Beat goes on in East County

Members of Braden River High School’s Marching Band of Pirates were practicing last week for the start of the school year.

Students were excited to be playing with their fellow band members in person after being separated since March due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

“It was great to see them again,” said Jeramiah Bowman, director of the band. “They were just thrilled to be together, play their instruments and hear that sort of band sound that they love. It was a lot of work to make it happen but definitely worth it.”

Sections of the band met for an hour to rehearse while following all Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines outside.

Bowman said the band is focusing on a noncompetitive type of show and pep band for now due to not being able to have its usual two-week band camp. If the band is able to put together more of its planned show, it eventually will compete.

Now that school has started, the full band, which is about 90 students, is able to continue its regular rehearsals on Tuesdays and Thursdays while following CDC guidelines.

“This group of kids is committed to making this work, and they’re going to try as hard as they can,” Bowman said. “It’s definitely not back to normal, but it gives them some sense of, ‘Hey, we’re back together with our friends playing music, and we’re going to be able to get through this,’ and it can be done safely.”