The beat goes on: Central High School of Alabama’s Clay County helps students succeed on and off the field
Central High School in Clay County is growing with some help from the Alabama Power Foundation. (contributed)
A high-school band program empowers students’ self-expression.
Interest in Clay County’s Central High School band program has been steadily increasing. Last year, grades 7-12 had 120 students involved in band, which is the only music program in the county. Recently, this uptick pushed the number of musicians above the number of instruments available. Since participation in the arts brings multiple advantages — aiding academic performance, boosting self-confidence and more — too many trumpet players, drummers and flautists can be a good problem to have. But the Alabama Power Foundation helped solve the issue.
With a grant to purchase the additional instruments needed, more than 100 band students are now marching to a better beat, a fact that has the school’s Director of Bands Tony McCarley whistling a happy tune.
“Our band program is really key for our kids,” McCarley says. The trombone player and former “band kid” knows that band brings individual benefits, giving students a positive way to express themselves. “But being a part of a group and learning to be team players, working toward the common goal of making better music together, that’s a major positive, too,” he says. “These skills carry over into lots of other areas of their lives.”
So, when the band outgrew the equipment, the school knew it needed to act. While the former director of bands had reached out to the foundation for support, McCarley is thrilled to implement the results. “We want everyone who wants to be in band to be in band,” he says. “But there is a point where not everyone can go buy an instrument if we don’t have it.” Plus, the program incurs costs to maintain its instruments and, after some time, replace them.
This school year, McCarley led students through boisterous renditions of crowd and band favorites like “Word Up” and “Best Band in the Land.” But the high note for McCarley transcends music. “It’s seeing that ‘Aha!’ moment in a kid when they realize, ‘I’ve got this, and I can do this.’ I love that part of the job,” he says.
To learn more about the Alabama Power Foundation and view the latest annual report, please visit powerofgood.com.
