Bolivar Central High School Music Department Hits the Road on Recruitment Tour
The Bolivar Central High School (BCHS) band hit the road Wednesday and Thursday, March 20-21, 2024, on the county-wide BCHS Music Department Recruitment Tour. The band visited five area schools – Bolivar Elementary School, Bolivar Middle School, Hornsby Elementary School, Toone Elementary School, and Whiteville Elementary School – to show eighth grade students at those schools who they are as a band and what they do. The tour gave the students insight into the BCHS band program and was an open invitation for them to join the band once they entered high school.
“The purpose of this tour was to recruit incoming eighth grade students into our music program,” said BCHS band director William Griggs. “We wanted to provide the opportunity for eighth graders to know about our program and all that we have to offer.”
Mr. Griggs started working in January with his band and choir students in preparation for the tour.
“We performed some half-time show music for them as well as some of our favorite stand tunes,” said Mr. Griggs. “The color guard did a routine for them as well as one selection from our choir.”
The tour also provided an opportunity for the band and choir members to show how the music department has grown in participation and skill level since Mr. Griggs took the director position in June 2023. The BCHS band and choir did impress students during the tour based on some of the comments Mr. Griggs received after the students performed.
“Some comments we received are, ‘Can we do more than one thing?’, ‘When can we start?’, and ‘What if we haven’t been in band?’’”, said Mr. Griggs who gave a recap of the interest. “We had a total of 68 incoming freshman that signed saying that they were interested in joining our music department next year.”
Mr. Griggs noted no experience is necessary for students who want to join the band. He also shared the band has an open arm policy.
“Our job is to teach them to be young and thriving musicians,” said Mr. Griggs who explained more about the open arm policy. “Although we have an open arm policy, your grades, attendance, and behavior issues are thoroughly looked at before you can sign up into our program.”
Mr. Griggs considers the BCHS Music Department Recruitment Tour a success and hopes the students who saw the performance were inspired and enticed to join the BCHS band in the upcoming school year.
Pictures courtesy of the BCHS band.
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