“I think that a lot of people in Taunton [recognize] how important music is in our everyday lives,” observes Mr. Dan McKenzie, director of the Taunton High School band program.

The continuation of this program in the face of challenge is not only important to band students and their families, but also to the Taunton community as a whole. This is why the band community has been putting in a major effort to revamp the program this year.

Mr. McKenzie is enthusiastic about the recent establishment of the band council, which has been planning for the future of the band and establishing connections between band students in high school and middle school with the hopes of reducing stress upon entering high school and encouraging younger students to continue their musical journeys.

“There's been a lot of changes [this year] but I view this as an opportunity to reset and start some new aspects to band,” Mr. McKenzie said.

These changes regard band classes, which look different this year with hybrid learning reducing the ability of bands to hold rehearsals for all individuals simultaneously. However, Mr. McKenzie is confident that these changes have not caused major setbacks to the program. He is still planning to hold multiple concerts this spring, even if they look different from typical performances.

“I'm really proud of how the band students have handled this challenge,” Mr. McKenzie said.

Although students have been well adjusting to the program’s changes, there is one important aspect of the program that was on the brink of diminishing this school year: the connections among younger and older band students that were no longer taking place due to online learning. These usually would happen at events and performances involving multiple grade levels of band students, but of course, these events are very limited this year. This missing piece is what inspired many students to take the initiative to rekindle these connections through the band council.

“We've started [the] band council, which is doing some amazing work and [has] started thinking about what we want the band to look like in the future,” Mr. McKenzie said.

Annabel Caramelo, a junior at Taunton High School, is a member of the symphonic band and band council. She has been virtually reaching out to middle school band classes through the council to talk with students who may be anxious about entering eighth grade band soon.

“It’s a really great experience for middle schoolers to be able to meet with high schoolers to ask questions about high school and hear about their experiences in band,” Caramelo said.

“I wish this had been offered when my class was going into high school,” she adds.

Mr. McKenzie has no doubts that the band program will flourish as the band council continues sowing these connections and working towards making band an even more enjoyable experience.

“[My students] give me all the confidence in the world that our program will be stronger than ever pretty quickly,” Mr. McKenzie said.

The Taunton community should stay tuned for the exciting band events that are on the horizon as the band council works towards positive change in the program.