March madness

Oct. 16, 2005

CASEY RESSLER\Frontiersman Valley Life editor

At many high school football games in the Lower 48, and almost all college games, the marching band entertains the crowd with tuba-twirling, foot-stomping performances at halftime. But not in Alaska.

At least, not until this football season. When the Colony Knights football team headed to halftime this year, the marching band took the field and entertained audience.

&#8221I'm a young teacher and I came up from Utah - I was in the marching band at BYU - and during my interview, the administration asked what I envisioned for the music program,“ said Jamin Burton, the teacher who leads the marching band. &#8221I said, ‘a marching band.' It had not been done here before.

&#8221The administration was so supportive and let us get it started. Without that support, I doubt it would have happened,“ Burton said.

Burton said he was told Alaska schools didn't have marching bands, &#8221because it's too cold.“

&#8221You tell that to the marching bad at places like the University of Michigan, where it's freezing cold at the end of the season,“ Burton said. &#8221If they can have one, so can we.“

The marching band was offered as a &#8221seventh-hour class,“ meaning students could get class credits for it, but it was only offered after school and on the weekends. In all, 34 students signed up, and Burton already has more ready for next year.

&#8221The two weeks before school started, we practiced from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m., every day,“ Burton said. &#8221We put in more hours before the season than the football team did.“

So far, the band has impressed many. Coming up, it will play at the state championship football game on Saturday.

Burton said right now, the band is trying to raise $23,000 for uniforms and more instruments for the band.

&#8221We're thankful for all the help we've got from the students and the community and the administration,“ Burton said.