By: Yarisel Mendez Limon
At the beginning of the school year, Collinsville High School, named Mrs. Vanessa Marcum the new full time band director. Fortunately Mrs. Marcum will have Mrs. Benefeld by her side to assist her in guiding the band to its fullest potential. I interviewed Mrs. Marcum and learned about the goals she has for the future of the band. She stated, “With this being a new full-time program, my main goal is to continue building a band with a strong foundation. Ms. Benefield has done a fantastic job getting the program started and building those foundational skills with the students, so my job now is to expand on that foundation and help the band grow in size, skill, and performance quality. As the band grows, I aim to introduce more challenging repertoire, foster a supportive band culture, and create opportunities for students to showcase their talents in both school and community events. I want the band students to feel a sense of pride, take ownership of the CHS Panther Pride Band, and learn how to work as a team. My goal is for them to have a strong sense of commitment and teamwork all while helping them understand the impact they are making on the school and the community. I would like to see the program grow in student participation and engagement. A goal I set for the program in June of 2024 was to have 30 CHS Panther Pride band members in three years. If all of the current CHS Panther Pride members participate in 2025 and all of the beginner band students move up to the CHS Panther Pride band, we will have at least 30 members in 2025, surpassing my goal. Another goal of mine is to use band as a way to expose my students to new places. I've always said that music can take you anywhere if you let it. For example, in high school I was able to march in the Fiesta Bowl Parade in Phoenix, Arizona with my high school band program and just recently, I was in the 80th anniversary of the D-Day Parade with the Marching Southerners in Normandy, France. Without music and those fantastic band directors, I would never have gotten those wonderful opportunities. Whether the trip be to a local university such as JSU, to another state, or to a foreign country, this exposure can inspire my students, expand their perspectives, and show them the incredible community that music can offer. Another goal of mine is to create an engaging, enthusiastic, and encouraging environment.” As a band student myself, Mrs. Marcum has done wonders in helping the CHS band. She has helped us recruit new band members. She has provided us the opportunity to go to new places we never thought we would get the chance to play at and I am so appreciative for that. Other members of the band had a lot of positive things to say about Mrs. Marcum as well. Joanna Escobar said, “I personally think she is a great addition to the band. Since she became the CHS music teacher, a lot of 6th graders discovered the band, and now we're growing.” At the end of the day, all the band members are very grateful to have Mrs. Marcum as the new band teacher.
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