FHS band needs your help July 19
The Farragut High School Marching Admirals band needs money and the community can help by hitting the concession stand.
Drums Across the Smokies, sponsored by Drum Corps International, will perform starting at 7 p.m., Wednesday, July 19, at Farragut High School’s Bill Clabo Field. All concession proceeds will go straight to the band. General admission tickets are $15 or $12 if purchased in advance. Reserved tickets are $25 or $22 purchased in advance. Groups of 20 or more are $10 in advance. Tickets can be purchased in advance at http://www.dci.org or the day of when the ticket booth opens at 6 p.m.
Larry Murphy, Band Boosters president, said the band needs to repair some instruments and replace others — particularly some they have been using since the 1970s. The band normally buys used instruments, only buying new ones for the percussion section. Once a big payment is made in August for instruments purchased a couple of years ago, the band will only have about $3,000 in its account, and running the band costs about $200,000 each year [not counting $750 given to the band by Knox County Schools].
Connor Yeary, tuba player, is an upcoming senior and the only FHS student to participate in a 150-member audition-only drum and wind Drums Across America group this summer.
“My son tried out and made it last fall, said Paula Yeary. “One weekend a month, January through April, they spent a weekend in Nashville staying in a local middle school practicing and then they reported to camp in Smyrna [outside of Nashville] June 3.
“They spent three weeks marching and learning their
music and then there was a family day in late June in Smyrna and we were allowed to take our kids to dinner. That Monday they headed out on three buses and an 18-wheeler to tour across nine different states until
mid-August.”
Paula said concession sales at the event will definitely help.
To make a donation, contact Murphy at larrydmurphy5@gmail.com.
