ARAB, Ala. – The Arab High School Band reached the end of two full weeks of band camp last Friday. The entire band was present for both weeks. Each day the band worked on its music, marching fundamentals and drill sets for its upcoming halftime show. The band has three-quarters of its show set down, having completed the portion of the show its music arranger has provided so far.
This year’s show, “A Knight’s Code,” plays off the school’s mascot. The band will play “Rule, Britannia!” by Thomas Arne, “Live and Let Die” by Sir Paul McCartney, “Centuries,” by Fallout Boy and “The Showdown” from the jousting scene of the motion picture “A Knight’s Tale.” Band Director Patrick Dailey said the band has its own jousting match to perform on the field during the tune. The band will close with “We are the Champions” by Queen.
The band welcomed 30 eighth-grade students new to marching this season. Dailey said the new students are doing fantastic.
“They’re catching on really quickly and playing music well,” he said. “They’ve learned how to march pretty quickly. I think that’s a testament to their abilities since we’ve been able to get everything we have, music wise, on the field in those two weeks.”
Drum Major Arley Satterfield is directing the band on the field for the first time this year as a junior.
Dailey said he depends on Satterfield and other student leaders to help teach the 120-member band.
“In sectionals we give the section leaders lots of time to work with the group,” he said. “I think that’s important because they hear our voices all the time, and sometimes they are not getting it necessarily from us, but when they hear it from one of their peers, it comes out differently than when we say it, so I think it’s vital having the section leaders teach their members.”
Added Dailey, “This is my third year at Arab and my first real band camp that wasn’t affected by COVID. It’s great to be able to have a normal band camp here and not have to shut down or send kids home.”
The band will compete is multiple marching festivals this fall, including the Mid-South Marching Band Festival at Gadsden City High School, the Sand Mountain Invitational Marching Band Festival at Boaz High School and the Alabama State Marching Band Championship at Spain Park High School.
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