For four Iola High School sophomores, band has become a place to find their people.
Jackson Young, Kyndal Bartlett, Avery Strickler and Autumn Carr have different reasons for joining the program, and each has different plans for life after high school.
But as musicians and student leaders, they have found something they share: a love of music.
Carr, a drum major and flute player, was drawn to band after watching her older sister participate.
“She really inspired me to be a part of this band community,” Carr said. That sense of belonging is what she enjoys most. It’s helped her become more confident, something she hopes other students can find through the program.
“If you’re looking for a good influence and a good community, band is a great place to be,” she said.
Strickler, the head drum major, grew up in a musical family.
She and Carr earned their drum major positions through auditions. Strickler conducts the band’s halftime performances, while Carr conducts during parades. Young and Bartlett serve as field commanders, helping lead the band on the field.
Strickler said current band members have made leadership responsibilities particularly rewarding. “We have a really good group that listens and is easy to bond with,” she noted. “We all get along and work well together.”
YOUNG’S PATH into band was a simple one.
He likes music.
He has since found the program has helped him become more social.
“My favorite part is traveling to competitions and meeting new people,” Young said.
Bartlett joined on a whim and has enjoyed it ever since. “I just saw band and thought, ‘Huh… I kind of want to do this.’ So, I did,” she explained.
The experience, Bartlett says, has helped her gain confidence, while also offering a different perspective from an observer to a performer. “I just love everybody in band. It’s a lot better than what the stereotypes are,” she said.
That sense of community is something Brandi Holt, band teacher for grades 6 through 12 in Iola, also values.
