Mahomet-Seymour Band Director Michael Stevens has a lot on his mind this week.
He’s excited to welcome the 170 Mahomet-Seymour Marching Band students to the practice field for the 2021 Marching Band camp.
All while he’s thinking about rising COVID-19 numbers, half the band that has never competed before, and how to rebuild the marching band culture that Mahomet-Seymour prides itself on.
Unlike coming into August 2020, Stevens knew that students would be allowed to gather for band camp in 2021 after Gov. JB Pritzker lifted capacity restrictions as Illinois moved to Phase 5. He prepared his band for the moment nearly 12 months ago as all grade levels learned the first and last minute of music for the George Gershwin-themed show, “An American in Paris.”
The 2020 drill, though, was reassembled to account for fewer band students.
“We went from two minutes of music to eight minutes of music,” Stevens said. “We went from 13 drill sets to 60-some drill sets. We’re just trying to recreate what our original vision was back a couple of years ago.”
The drumline and color guard began preparing last week as the brass, woodwinds, and percussion joined together Monday to practice twice a day.
Recently, the CDC, IDPH, ISBE, and CUPHD updated guidance recommending that “all teachers, staff, students, and visitors to K-12 schools should wear a mask while indoors .” (ISBE)
But because the Mahomet-Seymour School board voted to “strongly recommend” masks in their July board meeting, masking has been optional at band camp.
“We’re just following what the school board laid out in their policy meeting a few weeks ago,” he said. “That’s what we have to go by.”
A few students have chosen to wear masks while they are not playing their instruments, while the majority of the students are unmasked. Teachers and staff are not allowed to ask students about their vaccination status, so at this time, it’s on the honor system.
Stevens said that after the entire band “treaded water” last year, some students rehearsing online, others in the classroom, with no competitions for any group, the sight of being able to travel and showcase the group’s talents this fall is exciting.
Knowing anything can change in a moment’s notice as COVID-19 cases, hospitalizations and death continue to rise locally and nationally, Stevens said the current rules will allow for the group to go for their weekend trip to Allerton in September before heading to Danville, Metamora, Effingham and Indianapolis for BOA in October.
The move is taking a step away from competing at Eastern Illinois University the first weekend in October. Stevens believes the band needs a chance to regroup.
“We have half the band that has never competed,” he said. “We only have the juniors and seniors who have had an experience with this, really.
“We’re trying to get the basics really solid so the kids have a nice foundation to build off of. And then trying to get them excited about what we’re doing and rebuild the culture because we lost it.
“I think that’s gonna be just as hard, if not harder, than the technical aspects of it’ just getting the kids, especially the younger kids, to feel that the ownership of the program again.”
The initial consistency of a young group of drum majors will help in years to come. But for this year, the backbone of the program will be section leaders, juniors, and seniors, who mentor small groups over the course of three months.
“They are the ones who have been in the trenches and done it for real,” Stevens said. “And I tried very hard to pick those who I thought would be good mentors, that are motivating to other kids, who know how to use tough love and make it fun. So far they are doing a really good job.”
Stevens also welcomed Assistant Marching Band Director Evan Bossenbroek to the program on Monday. Bossenbroek grew up in Champaign and recently graduated from Indiana University.
“He wants to do well and he wants the kids to do well,” Stevens said. “The kids seem to respect him. He really wants to be good and he’s asked the right questions. I’m anxious to see how he develops.”
The duo will be the catalyst for a jazz-filled show that will feature a few talented soloists.
“I’m just anxious to kind of get it all put together,” Stevens said.
