ACA band director, St. James band hit high notes

Their band director, Kevin Morrison, was chosen as the brass instructor for the 2009 Great American Marching Band, which leads off the annual parade. The band is comprised of students throughout the country from grades 9 through 12.

"This will be a really good learning opportunity for myself, as far as being with other staff members that were selected, and learning from them, and having the opportunity to teach students from all over the country," Morrison said last week before leaving for New York.

The 23-year-old Morrison is a recent graduate of Auburn University and has been the Alabama Christian Academy band director for almost two years.

"I look forward to seeing everyone at the parade. I've never been to New York during that time. Just seeing the large-scale atmosphere will be amazing," he said. "I won't be conducting. There are a couple of different things that people have to do along the parade route. Some will be visible on TV. There's a possibility I can be on TV walking next to the band, but I won't find out until I arrive."

Morrison was selected as the brass instructor for today's parade by Richard Good, assistant director of bands/assistant professor of low brass at Auburn University.

Good and Jon Woods of Ohio State University are directing the band.

"I'm a little nervous," Morrison said. "I'll be teaching kids I'm not familiar with, with music I don't have. Dr. Good seems to be confident in our abilities. If he trusts me, then I trust me."

Morrison left for New York on Saturday, with rehearsals with the 185-member Great American Band (which includes about 50 flags and dancers) starting Sunday. For four days, he has gone through rehearsals with brass instrument players -- those who play trumpets, trombones and tubas.

"It's always good to be with someone in the same profession and see what they do and how they get things done," Morrison said of the other instructors. "I'm hoping to gain new experiences and new ways to do the same job, to do a better job at communicating my love for music for the students."

Small band does well

St. James School's marching band competed at the Bands of America Grand National Championships in Indianapolis Nov. 12-14 and was awarded fourth place Single A band.

It was the 57-member band's first trip to the national competition. The St. James band came in second place in the Bands of America Regional Competition in Atlanta on Oct. 31.

St. James was one of 24 Single A bands competing at the three-day national event. It was only one of two Alabama bands -- Corner High School from Warrior also competed.

Class A classification means a school has 600 or fewer students in grades 10 through 12. St. James has 240. The band was named Single A champions this year at the Hoover Invitational, and the Single A and Double A grand champions at the Heart of Dixie competition in Prattville.

"When you get out of your own state, it broadens your horizons," said St. James band instructor Susan Smith. "To be one of the top four Single A bands ... there isn't another contest of this scope anywhere else in the country."

Emily Pipan is the St. James marching band drum major -- she conducts the band -- and said the competition in Indianapolis was a "great learning experience.

"It was just a great feeling to know that all of our hard work had paid off," the 17-year-old junior said. "Each year, we try to push ourselves further. We compare our season to a marathon -- it's actually worth it when you cross the finish line."

Dewey Davis is a 16-year-old sophomore at St. James. The trombone player is no stranger to the national scene -- he marched in the Rose Bowl parade last year.

The national competition was "awesome," he said.

"I learned at nationals that bands aren't as unappreciated as I thought," he said.

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