Let the music play

This week brings the welcome news that the Westbrook High School marching band, which had been silent for a year, may be starting up again.

This is great news for a school and a city that has long prided itself on a nationally known band that has participated in some of the biggest competitions in the country.

Kudos go out the dedicated group of students and band boosters who have worked to drum up interest in the band, and here’s hoping next week’s band camp is the start of another successful run for the marching band.

The return of the marching band is far from certain right now, however. There’s a big difference between getting kids to say they are interested in joining the band and actually getting kids onto the field with instruments in their hands.

If an insufficient number of kids show up at next week’s band camp, the marching band will be forced to the sidelines for another year. And that would be a shame, because the longer the school goes without a marching band, the harder it will be to bring it back.

Why the school was unable to field a marching band last year is still a matter of debate. Some members of the band, as well as some parents, cited a change in leadership from longtime director George Bookataub to Scott Trach as a reason for the decline.

“Some people didn’t want to come back because of our new instructor,” said Michelle Labbe, a senior drum major. “A lot of them didn’t like the way (Trach) did things and didn’t want to come back.”

For his part, Trach, who resigned as music director in May, declined to comment on his tenure in Westbrook this week.

Regardless of why the music stopped, it’s important for students, parents and the schools to focus on how to get it going again. A marching band is good for the school. It is a positive tool for teaching kids music as well as giving them the chance to work as part of a team. Additionally, it also gives kids who are not necessarily interested in sports a competitive outlet.

Some kids are already trying to get the old band back together. A core group of kids have been talking up the band to their peers, and it seems that those efforts have been somewhat fruitful.

That’s the right idea. The best way to stir up interest in the band is to have band members recruit new members. They are the ones who know the other kids the best, and once kids see their friends having fun, more kids will want to join.

But the kids shouldn’t be the only ones responsible for the future of the marching band. The school needs to take a more active role in ensuring its strong music program remains that way.

Assistant Superintendent Jan Breton said the school department is planning to explore all its options to bring the marching band back. Those possibilities include collaborating with other schools if Westbrook doesn’t get enough kids of its own to restart the band.

That’s a good idea. The state allows students whose schools don’t have a marching band of their own to join another school’s band. Some kids from Westbrook traveled as far as Old Orchard Beach to join a band.

There’s no reason Westbrook High School’s marching band can’t be one of the bands that attracts kids from other school districts. With its history of success in state and national competitions, Westbrook would certainly be an attractive place for kids to come and play.

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