By Kathryn Rice
This is the second in a series about high school bands in Nodaway County.
Bob Svoboda, Nodaway-Holt band director, credits the size of the marching band to encouragement from Principal Ethan Sickels and past Principal Terry Petersen.
“All I ask is, if a kid wants to be in band, they can be in band,” Svoboda said. And students want to be in the band. Fifty-three students, or
almost half of the students in grades seven through 12, are participating in band this year.
Sickels and Petersen encouraged student participation by not scheduling conflicting classes with band the first hour of the day. This has brought band participation numbers up from the low 20s. Teachers will also work with junior and senior students on dual classes.
“It’s about the kids, let’s make it easy for them,” explained Svoboda about why he only changes one or two songs each year. “These are great kids who work hard. They remind me that, ‘hey, we’re going to get it done,’ which re-centers me.”
The band participates in the Graham Street Fair, Peru State College and Northwest Missouri State University Homecoming parades each year. The pep band plays for all home football games and most of the basketball games. The group performs in a spring concert for a total of 19 performances a year.
Band students are looking forward to the 275 Band Conference on November 7. There will be more than 180 musicians participating with rehearsals all day and a concert at 5:30 pm. The NH band has been learning songs to prepare for the event.
South Holt, which co-ops with Nodaway-Holt for football, recently brought some junior high band members to play with NH. Svoboda said he was excited to hear the students discussing the differences in how the bands play.
Carey Volner, band president, Rachel Farmer, field major, and Maddie Clement, clarinet, all seniors, have been in the band since fifth grade and have been marching since seventh. They said that it is fun and people want to be a part of the band because of the camaraderie.
“This senior class has always been an outstanding group,” Svoboda said. “The younger kids feed off of that and it’s going to make them stronger in the future.”
At the morning practice, Svoboda, who has taught band at NH for 22 years, reminded the musicians, “let’s have fun and be great. We always have fun and it is within your grasp to be great.”
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