Zion Chapel High School Marching Band has made history.

By Carole Brand

Published: August 1, 2008

According to Band Director Erin McLaughlin, theZion Chapel High School band has more than 65 members, a number that exceeds any other year.

“We’ve got the largest band I believe Zion Chapel has ever had,” she said looking out over the group during band practice this week.
“We’ve also got the largest percussion line of 10 we’ve ever had and 15 color guard members. That’s a good, strong group.”

The color guard of the school’s band is also making its own school history. The first male member has joined the color guard. Derrick Sanders, the male newcomer, said he played the trumpet in the band last year, but decided to join the color guard team.
“It’s a little different for me with all the girls, but we are a team,” he said.

With six Troy University band assistants on the practice field this week, showing both the rookies and veterans the new moves for the band season, McLaughlin said all of the band was coming together to form a great band this year.

“We’re excited about the band being so large and all the new members,” she said. “I believe last year we had about 36 members.”

McLaughlin said the new members joined the band and “not because we’re going to the Sugar Bowl this year. Only about half the band is going and that’s a shame. It’s going to cost about $650 to $700 per student and some families have two or three kids in the band, so it’s pretty expensive.”

According to the band director, the band will play in New Orleans in the Sugar Bowl on New Year’s Day.

“We really need donations for the trip because we’ve got to rent a bus, also. The total for the entire trip is around $70,000 and right now, we can only afford to take half the band, so we can’t compete with the other bands if we only have half of them.”

After a year of fundraisers, the band has enough money to purchase new uniforms.

“They arrived last week and everyone is so excited,” McLaughlin said. “This is going to be a great year for us.”