The Enka High School (EHS) Marching Jets will travel to the Bands of America Regional Championship on Saturday (Oct. 15), and here’s a sneak peak of the show that will grace the East Tennessee State University Athletics Center.
Enka’s first trip to a regional championship comes on the heels of last Saturday’s “grand champion” win at the Cedar Cliff Classics band competition. The Marching Jets also earned first place honors in the “drum majors,” “color guard,” and “percussion” categories. Band Director Kevin Young said the honors highlight the growth he’s seen in his students and the band program.
“When I started here six years ago, I walked into the gold mine of the Southeast,” he said. “What Mr. Caldwell and John Lackey (former EHS Directors) built here was something that everyone in the state knew about. When I took over, I had dreams, but more importantly, the students had dreams. They told me that they wanted to be able to compete at the highest level. Each year we have risen in terms of quality and quantity. When I started, we had around 70 students in the marching band, and now we’re up to 125.”
This year’s production, “Catching Fire,” is about igniting a fire within oneself and allowing it to grow.
“Throughout the show you can hear the progression with the tempo, dynamics, and the difficulty of the music,” Mr. Young said. “My staff and students have made this show into something special. You can feel the passion and ‘fire’ within each performance.”
Arts education programs in Buncombe County Schools help each student find their artistic voice. As arts educators, we work to help our students collaborate and manifest creative, problem-solving, globally minded strengths in their areas of expression.
In our schools, students have the freedom to seek originality and distinction. They lead the charge in presenting award-winning visual art pieces, stunning dance and musical performances, and high-quality theater productions. The fine arts allow students to build confidence, explore new cultures and ideas, and strive for excellence. From kindergarten through graduation, the arts have a place for students to belong.