New instruments, trip on TRM horizon
Published 4:55 am Wednesday, February 1, 2017
Stephanie Snodgrass | The Brewton Standard
T.R. Miller band students Makayla Jones, Mark Hendrieth, Jordan Delawrence and Daniel Samuel pose with the new drums.
Soon the Saints and the T.R. Miller Tigers will be marching in Chicago’s St. Patrick Day parade.
TRM band director Brandon Cornutt said some 60 students will be making the trek up north accompanied not only by parents but also with some new instruments purchased with community support and donations and corporate sponsorships.
The $18,000 spent purchased four Adams timpani drums, Adams concert bass drum, Yamaha professional tenor saxophone, and piccolo.
“We can’t say ‘thank you’ enough to everyone who helped make these purchases possible,” Cornutt said. “The band hasn’t had any new instruments for several years, and these are instruments that every band should have. The ones purchased were also either some we didn’t own or were broken and too expensive to repair.
“The community wants a great band, and in order to do that we need to have correct, functional instruments,” he said.
Stephanie Snodgrass | The Brewton Standard
Ryder Jernigan with part of the TRM band percussion.
Cornutt said other recent purchase also allowed for some new additions to the middle school.
“We hope to add new instruments each year at the high school,” he said. “The marching percussion needs to be replaced. It’s outlived its life, as well as other instruments. (Brewton) middle school band needs instruments as well. When we buy at the high school level, we can pass the useable instruments to the middle school.”
Cornutt said the upcoming trip is also part of a well-rounded band experience.
During the trip, students will have a “true Chicago experience” with a visit to area museums, shopping and more. Traveling by charter bus, the group will leave March 8 and return March 12. The parade will be televised on WGN.
To help meet the remaining costs of the trip, as well as future band expenses, the band has partnered with The Brewton Standard in a subscription drive. For every new $39 subscription the student sells, the newspaper will donate 50 percent back to the student. Deadline for orders is Fri., Feb. 3. To purchase, contact a TRM band member or call The Brewton Standard at 867.4876.
“Great things are happening with the band program,” Cornutt said. “Lots of exciting things going on.”
