Young Hawks ready to help lead LCHS band

The marching band at LaRue County High School has a lot of new faces, but new members are working to blend in with veterans.

Jill Pickett

The LaRue County High School marching band and color guard perform a portion of their show during halftime of a recent home football game.

Buy this photo

Jill Pickett

The LaRue County High School marching band and color guard perform a portion of their show during halftime of a recent home football game.

Buy this photo

Jill Pickett

Members of the LaRue County High School perform a portion of their show during halftime of a recent home football game.

Buy this photo

The Band of Hawks competed Saturday at Russellville’s Show of Bands at Russellville High School. The band worked this summer to prepare many of its members for their first high school competition.

This year’s show, “Gray Scale,” deals with that ambiguous color palette and the themes of shadows and mystery, director Jaime Smith said. When designing a show, they almost always start with music, choosing something the students still will enjoy after several months of practice.

LaRue County is the defending Class 2-A state champion.

Senior Lindsay Cowles, a drum major, said she loves the music, and senior Nathaniel Hornback likes the variety it offers.

“We have in-your-face moments and we have the soft, subtle moments,” Hornback said.

Smith held a band camp specifically for freshmen, so they could work on marching basics before practicing with the rest of the band.

Hornback said despite freshmen making up more than half of the band, he feels good about the group that’s assembled.

“They are stepping up and doing their part,” he said.

Smith said with new members, it sometimes is hard for them to think of band as a serious commitment, but he feels like this year’s group has the right mindset.

“I feel like we have a lot of potential this year,” he said.

Assistant director Michael Collins said they plan for students to be at their peak by the end, and Smith agreed.

“We know what it’s like to be at the bottom of the beginning of the year and at the top at the end of year,” Smith said.

Kelly Cantrall can be reached at (270) 505-1747 or kcantrall@thenewsenterprise.com.