HONEY GROVE — Last year was Nick Stephenson’s first as the band director for the Honey Grove Warriors. And in that year, marked as it was by the irregularity of the Covid-19 pandemic, he was able to help stabilize a program that had been tumultuous in the years leading up to his arrival, and he helped the band find great success. This year, he’s ready to continue that success.
“I’m really happy with how my first year here went,” Stephenson said. “The goal is to build off that.”
His goal will be made all the easier by a large, senior-laden group with over 100 total members and 20 seniors.
“We almost didn’t have enough uniforms to go around for all the kids we have in band this year, which is a good problem to have,” he said with a laugh.
And Stephenson pointed to the leadership of those seniors, in particular the band’s drum majors, as valuable sources of leadership. The head drum major this year is Brinkleigh Mayberry, and she’s done a stellar job leading her peers.
Not only can they be counted on to set an example for how to act, but they’re also capable of leading practice when called upon, as Stephenson recounted a time when he was stuck in practice and his drum majors not only led practice in his stead but began teaching them a new movement of the halftime show.
The band’s show this year is titled “Pandora Reopened,” and as its name suggests, tells a story of the reopening of the fabled Pandora’s Box.
“The idea is that we’re trying to bring hope out of the box, while stuffing all the bad things back in the box,” Stephenson said.
The piece consists of four movements. The first is a prologue, followed by movements titled “A Time of Happiness,” “A Time of Dread” and “A Time of War.”
The show is musically impressive, but Stephenson made sure it would be visually impressive too, as it features some intricate choreography and a giant box that will be used as a prop for the band members to pour out of.
The band will first compete on Oct. 9 at Celina, and Stephenson said he’s confident the band will have the show ready to go by then.
Things have been slightly complicated by Covid-19, as there seems to always be a handful of members in quarantine. Despite that, though, the Warriors are living up to their name and fighting through the obstacles.
“I’m really proud of how they’ve handled adversity,” Stephenson said.
Tommy Culkin is sports editor for The Paris News. He can be reached at 903-785-6972 or at tommy.culkin@theparisnews.com.
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