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HARLINGEN — It will be a show about individuality, about innovation and the newness and the exploration of things.
Frank Sinatra’s “My Way” will feature prominently in the show this year when the Harlingen High School South band performs during the fall football season.
The drumline of the Hawk band worked on technique and precision Wednesday in preparation for Summer Band Camp which begins on Monday. Ronnie Rios, music director, was pleased with the performance of the drum players and the vibraphone players and everyone else in the percussion section.
“The attendance has been way above average, better than expected,” Rios said. “It’s the middle of the summer and swimming pools are open for the kids, and they have video games for them. The kids being here is a testament to their dedication and their commitment to the program.”
There is a freshness and a vitality to this year’s show, with the school’s drill team Southern Stars performing with the band for the first time ever.
“We want more pageantry,” Rios said. “We are getting some jazz into the show, more sprinkles and glitter.”
The band players from the percussion section practicing on Wednesday appreciated well the show and their individual parts.
“It’s going really well,” said Mikayla Galvan, 15, a sophomore who plays the snare drum.
“I am improving a lot on things I was struggling with before,” she said. “It’s technique and precision with how I play, using less wrist for tapping and using more fingering and understanding how it functions. Just trying to get the most out of the work.”
Rios spoke with greater depth about the significance of the show and Sinatra’s message about “My Way.”
“’My Way’ refers to traveling every highway and byway and ‘The Road Less Traveled,’” he said, making reference now to Robert Frosts’ iconic poem.
“The music takes us on a journey,” he continued. “There are beautiful times and rough times and scary times and of course prosperity and opportunity.”
That sentiment and the power of that sentiment will be expressed both through music and color.
“We are excited about this year’s show,” he said.
Isaiah Rodriguez, 17, said he appreciated the performance of the more modern and popular music of this year’s show.
“I enjoy playing it and singing it along in my head,” said Isaiah, who plays the tenor drums.
