They could feel the music.
They could feel the emotion through it.
They could feel it coming to life.
This new feeling inspired a new idea — a winter guard for the band’s color guard. Band color guard Director Aaron Meyers will head the new winter guard, which will compete during the winter months.
“In a winter guard, each performer has different choreography from each other that blends to create a layered, complex final product that isn’t practical on a 100-yard field,” Meyers said. “Bringing the performers up close with the audience also leads to more expressive and emotional moments.”
Meyers studied at the University of Texas in Austin, majoring in music education.
“At first I wanted to be a woodwind doubler in pit orchestras,” Meyers said, “but in high school I decided I wanted to be a band director. Music was a passion of mine, and I knew that I wanted to study it in college at a professional level.”
Meyers has five junior high band classes and one color guard class.
“For high school band, color guard is my sole focus,” Meyers said. “All my other job responsibilities are at the junior high band, which I teach after first period. The work ends up being about even.”
Meyers said he always wanted a career that involved playing instruments.
“In sixth grade, I was a total band nerd and practiced at least two hours a day,” Meyers said. “By the end of that year, I had taught myself saxophone, bassoon and flute.”
Meyers graduated from Stony Point High School where there was no color guard until his sophomore year.
“Our drill team filled in by dancing with small props,” Meyers said, “but when that partnership ended, our band director had to form a real color guard from scratch. Watching them express our show’s theme through flag work and dance inspired me to learn on my own.”
Meyers said the color guard students have put in the work.
“I’m very enthusiastic about it,” Meyers said. “The guard that performed at the UIL area competition on Oct. 25 was not the same group of kids I met back in July. I am so proud of them.”
This will be SHS’s debut of a winter guard, leading to challenges.
“We will need to budget for a floor tarp,” Meyers said. “It is used as our ‘stage’ to perform on and has a printed image matching the theme of the show.”
Meyers decided to keep the same cast from marching band for winter guard.
“It is a much more demanding activity, and it is where we will expand on all skills they learned this summer and fall,” Meyers said. “I would not be able to teach advanced skills if we were also teaching new rookies the basics.”
Senior Susie Fehr said Meyers shifted the energy.
“We’ve learned better with Mr. Meyers,” Fehr said. “He shows us by giving us examples. He is enthusiastic and understandable.”
Last year the group would just change the routine, if members couldn’t get it, instead of practicing it until they mastered it.
“Meyers is really patient and calm,” junior Rubi Garcia said. “When we start something new, he helps us follow through slowly until we can grasp it.”
Winter guard’s schedule will be posted on the band’s Facebook page, Seminole Band Boosters, in January.
“Color guard and dance are the highest forms of artistic expression,” Meyers said. “It’s what makes the music in the show come to life. Being able to move and show the emotions connects you to the music much more than playing it on an instrument.”
