Vinemont Band has ‘High Hopes’ as it prepares for 2019 marching season

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Vinemont Eagle Band percussionists perform Friday. (Christy Perry for The Cullman Tribune)

VINEMONT, Ala. – The 2019 Vinemont Eagle Marching Band is celebrating Vinemont School’s 50th year with a show band director Skyler King said, “is celebrating 50 years of pinnacle excellence.” The show is titled “On Top” and features some great tunes that everyone will recognize and love.

The band worked very hard this past week at camp and concluded with a great preview of this year’s show for friends and family Friday evening. The Vinemont Marching Band has grown a bit since last year with almost 10 more members. Some additional help was brought in to work with the students during camp. The kids practiced each day from 2-10 p.m. to put together this year’s exciting show.

A large crowd gathered as King got the band warmed up, eager to see what the kids had learned during the long week.

King welcomed everyone, saying, “We are really excited to debut our show to you. You are going to see our students moving at various tempos, forwards, backwards, left slides, right slides, turns and all doing so together. Imagine that! Forty-something high school and a few middle school students all doing something together. We are about to witness that together.”

The band appeared to carry out each command with crisp precision, ease, and complete synchronicity. Impressive, as many had never marched prior to Monday’s start to band camp.

King said, “We are really excited to debut this show to you this evening. We’ve had a really successful band camp this year and we are looking forward to celebrating it tonight at our pool party as well.”

The band then ran to position for the opening set of its 2019 halftime show promising that the “last time” performing at band camp would be the “best time.”

The “On Top” show opened with “High Hopes” by Panic at the Disco. The 45-member band might be small, but it has a big sound. The visual ensembles were perfect in accompanying the band in a great opening number that Eagles fans will no doubt dance along with this fall. The band also performed its second set, which showcases the drumline as it performs MC Hammer’s “Can’t Touch This.”

King recognized several students for going above and beyond during band camp. The award winners are:

  • Golden Toe Award Upper Classman- Emily Dyer
  • Golden Toe Award Lower Classman- Kimberly Wilt
  • Golden Toe Award Rookie- Skyla Pair
  • Golden Toe Award Auxiliary Veteran- Idalee Greer
  • Golden Toe award Auxiliary Rookie- Angel Wiggins
  • Hustle Award Upper Classman- Trinity Snyder
  • Hustle Award Lower Classman- Eli Keel
  • Hustle Award Rookie- Lawson Whaley
  • Star Performer Upper Classman- Desiree Drake
  • Star Performer Rookie- Lexi Sartin
  • Drill Down Winner- Lydia Baker
  • Dress Up Day Section Winners- Color Guard
  • Best Section- Color Guard

“It really has been a very special band camp this year. (I’m) really excited for this show. It’s been a really great group of students to work with and I just can’t say enough to them,” King said.

The Vinemont Eagle Band is planning on a spring trip to Disney World in a collaboration with several other Cullman County marching bands.

Band Booster President Michael Holmes said, “I have a great group of boosters. I know they are good at what they do, and I just let them do it.”

As the 2019 Vinemont Band Camp came to an end, the students headed to the Cullman Wellness & Aquatic Center for a celebratory pool party.

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