Brunswick high school marching bands showcase skills

BRUNSWICK COUNTY, NC (WWAY) — Fall isn’t just for football. It’s also a time of year when many marching bands perform and compete.

Though it wasn’t a competition, high school marching bands from across Brunswick County came out Tuesday night to showcase their skills at North Brunswick High School.

It’s an annual tradition for the three high schools to come together to perform in the showcase.

The showcase was free to the public, though the North Brunswick JROTC program collected non-perishable canned goods for local food pantries at the event.

North Brunswick High School Band Director Christopher Cook said it’s an important event for the students to be able to show their talents to the community.

“We showcase what we’ve done all year,” North Brunswick High School Drum Major Reagan Jernigan said. “And it’s kind of like a prideful moment for us because it isn’t really a competition, it’s a showcase. Because we often don’t get to go to show, like competitions with the rest of them, so that’s kind of fun.”

“We don’t get to interact with them a lot, especially with North being a different kind of band, we don’t see them a lot so seeing all the other bands from the county is really nice,” South Brunswick High School tuba player Jack Erickson said.

“As far as marching band culture, it’s a group of students that is on a team, that are working together,” Cook said.

“It’s almost like a big family and it’s a lot of fun to interact with people,” South Brunswick High School trumpet player Iain Taylor said.

“Band is not just music and playing,” Cook said. “It’s also teamwork and it’s life skills, and it prepares our students for the world that’s ahead.”