FAIRVIEW, Ala. — Fairview senior color guard captain Amy Latham will be heading into her sixth and final season as a member of the Aggie band and has enjoyed every second of it so far. She has learned so much during her time in the band.
“It’s been an amazing journey. It’s hard to believe that it’s my last year. I have gained so many skills in communication, building friendships, and connections with others through the band. The band environment has always been so welcoming,” Latham said. “It’s hard to put into words how much the band has impacted me throughout the years I’ve been in it. Personally, I’ve always been shy, and being in a band has really opened me up to communication with others. I’ve also learned skills with marching, reading music, dedication, and work ethic.”
Amy has soaked up as much as she can from her band director, Nathan Kilgo and has had an amazing time being on the color guard. This will be her second and final year as the color guard captain and has enjoyed every second of that experience so far.
“He is a wonderful band director and is the longest-reigning band director in Cullman County. He takes a lot of pride in the show every year. He cares about the band members and always treats everybody with respect. I have learned so many things from him. The first one is how to take criticism (laughs). He has taught me how to read music, march, and have fun while performing,” she said. “It’s been amazing so far. We had a great color guard with very supportive girls. We also have an amazing sponsor, Kristy Harris, who always makes sure we have everything we need. Being captain is such a great honor, and it’s something I’m very proud of. I couldn’t be asked to lead a better group of girls. I have seen so many of the girls become great color guard members. It seems like each year; the girls improve more and more.”
She added,
“It’s been such a pleasure watching our younger color guard members grow. We were fortunate enough to get Best in Class last year at a competition. Watching those young ladies that have never picked up a flag at the beginning of the year, grow throughout the year and become great color guard members, has been very rewarding.”
Amy has learned so much from the past seniors before her and they have helped her become the leader that she is today. She has also learned so much from this year’s seniors as well.
“There were so many seniors that have impacted me throughout the years. I mainly gained friendships through them. They have always been very encouraging. The advice they gave and the experiences they shared always made me feel better, especially if I was struggling with a certain part of the show. They taught me that you have to keep going and don’t quit. You can’t stop when you fall, but you got to get up and keep going,” she said. “They’re like family to me. I’m very honored to graduate with them. They are all great leaders in the band and many of the new band members coming up look up to them. I have learned so much from them, like tempo, timing, and counts. Any questions that I have had, they have been very helpful throughout the years.”
This upcoming band season will be a very emotional one for Amy and she talked about the goals for this upcoming band season.
“Knowing that this is my last year is very hard on me. I have grown up in the band, and it’s sad to think that I will be leaving. It’s exciting knowing I’ll move on to the next chapter of my life, but I know the color guard will be in good hands when I leave,” she said. “The goals for this year are to get the best overall in color guard this year and to get a solo in this year’s show.”
Amy has continued to improve on her performance throughout her time in the band so far and will continue to work on some things as she gets prepared for this upcoming band season. She also talked about what will make this band special to watch, her role model growing up, and the best advice that someone ever gave her.
“I feel like each year, I have gained new skills, whether it’s leadership or technical. I feel like I’m still learning, but I want to encourage the girls, so that they feel that I led them on the right path and that we are a team. I will continue to work on the improvement and refinement of the show,” she said. “I think the theatrics of this year’s show will be eye-catching this year and the band has something very special planned for this season.”
She added,
“I’ve had so many great people in my life that has helped me, but the one person that pops into my mind is Jessica Jane Peterson. She is a magician and fire breather. She’s always been someone I’ve looked up to. The best advice I’ve ever received was to follow my dreams. That advice has led me to my passion for entertainment and my dreams to go professional one day.”
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