cathy Booth has continued late Vince Polce’s legacy by continuing to hold the spectacular.

John Lawson a Senior in the Band of class explained his feelings about how this was the 50th show, “I’m glad the band spectacular has gone on this long, I hope it continues to be done and when I’m older, I would like to see the band perform at the 75th or even the 100th to see what they decide to do.”

Booth has been head director of the Defiance Band of Class since 2004 when Polce retired, she has always continued his traditions. Booth explained, “We worked to make the 50th focus on the founder and namesake of the Band Spectacular, Vince Polce. The guest bands were all groups that had been here during Vince's tenure, the Band of Class' show was focused around the show style he had done, and we had a great fireworks show for the celebration.”

The bands that performed at the show were Anthony Wayne, Sandusky, Port Clinton, Bowling Green, and Bryan. Booth explained her feelings on how the show went, “The 50th Band Spectacular was fantastic! We had a great crowd - larger than the last couple years, and the students did a tremendous job in their performance. We had several outstanding bands that everyone enjoyed watching.”

Lawson explained his feelings about how the show went, “ The show went well overall although, it could have been better but I still think it was one it was one of our best performances.”

Thankfully the show was able to go on especially from the past pandemic, Booth explained, “This year, the event felt back to normal compared to last year. We still did our mass band a little differently, but everything else we were able to do. We had several alumni that were able to attend the event because of it being the 50th, so I'm very happy that we were able to carry on the tradition.”

Congrats to The Band of Class and everyone that participated in the show!

Defiance High School Band of Class traveled to their first away game of the season to St. Mary’s on Friday August 27, 2021. Due to the pandemic, the band was not allowed to travel with the football team but were allowed to perform at home games.

The band had to travel almost an hour and a half away. It's one of the longest bus rides the band takes this year, not including their Chicago trip.

Kalen Miller, senior band member, and Victoria Gerencser, a sophomore band member, explained their feelings about how the show went. Miller said, “I think the performance went pretty good. It was a little touch and go there for a moment in the last song because of the tempo getting pushed around, but all in all it was good.”

Because the band couldn’t travel last year due to Covid, were many moments that are a first time for now two separate grades. Gerencser explained her feelings about going to an away game, “The long ride wasn’t a huge deal to me because I’m in tennis and we travel long distances too. I really enjoy bus rides because it’s really fun to be with my friends and get to mess around with everyone. Other thoughts that I have are that St. Mary’s was really really good. Their pregame was amazing and watching the drum major was fun.”

Some members that haven't experienced an away game since sophomore and freshman year feel differently about them now. Miller falls into that category, stating, “I was so prepared to say how great it was, but honestly it didn't feel the same. I miss having to yell at people to close the windows and for them to shut up. I miss having music being played out loud from others, not the bus driver. But most importantly, I miss having that feeling of excitement and nerves about what's gonna happen.”

Hopefully with more cases rising, the band will still be able to travel and have a full season and cheer on the football team.

Erin Redick and Devin Sheller are Defiance High School’s newest band directors. Redick specializes in percussion and Sheller specializes in brass, specifically, the trumpet.

Both have thoughts and opinions about beginning a new job, especially after a pandemic.. Redick explained her feelings about coming to defiance “Well, I live in Napoleon soo... just kidding. I have thoroughly enjoyed my time here so far and eagerly look forward to becoming part of the Bulldog community this year!” Sheller explained, “I am excited to be in Defiance and be a Bulldog. I have been greeted by so many parents, students and other community members within my first month that have made me feel at home.”

This year is Sheller’s first year teaching. He explained his experiences about getting into music, saying, “I was not into playing music until I began playing trumpet in the 6th grade. Playing trumpet opened a whole world of music to me, not just in the Wind Band setting, but in Jazz and Pop settings as well. Music was not something that came naturally to me when I was younger; this is the case for many people. However, as I approached my senior year, I realized how much I loved it, specifically my love for teaching those around me.

Redick has taught at one previous school before coming to Defiance. She explained how she got into music, “I was very fortunate to have had a fantastic music experience all through grade school. I started out playing piano and guitar when I was in elementary school. In middle school, I joined a band as a percussionist and later became an electric bass player for the jazz band in high school. As long as I can remember I've been involved in music and I've enjoyed every minute of it. I knew I wanted to be able to someday offer students the same opportunities I was grateful to have had.”

Both teachers have worked with Defiance’s students since the end of July, Redick explained how this year has gone so far, saying, “It's been a blast working with the marching band over the summer before school started and now being able to work with the concert band students during school.”

All of the Defiance Band of Class is so excited to have Redick and Sheller to join our music family!